Politics & Power Quote by Recep Tayyip Erdogan

“Self-styled democracies” is a neat little verbal trap: it flatters the speaker as a guardian of legitimacy while delegitimizing rivals as mere imitators. Erdogan frames democracy not as a messy, locally negotiated practice but as a product that can be audited against “universal standards” - standards he does not name, which is the point. Vagueness here is power. If the benchmarks remain undefined, they can be invoked selectively, applied to enemies abroad, and explained away at home.

The intent reads diplomatic on the surface: don’t rush regime change; promote “steps” toward democratic rule. But the subtext is managerial and paternalistic. Democracy becomes a staircase supervised by authorities, not a right seized by citizens. That dovetails with Erdogan’s long-running rhetorical move: separating the democratic ideal from liberal constraints like independent courts, adversarial media, and robust civil society. You can affirm “democratic rule” while quietly shrinking the spaces where democracy actually breathes.

Context sharpens the cynicism. Erdogan leads a NATO-member state that has spent the last decade weathering accusations of democratic backsliding, especially after the 2013 Gezi protests and the post-2016 coup attempt crackdown. In that light, “universal standards” functions as both shield and sword: Turkey can demand recognition as democratically legitimate (elections happen) while dismissing criticism as naïve about the “formidable journey” of security threats, polarization, and regional instability.

The final line - “a formidable journey” - is the soft landing. It pre-emptively excuses delays, exceptions, and emergency measures. Democracy, in this framing, is always arriving tomorrow, which is convenient for leaders who want the prestige of the label without the vulnerability of the substance.