At the Guardian Owen Jones recounts what he saw in Turkey. Here’s his summary:
Turkey is a warning: democracy is precious but fragile. It underlines how rights and freedoms are often won at great cost and sacrifice but can be stripped away by regimes exploiting national crises. The danger is that Turkey won’t be an exception, but a template of how to rid countries of democracy. That is reason enough to stand by Turkey. Who knows which country could be next?
I agree that liberal democracy is fragile. It needs to be bolstered by traditions, institutions, and commitment to the rule of law. Without those as in Turkey it can degenerate into authoritarian government faster than we might imagine.
