Turkey held its local elections last week and, amid widespread rumors of fraud at the ballot box, the ruling Justice and Development Party of the incumbent prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, received over 45 percent of the vote. Allegations of systemic corruption and the appearance of an authoritarian-style regime with crackdowns on social media outlets have suggested that Turkey’s once-burgeoning democracy has gone the way of many of its neighbors. The United States and the West must make clear that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated and that sanctions will be put in place if Turkey continues on this authoritarian trajectory.

Erdogan, once a strong ally of the United States in the tumultuous region, is increasingly seen as more of a pariah than a friend. Facing pressure from anti-government protests and a public dispute with the admired Muslim religious leader Fethullah Gulen, Erdogan did what most other tyrants do and banned the use of social media. The decision to block Twitter and YouTube last week was the effective death knell for a once-prosperous U.S. relationship. The embattled prime minister was further undermined when the constitutional court ruled that the ban violated freedom of expression.

Not to be deterred, Erdogan, in a sign of his increasing weakness, demanded an interest-rate cut. Spooking markets globally, Erdogan’s meddling in the nation’s monetary policy can be seen as yet another example of his determination to solidify his grip on power. Timothy Ash, head of emerging markets research at Standard Bank in London, told Reuters the latest action by the prime minister has been “very negative and disruptive … Politicians should steer clear of making such specific comments over monetary policy in countries which are supposed to operate with independent central banks.”

So far, the United States and the European Union have watched the events unfold with apprehension, not willing to condemn the actions of Erdogan in their entirety. The State Department has yet to release a statement on the widespread allegations of electoral fraud in the latest election, the results of which are disputed by over 41 cities across Turkey. It must. Free and fair elections are the banner headline of a well-functioning democracy. If the United States truly supports the people of Turkey, it must do more to prompt a fresh set of elections with international observers monitoring the validity of the electoral process.

“Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.” Thomas Jefferson’s truism about the value of term limits could not be more appropriate in light of the events in Turkey. For Erdogan, who is in his third term as prime minister, the events of the last week cast a dark shadow on his tenure. If Erdogan does not wish to feel the brunt of U.S. sanctions, then he must stop playing the role of the autocrat and return to being a genuine democratic leader.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, April 7 print edition. Harry Brown is a staff columnist. Harry’s Take is published every Monday. Email him at [email protected].

*Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Turkey’s prime ministerial elections took place last week. The elections last week were local. 

WSN regrets the error.