PSI 421 ISSUES IN TURKISH POLITICS

                     (2022-2023 Fall)

Turkey have had difficulties in establishing a high quality liberal democracy. Yet at the same time, she cannot, it seems, live with long term authoritarian rule either. “What are the basic factors which make it exceedingly difficult for Turkey to have a liberal democray” is the the primary question that this course deals with. In answering this question, political, economic, social, cultural and geopolitical factors, despite the fact that it is very difficult to make a clear-cut separation, will be considered. The course  will emphasize importance of elite choices without ignoring structural elements and appreciation of the fact that the same factor could play both positive and negative role in different time periods.

            COURSE OUTLINE

1. What is liberal democracy?     (1 week)
2. What makes for liberal democracy ?  (1 week)
3. A short overview of the Turkish experiment with democracy  (3 weeks)
4. Factors which makes the establishment of liberal democracy difficult  (3 weeks)

-  the “patrimonial” state tradition

-  the imprint of nation-making process

-  the centrality of state in material and non-material resource allocation.

-  the prevalence of pervasive “distrust” in society

-  the weaknesses of liberal democrat thought and tradition

            -  the geopolitical factors

1. Factors which make the establishment of long term authoritarian regime difficult    (3 weeks)

-relative social/political pluralism deriving from class structure and ethnic/religious composition of society

-prevalence of the idea of (relatively) limited or law-based state

-the fact that Turkey is not a rentier state

-the level of socio-economic development

-the geopolitical factors

 

SUGGESTED READINGS

1. For I and II,

Christian Haerpfer, Patrick Bernhagen, Ronald F. Inglehart, Christian Welzel Democratization, second edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2019; Tanel Demirel, “Demokrasi ve DemokratikleÅŸme Üzerine”

1. For III, IV, V

Carter V. Findley, “The Tanzimat,” pp. 11-37; Benjamin C. Fortna, “The Reign of Abdülhamit II” pp, 38-61; M. Åžükrü HanioÄŸlu, “The Second Constitutional Period, 1908-1918” pp. 62-111; Hasan Kayalı, “The Struggle for Independence” pp. 112-146 all in  The Cambridge History of Turkey, vol 4, Turkey in Modern World, ed, ReÅŸat Kasaba, Cambridge, CUP, 2008; Ä°lter Turan, Turkey’s Difficult Journey to Democracy-Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015; Ergun Özbudun, Contemporary Turkish Politics: Challenges to Consolidation, London: Lynne Rienner, 2000; Ersin KalaycıoÄŸlu, “Turkish Democracy: Patronage versus Governance,” Turkish Studies, 2, 1 (2001), pp. 54-70; Metin Heper “The ‘Strong State’ and Democracy: The Turkish Case in Comparative and Historical Perspective” In Democracy and Modernity, eds, Shmuel N. Eisenstadt, Leiden Brill, 1992; Ä°lter Turan, “Stages of Political Development in the Turkish Republic”, Perspectives on Democracy in Turkey, Ankara: Turkish Political Science Association, 1988, pp.59-94; Kemal Karpat, “Türkiye’de Demokrasi Tarihi Üzerine Genel GörüÅŸ”  Türk Demokrasi Tarihi- Sosyal Kültürel Ekonomik Temeller, 9.basım, Ä°stanbul, TimaÅŸ, 2017, ss. 9-70; Tanel Demirel “DemokratikleÅŸme”  Türkiye’nin Uzun On Yılı- Demokrat Parti Ä°ktidarı ve 27 Mayıs Darbesi, 2.basım, Ä°stanbul, Ä°stanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2016, ss. 25-94; ÇaÄŸlar Keyder, “The Political Economy of Turkish Democracy,” Turkey in Transition-New Perspectives, In Irvin C. Shick and ErtuÄŸrul A. Tonak, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1987, pp. 27-65. 

 

            COURSE EVALUATION

 

There will be one mid-term (30) a final exam (50 p). Students are also expected to write book review (20p) to be handed on January 6 2023 at  the latest.    

 

 

 

              

(BOOKS TO BE REVIEWED)

 

 

Atalay, Onur, Türk’e Tapmak- Seküler Din ve Ä°ki SavaÅŸ Arası Kemalizm, Ä°stanbul, Ä°letiÅŸim, 2018.

 

Belge, Murat, Militarist ModernleÅŸme, Ä°stanbul, Ä°letiÅŸim, 2012.

 

            Bilici, Mücahit, Ä°slamda SavaÅŸ BitmiÅŸtir, Ä°stanbul, Avesta, 2016.

 

Bilici, Mücahit,  Hamal Kürt- Türk Ä°slamı ve Kürt Sorunu, Ä°stanbul, Avesta, 2017.

 

Demirel, Tanel. Adalet Partisi: Ä°deoloji ve Politika, Ä°stanbul, Ä°letiÅŸim, 2004.

 

Demirel, Tanel. Türkiye’nin Uzun On Yılı –Demokrat Parti Ä°ktidarı ve 27 Mayıs Darbesi,  Ä°stanbul, Ä°stanbul, Bilgi Üniversitesi Yayınevi, 2011.

 

 

Demirel, Tanel. Türk Siyasetini Anlamak: Yaklaşımlar Hakkında Bir Deneme, Ankara, Liberte, 2019

 

            Dinçer, Ömer, Türkiye’de DeÄŸiÅŸim Yapmak Neden Bu Kadar Zor? Ä°stanbul, Alfa, 2016.

                       

Gürpınar, DoÄŸan. Yerli-Milli, Türk DüÅŸününde Hamasi Söylemler, Ä°stanbul, Liber Plus, 2017.

 

            Marcus, Aliza. Kan ve Ä°nanç-PKK ve Kürt Hareketi, Ä°stanbul: Ä°letiÅŸim, 2009.

 

Özet, Ä°rfan, Fatih-BaÅŸakÅŸehir Muhafazakâr Mahallede Ä°ktidar ve DönüÅŸen Habitus, Ä°stanbul, Ä°letiÅŸim, 2019

 

Önderman, Murat, Türkiye’de Paranoid Ethos, Ä°stanbul, Vakıfbank Kültür Yayınları, 2018

 

            Somer, Murat, Milada DönüÅŸ- Ulus-devletten Devlet-ulusa Türk ve Kürt Meselesinin Üç Ä°kilemi, Ä°stanbul, Koç Universitesi Yayınları, 2015. 

 

           

Åžahin, Hakan, Türkiye’de Asker, Toplum ve Siyaset-Askerlerin YaÅŸam anlatıları Üzerinden Bir okuma, Ä°stanbul, BeyoÄŸlu Kitapevi, 2021.

 

 

            Türk, H. Bahadır, Muktedir- Türk SaÄŸ GeleneÄŸi ve Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, Ä°stanbul, Ä°letiÅŸim,  2014.

 

TokdoÄŸan, Nagehan, Yeni Osmanlıcılık- Hınç, Nostalji, Narsisizm, Ä°stanbul, Ä°letiÅŸim, 2018.

 

Uysal, AyÅŸen, Sokakta Siyaset-Türk’de Protesto Eylemleri, Protestocular ve Polis, Ä°stanbul, Ä°letiÅŸim, 2017.

 

Ünlü, Barış, Türklük SözleÅŸmesi- OluÅŸumu, Ä°ÅŸleyiÅŸi ve Krizi, Ankara, Dipnot, 2018.

 

Watts, Nicole F. Sandıkla Meydan Okumak-Türkiye’de Kürtlerin Siyasi YolculuÄŸu, çev, Bilgesu Sümer, Ä°stanbul, Ä°letiÅŸim, 2014.