Can Dündar, sought as a "terrorist" in Turkey and sentenced in absentia to over 27 years in prison, provides a precise account of the last few decades and the events surrounding the fateful election in May 2023, narrating the century-long struggle of the Turkish Republic for a free society. No year has been as existential for this important partner of Europe as this one! It has been 100 years since the crumbling Ottoman Empire fell apart and the Turkish Republic was established. This republic aimed to become a radically modern state: adopting European legal systems, the European calendar, the Latin script, free elections, gender equality, the separation of powers, and much more – a program more modern and secular than almost anywhere else in the world. The bridge to Europe was built, and the instigators of this development were not progressive parties, but the military. In 1952, Turkey became a member of NATO, but it was precisely the introduction of a multi-party system that gave a boost to Islamist-conservative forces. In the meantime, there were coups, party bans, and martial law. When Erdoğan became Prime Minister in 2013, he aimed to lead the country into the EU, but as his party grew powerful, the state under him took on increasingly autocratic features. The opposition was pushed into a corner, and any critical thinking was punished. Erdoğan's government intensified the oppression of the Kurds, waged war in Syria and Iraq, altered the constitution, brought the economy and judiciary under control, and banned critics and opposition parties. No one is safe from arrest, and the pretexts can be as bizarre as they come. Before and after the election, the country is more divided than ever. Can Dündar recounts a century of dramatic events and struggles, and he offers a glimpse into what the future might hold for the country.