The article argues that the Turkish experience with democracy may not offer a ‘model’ for democratization of the Arab states in West Asia and North Africa. It begins with a brief account of institutional and political changes in Turkey since the establishment of the modern Turkish Republic. It also explains how historical and structural conditions conducive to Turkey’s progression to democracy are absent in much of the Arab world. It concludes that the Turkish experience is sui generis and cannot be replicated by any other state in the region. Nevertheless, it does provide an example for Arab liberal reformers, currently campaigning for democracy and political pluralism in the region.
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