How does democratic backsliding influence the behavior of political parties within legislatures? Despite extensive research on legislative behavior in stable democracies and, to a lesser extent, autocracies, the dynamics within transitioning political landscapes remain less explored. This study investigates the nuanced impacts of democratic erosion on party cohesion and ideological polarization, drawing on a unique dataset of speeches from the Turkish Grand National Assembly (2002-2023). Findingsfrom correspondance analysis and two-way fixed effects analysis indicate that democratic backsliding correlates with a reduction in the dimensionality of political speech, stronger intra-party cohesion, and broader ideological divides between parties, except in discussions on resource distribution where these trends reverse. Additionally, the research explores the strategic importance of Members of Parliament's (MPs) adherence to party ideology in such contexts, uncovering a divergence in strategies between opposition and ruling parties. By mapping these changes against the backdrop of Turkey's political evolution over two decades-long AKP rule, the study aims to offer a deeper understanding of how political parties and MPs adapt to and reflect the changing contours of democracy, contributing to the literature on authoritarian legislatures and democratic backsliding.