LAUSR

All in all, this book fills an important void in its area of research; it is rich in its diversity of not only opinions but also expertise. Notably, Chapters 3, 5 and 10 come to the fore with their conceptual strength and the novelty of their application to the case of the AKP and Erdoğan. However, it would have been more comprehensive had it also covered the societal roots of authoritarianism and included an analysis of power formation through state apparatuses in Turkey. A comparison of constitutional checks and balances before and during the reign of Erdoğan would have been a key factor in understanding how the AKP leadership utilized the existing structure and re-crafted it in their best interests. An overall examination of recent elections, as the title of the book implies, would also have been an immense contribution to understand the voters’ preferences and Erdoğan’s political manoeuvres. Despite all these points, the book remains one of the most thorough examinations of Turkey’s recent descent into authoritarian practices.