Global politics and Turkey's democratic backsliding

Do states have an influence on the regime type of the others? Can regional/global powers intentionally bolster regime type over target countries? Benefitting from the elite-level interviews from ex-officials and representatives of reputable think tanks, this article argues that since 2011, the EU and, after the failed coup attempt in July 2016, Russia have fostered favourable conditions for the incumbent to pursue autocratization in Turkey. EU actors ignored democratic erosion for more than a decade by prioritizing a transactional relationship with Turkey, especially in the areas of migration, security, and economy. Russia began cooperating closely with the Turkish government after the failed coup attempt in July 2016, due to the close personal ties between Erdo & gbreve;an and Putin stemming from similar anti-Western and anti-democratic attitudes. However, there is minimal evidence showing that China, as the strongest black knight, intentionally helped or sustained the legitimacy of the autocratic rule in Turkey.