This study examines how Turkey’s use of the state of emergency following the 2016 coup attempt contributed to the democratic backsliding process already undergoing in the country since 2011, employing meta-constitutional analysis as the methodological framework. The enforcement of emergency rule allowed the executive to expand its authority, leading to significant institutional changes. This paper investigates how the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) exploited specific emergency protocols, that is, emergency decrees, to enforce the 2017 constitutional amendment and to consolidate presidentialism. Ultimately, this study aims to contribute to the discourse on risks related to the erosion of the rule of law in SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) countries.
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