RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Turkiye recently commemorated the 10th anniversary of the failed military coup in 2016, with the observance aimed at reaffirming the country's victory for democracy. However, Turkiye's current standing in several democracy-related indices remains lower than that of many other countries.

For example, the international non-profit organization Freedom House classified Turkiye as "Not Free" in its Freedom in the World 2026 report. Similarly, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index in 2024 gave Turkiye a score of 4.26 out of 10.

Turkish Ambassador to Indonesia, Talip Küçükcan, responded to these rankings. He argued that any assessment of democracy should take into account the specific context of each country before concluding its democratic standards.

"When I look at all these indices, I think those indices should look at countries one by one. Each and every country has its own characteristics, own history and culture, and the risks that we talk about," he said to RRI VOI after the tenth coup anniversary commemorative event in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

Küçükcan pointed to Turkiye's membership in NATO—the defense alliance comprising countries in North America and Europe—as evidence of the country's democratic credentials. He argued that a country could not become a member of such an organization without having a strong democratic foundation.

"You cannot become a member of an international community if your democracy is not strong enough, or if your institutions are not transparent and accountable," katanya.

However, Küçükcan said there is always room for improvement in all systems. He thinks the media is an important instrument and institution to promote democracy.

"When the media is under control, when the media is really restricted, the voice of the people will also be less heard. That's why we believe that free media is important, because the media works on behalf of the public, on behalf of the people," he said.

The Ambassador admitted that he believes free media and political opposition are an integral part of democracy; thus, he claimed his country supports state-related and private media in Turkiye. However, like in other countries, he said that homeless media and social media are becoming more and more influential, and they need more concern.

"I truly believe in the freedom of the media, but there should also be responsibility of the media. There must be rules, regulations, and principles that media should adhere to," he said.

"That's why I think we have to balance freedom of thought, religion, expression, and also freedom of the media," he conveyed.