Turkey's post‑coup shift toward authoritarian rule

Ten years after the failed 15 July 2016 coup, Turkey’s political system remains reshaped by emergency decrees and constitutional changes. The state dismissed thousands of public servants, closed or seized hundreds of institutions, and passed a 2017 amendment that ended the parliamentary system in favor of a presidential model, concentrating executive power. Initial crackdowns targeted the Gülen movement, but later operations extended to Kurdish activists, journalists, academics and, more recently, members of the CHP, including the arrests and dismissals of elected mayors.

Amid this backdrop, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Doç. Dr. Gökhan Günaydın resumed his parliamentary leadership role on 30 June 2026 after the party’s precautionary measure was lifted. Günaydın, a multi‑disciplinary academic from Amasya, holds degrees in law, economics and agricultural engineering and has served in various party and civil‑society positions. His return is seen as bolstering the CHP’s legislative strategy within a tightly controlled political environment.