Executive Power and Political Corruption in Central Asian Turkic States: A Comparative Analysis

Batuhan Sarp Tumer; Ahmet Furkan Cihangiroglu

doi:10.52536/3006-807X.2026-1.003

Authors

Batuhan Sarp Tumer University of Warsaw, Poland Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9971-2216
Ahmet Furkan Cihangiroglu University of Warsaw, Poland Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6316-0963

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52536/3006-807X.2026-1.003

Keywords:

corruption, model, democracy, authoritarianism, autocracy

Abstract

This study examines the link between political corruption and unchecked executive power in the Turkic states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan in Central Asia. Using Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) data from 1991 to 2021 and combining historical analysis with a linear regression model, the study shows that 40.7% of the variation in political corruption levels can be explained by the concentration of authority, as determined by judicial and legislative restrictions as well as media censorship. The results show that the main causes of systemic corruption are the deterioration of legislative checks and the repression of media freedom ($R=-.638$), even though economic development (GDP per capita) is statistically insignificant ($p=.112$). The analysis demonstrates that absolute power in the region actively requires the establishment of corrupt patronage networks in order to preserve regime stability, rather than just offering the chance for illegal gain. Because the political system is based on the mechanics of graft, the study comes to the conclusion that anti-corruption initiatives in the region will be futile unless functional checks and balances are restored, particularly in the areas of media independence and judicial oversight.

Author Biographies

Batuhan Sarp Tumer, University of Warsaw, Poland

PhD Candidate/Researcher, University of Warsaw, Poland
Ahmet Furkan Cihangiroglu, University of Warsaw, Poland

PhD Candidate/Researcher, University of Warsaw, Poland

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