The reflections on social media of the statement of the nation alliance’s strengthened parliamentary system in Turkey

The system of government has been a significant issue in Turkish politics intermittently since the transition to multi-party politics. Subsequently, especially political party leaders from the right-wing spectrum claimed that Turkey should change the parliamentary system to a presidential system due to the need for a fast and powerful executive branch. Following the constitutional changes in 2017, the parliamentary system was replaced by the presidential system of government. However, the debate on the system of government remains unresolved. The opposition side in Turkey, gathered as the Nation Alliance, comprising the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the nationalist IYIP party, the Islamist Felicity Party (SP), the Democratic Party (DP), the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), and the Future Party (GP), has proposed a new system, the strengthened parliamentary system, for Turkey’s democratization process in 2022. They criticize the presidential system for leading to a more authoritarian regime than before the constitutional changes in 2017. The study aims to understand how social media users on Twitter (X) reflect on the Nation Alliance’s proposal for transitioning to a strengthened parliamentary system. To achieve this, we will analyze the tweets about this issue using content analysis, social network analysis, and sentiment analysis. In conclusion, this research delves into the challenges of democracy in Turkey by analyzing debates on the Strengthened Parliamentary System (SPS). It highlights limited public interest, polemical political discussions, and the harmful impact of securitizing democratic demands related to the SPS. The analysis emphasizes the weak connection of the SPS project with the general public, lack of democratic dialogue within the opposition, and the government’s strategy of framing the SPS as a security matter, offering insights into the complex dynamics influencing Turkey’s democratization process.