The Transition from Democracy to Authoritarianism: The Cases of Russia and Turkey

In this study, I aim to examine the concept of democracy compared to authoritarian regimes. There is a trend of authoritarian leaders in the world, who initially came to power through democratic elections. Democracy seems to lose its preferred status in many countries. The world is going through a phase of populist leaders with exuberant personalities. The definition and characteristics of political leaders will be discussed in this paper, along with the possible reasons that lead them to become power-hungry. This study will also include some well-known examples around the world, highlighting their undemocratic policies. The cases of Russia and Türkiye will be the main focus of the second and third chapter, especially after the controversies surrounding Erdogan’s powerful grip on Türkiye, and Putin’s notorious rise to power that culminated in the invasion of Ukraine. As can be seen from both cases, these leaders came to power through democratic methods and later turned into power-seeking populist figures. Therefore, this research will try to shed light on the questions including but not limited to: What drives a democratically-elected leader to become a totalitarian? What kind of precautions could be taken to prevent such a change? Do these two countries’ histories have a connection with this trend? Do they want to recreate their former empires?