In a major decree published in the Official Gazette on 22 May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been given sole authority to declare mobilisation and a state of war, marking a crucial shift in Turkey’s governance structure. According to the newly enacted Mobilisation and State of War Regulation, Erdoğan can now decide to declare mobilisation not only in the event of war, but also in cases of ‘rebellion, a strong and active uprising against the nation or the republic, or behaviour that endangers the unity and integrity of the country and the nation’, further consolidating his executive powers.
The new regulation replaces the longstanding ‘Mobilisation and State of War Code’, in place since 1990, transferring the power to declare mobilisation and martial law from the Council of Ministers to the presidency.
This development follows Erdoğan’s earlier consolidation of power in 2017, when constitutional amendments granted him the power to declare a state of emergency. These changes further extend Erdoğan’s reach, allowing him to suspend laws and exert unprecedented control over critical aspects of national security and governance.
Erdoğan’s expanded powers raise concerns about the future trajectory of Turkish politics, with fears of a further concentration of power within the presidency.
Speaking to Cumhuriyet newspaper, Süleyman Bülbül, MP for Aydın and spokesperson of the CHP group in the Justice Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, expressed his concerns about the consequences of this regulation, saying it, “restricts many legal rights and freedoms. It will pave the way for the authoritarian government to label organised peaceful protests as rebellion”.
