The Temporal Dimensions of Populist Discourse and Action in Contemporary Turkey

This paper explores the temporal dimensions of populist discourse and political strategy in contemporary Turkey. It investigates how temporal perceptions—such as nostalgia for a glorified past, crisis-driven urgency in the present, and the promise of a transformative future—shape the populist narrative employed by political actors like the AKP (Justice and Development Party) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. By evoking a national history framed in terms of restoration, populist discourse and action in Turkey employ a linear conception of time to create a sense of continuity between a mythic past and a revitalized future, positioning the present as a moment of crisis and opportunity.

This study also examines the non-linear conceptions of time in populist strategy, particularly the cyclical nature of political crises and their role in maintaining momentum and a perpetual state of mobilization. Drawing on ethnographic and archival research as well as a review of work on the intersection of populism, identity, and crisis, the paper interrogates how these temporal narratives are mobilized to address generational tensions, public memory, and the waves of protest that shape political contention in Turkey.