The objective of this course is to examine the conceptual and historical foundations of democracy and to explain the evolution of democratic thought from Antiquity to the present; to assess how the development of modern democracy in Europe influenced the political structure of the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey; to analyze the reforms and constitutional transformations during the transition from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic; to identify the major turning points in Turkish democratic history within the context of multi-party politics, military interventions, and constitutional change; and finally, to critically evaluate Turkey’s democratization, institutional reforms, and political transformation processes in the 21st century.

This course begins with the fundamental concepts of democracy, its historical origins, and the development of modern democracy in Europe. It then examines reform movements and constitutional changes in the Ottoman Empire, followed by the establishment of the Republic and the single-party era. The transition to multi-party politics, the Democrat Party period, military interventions, and constitutional transformations are analyzed chronologically. The course concludes with an examination of post-1980 political structures, democratization debates, institutional reforms, and the political transformation of Turkey in the 21st century.