Erdogan’s Referendum Victory and Turkish Politics

On September 12, Turkish voters decisively approved a package of constitutional amendments sponsored by the governing Justice and Development Party (JDP). The final result was 57.88 percent in favor to 42.12 percent against with 73.71 percent of registered voters participating. The referendum was yet another electoral triumph for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the latest in a series stretching back to 1994 when he was first elected Mayor of Istanbul from the Welfare Party. Since then, Erdogan has won two parliamentary elections, two municipal elections and two constitutional referenda.