Barriers to Reviving Democratic and Participatory Political Culture in Turkey: A Case Study of the Undergraduate Students of the Selcuk University

For several decades, Turkey has been striving to transition toward a modern social culture. Governments that have come to power in recent decades have reinforced their governance by leveraging fundamental values. However, the current political landscape, dominated by the conservative right-wing Justice and Development Party (AKP), has increasingly deviated from democratic principles. This study aims to examine the barriers to revitalizing a participatory and democratic political culture in Turkey from the perspective of undergraduate students at Selçuk University. Using Grounded Theory analysis and drawing on Almond and Verba’s theoretical framework on political culture, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 17 undergraduate students. The findings indicate that authoritarianism and government unaccountability in the political and social spheres, along with the state’s weak performance in implementing democracy and ensuring equitable resource distribution, have led to a decline in public trust and political participation. If this governance approach continues, it will further disillusion the public with political reforms and weaken political support for the government. According to the participants, the government’s failure to uphold democratic commitments plays a significant role in the decline of public trust and political engagement, which is particularly reflected in voter turnout rates.