Turkey's Democratic Challenges - Turkish Policy Quarterly

Turkey's Democratic Challenge, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
This issue of Turkish Policy Quarterly (TPQ) focuses on the democratic challenges Turkey faces on a wide range of policy issues, from the Kurdish peace process to the governance of the Internet, and from social policies to the implementation of...

Nigâr Göksel

A New Era in Turkey-EU Relations, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
New leaderships in Ankara and Brussels have the opportunity to pave the way for the strengthening and deepening of Turkey-EU relations, the resurgence of Turkey’s EU accession process, and the opportunity to cooperate on regional matters that...

Volkan Bozkır

The Middle East, the Kurdish Peace Process in Turkey, and Radical Democracy, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
The resolution of the Kurdish Problem is part and parcel of Turkey’s democratization and vice versa. Despite claims made by the AKP government that the process is close to resolution, there have been limited concrete and practical gains....

Selahattin Demirtaş

Urban Transformation and Otherization, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
Since coming to power in 2002, the AKP government has enacted a series of urban transformation projects that have significantly altered the urban landscape of cities across Turkey. In this article, the author takes up the latest item on the...

Gürsel Tekin

Plugged Out? Turkey’s Internet Politics and Business, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
Turkey needs to accelerate its integration into the Internet economy. The state of new media in Turkey is caricaturized as a battle of politics and culture/ideology, waged between the leadership and supporters of the AK Party and a nebulous mass of...

Ebru İlhan

Those Who Laugh Together, Belong Together: Online Satire in Turkey, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
Since the mass participation in the Gezi Park protests of 2013, youth activism in Turkey has not translated into party politics, nor has another similar wave of protests followed. However, the line of criticism directed against the government and its...

Ahu Yiğit

Civic Engagement in Turkey’s Democracy: The Case of “Oy ve Ötesi,” Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
To date in Turkey’s young democracy, core pillars of the democratic process have largely been left to the mercy of political parties and state institutions, while the participation of civil society and the population at large, other than...

Sercan Çelebi

Civil Society in Turkey’s Shrinking Political Space, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
Since 2007, there has been a tangible shrinking of the political space for those who do not support the AKP government in Turkey, which in turn, has had a negative impact on traditional grassroots organizing. The author identifies the May 2013 Gezi...

Sezen Yalçın

Political Party and Campaign Financing In Turkey, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
Political finance remains a relatively under-studied but problematic subject in Turkey. How political parties are financed determines to a large extent whether they can sustain a democratic culture within themselves, as well as contribute to the...

Seda Kırdar

The Menderes Metaphor, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has frequently compared himself with Adnan Menderes, most recently after his August 10th presidential victory. This article examines the validity of this comparison, its popularity among academic historians, and its role in...

Nicholas Danforth

A New Momentum: Gender Justice in the Women’s Movement, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
Underlining the detrimental effects of classical egalitarian feminism in the development of women’s rights in Turkey, this article suggests bringing about a new perspective to the issue of women’s rights on the basis of an...

E. Sare Aydın Yılmaz

Turkey’s Kurdish Peace Process and the Third EyeThursday, February 5, 2015
Turkey’s Kurdish question has witnessed novel developments since the commencement of meetings between government officials and the PKK in late 2012 designed to settle the long-running conflict. Rapidly changing regional patterns of alliances,...

Egemen B. Bezci

Armenia and Turkey: From Normalization to Reconciliation, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
For Turkey and Armenia, normalization and reconciliation can be seen as two sides of the same coin. A critical and achievable breakthrough would be the opening of the international border and the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the...

Freedom of Religion and Non-Muslim Minorities in Turkey, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
Freedom of religion has been a delicate issue since the founding of the Turkish Republic despite the principle of secularism stated in its constitution. After decades marked by assaults towards non-Muslims in Turkey and confiscation of their...

Anna Maria Beylunioğlu

Turkey's Changing Social Policy Landscape, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
This article reviews aspects of the Turkish social policy regime within the context of its transformation during the 2000s and discusses its strengths and weaknesses in providing adequate and equitable welfare. The article underlines the multifaceted...

Emre Üçkardeşler

Disability Rights in Turkey: Time for Change, Winter 2015Thursday, February 5, 2015
Nearly 13 percent of Turkey’s population is disabled, and yet there are still leaps and bounds to be made with regard to equality, accessibility, and employment opportunities for the disabled community. From the perspective of his involvement...

Mehmet Evsen

Turkey's Democratic ChallengesVol. 13 No. 4 - Winter 2015

Turkey's Democratic Challenges
Vol. 13 No. 4 - Winter 2015