There are further criticisms regarding Turkey’s new mobilization and the regulation of the state of war

Turkey’s newly enacted Mobilization and State of War Regulation, which centralizes the authority to declare mobilization and war under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, continues to face heavy criticism.

Erdoğan was given sole authority to declare mobilization and a state of war in a decree published in the Turkish Official Gazette on May 22. The new regulation allows the president to declare mobilization not only in the event of war, but also in the event of “rebellion, strong and active insurrection against the nation or the republic, or conduct that threatens the unity and integrity of the state and nation,” further strengthening his executive power.

Sezai Temelli, vice-chairman of the pro-Kurdish People’s Party for Equality and Democracy (DEM), criticized the regulation, describing it as an extension of the state of emergency intended for emergency use only.

“The only way to maintain this system is to maintain the system of oppression. How can the expression of democratic demands be prevented? Introducing a state of emergency. This is nothing more than the universal application of this emergency,” Temelli said.

He also added that the complete and long-term isolation imposed by the Turkish authorities on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı prison is the basis for normalizing the prolonged state of emergency.

Veysel Keser, the ousted mayor of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) in exile, emphasized that Erdoğan effectively used his own signature to transfer power over mobilization and the state of war to himself.

“The normal principle of separation of powers – legislative, executive and judicial – has already been handed over to a one-man regime,” Keser said. But it still wasn’t enough for Erdoğan’s purposes: “So once again he uses his own signature to give himself the power to declare mobilization and a state of war.”

“What does it mean? (…) Serious war plans are being created. A discussion about a regional war is being undertaken,” Keser added, noting that the consolidation of power under Erdoğan facilitates economic planning for the war effort, including the allocation of private and public resources for the war.

Former HDP MP Nursel Aydoğan highlighted the timing of the regulation’s entry into force, noting that it comes after the residents of Van (Van) launched effective public resistance in response to the electoral commission’s annulment of the city’s local election results on March 31. Erdoğan’s ruling alliance suffered a historic defeat in the elections.

“The moment of issuing the decree is significant. They thought they had completed the purge, but the Van resistance must have worried Erdoğan enough to put this bill on the agenda,” Aydoğan said. She also stressed that the Van resistance movement follows a series of uprisings in Turkey, including the Gezi Park protests and other demonstrations in Kobani (Kobanê) related to an eight-year high-profile court case that ended with a verdict on May 16.

Observers continue to warn that the changes undermine democratic principles and control of the executive in Turkey. Erdoğan’s expanded powers raise questions about his leadership and the future trajectory of Turkish politics, along with fears of further erosion of democratic norms and concentration of power in the presidential position.