Theses - Department of Political Science and Public Administration
Permanent URI for this community
Faculty of Economics, Administrative And Social Sciences
Browse
Browsing Theses - Department of Political Science and Public Administration by Title
Now showing 1 - 20 of 278
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Open Access A muslim feminist NGO in Turkey: The case of Havle Women Association(Bilkent University, 2023-08) Önal, ZeynepThis thesis focuses on the Islam-based feminist stance of Havle Women’s Association (HWA), its intellectual offerings and unique place in Turkey’s feminist movement. A newcomer to Turkey’s feminist movement, HWA was founded in Istanbul in 2018 and framed itself as “the first Muslim Feminist Women’s Association in Turkey”. The thesis examines HWA as a case study of Muslim - decolonial feminism in Turkey. By engaging with Islamic feminism and decolonial feminism literature, the study aims to investigate whether HWA produces new feminist direction in Turkey, how does HWA formulate its identity towards authoritarian AKP rule, Western stereotyped feminism, and Sunni-orthodox Islam understanding. I claim that by rejecting AKP’s enforced domination about gender roles and political implications, HWA produces an alternative framework for thinking about women’s issues from a Qur’an-based perspective. Parallel to this, the NGO also serves as the first and only initiation to the practice of modern and global Muslim feminist conceptualization in Turkey. Besides, by challenging mainstream women identity formulations, resisting Islam-referenced patriarchy, AKP’s hegemonic domination on gender-related matters and modernization and westernization stereotypes in Turkey, HWA produce an alternative perspective for its working area. Under the light of these, this study discusses HWA as a new intellectual direction for Turkey’s feminist movement.Item Open Access A process-oriented approach towards democratic backsliding: evidence from Hungary and Turkey(Bilkent University, 2023-07) Işık Canpolat, Ece AdviyeThis thesis explores different factors affecting the democratic backsliding process in today's world, where a cult of personality is established by using populism as the essential tool for achieving their goals. Considering the importance of weakening the checks and balances system, it also sheds light on other factors as the structure of the internal party organization, personalization of politics, and the political culture. Conducting a comparative case study analysis on Turkey and Hungary, this research aims to take a step forward in the democratic backsliding literature. Taking one step forward from the argument that democratic backsliding takes place when the checks and balances system abolishes, the research asks, "what happens after supposing that such governments do not fit the doctrine of separation of powers?" Through examining Turkey and Hungary as examples of hybrid regimes taking steps toward democratic backsliding day by day under AKP’s and Fidesz’s rule, the research seeks an answer to the question of "after diminishing the checks and balances system, what takes place and affects the democratic backsliding process in such examples?"Item Open Access Against its modernist grounds: rethinking clientelism(Bilkent University, 2001) Sargın, AyşeThis thesis is an attempt to highlight an arbitrariness and vagueness in the academic usage of the concept of clientelism. It is argued that these deficiencies in the usage of the concept arise from a bias inherent to its very definition within the framework of the modernisation theory's thinking back in the 1950s and 1960s. Clientelism first emerged as a tool of analysis in the anthropological studies of small traditional communities. Later it was transported to political science to be used in the study of the politics of "developing" societies. These societies had institutions such as bureaucracies and political parties, which were "modern" institutions in terms of definition but which, functioned differently from their counterparts in the societies of the West. Clientelistic model was utilised by political scientists mainly to account for this deviation. Even in contemporary studies, scholars of clientelism tend to view clientelism as essentially a feature of the non-modern societies despite studies which acknowledge its existence in societies with various levels of development. In this thesis we explore and problematise the roots of the concept of clientelism in modernisation thinking and the evolution of it from anthropological studies to political science. We also investigate the perception of clientelism by the students of Turkish politics to provide an example to this bias. Turkish studies of clientelism are marked by a vague use of the concept; not all similar political behaviors and processes are identified as clientelistic, while those political behaviors and processes that are accepted as legitimate parts of the political system in another society, are condemned as clientelistic in these studies. This thesis argues that this arbitrary and vague use of the concept in Turkish studies arises from the particular state-society articulation in Turkish society understood as a cleavage between the "modern" center and the "traditional" periphery. A study of the state society interaction in the American political system is provided to highlight the difference between the two societies.Item Open Access The alla franca dandies: modern individuality in the late 19th century Ottoman novels(Bilkent University, 2018-09) Mühürcüoğlu, KorhanThe thesis studies the Hamidian regime (1876-1909) of the Ottoman Empire with regard to the relations between Ottoman modernization, Westernization and the proto-individualism that was then taking roots without the concomitant development of capitalism and in the absence of bourgeoisie. To investigate these relations, the thesis concentrates upon the alla franca dandy literary figure; a francophile who adores European culture and feels aversion towards the Ottoman/Islamic culture. The alla franca dandy owes his existence to Ahmet Mithat’s Felatun Bey and Rakım Efendi (1876) published as a critique of “false Westernization” and an attempt at circumscribing the limits of proper modernization, balancing the Ottoman/Islamic culture and Western material progress. He was thus born out of the Ottoman intellectuals’ ideas of and anxiety over Westernization, who sought to modernize the society without subverting the traditional foundations. As the Ottoman/Islamic and Western cultures collided, the alla franca dandy became the embodiment of “false Westernization” and served the intellectuals’ objective to educate the masses by setting a bad example. However, though the alla franca dandy was born to circumscribe the proper limits of modernization, he ironically evolved, through the novels of authors like Ekrem and Gürpınar), to express individualistic attitudes and put forth a modernist critique of the Ottoman/Islamic tradition as the intellectuals’ epistemological assumptions eroded and the society’s present is questioned and problematized as in need of intervention. Through an analysis of the alla franca dandy’s development, the thesis tries to bring forth Ottoman modernity’s unique nature and individualism’s role in it.Item Open Access Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and compliance in international financial institutions(Bilkent University, 2019-07) Öztürk, Emine NurThe relationship between compliance, accountability and good governance is important in terms of the mission and role of International Organizations in global order. Although these concepts are closely related to each other, the existing literature focuses mostly on the key components of the good governance, accountability and compliance with an institution centric way. In general, relationship between compliance, accountability and good governance has been also discussed theoretically. To elaborate on these significant concepts in practice, this study investigates the role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) tools in dispute resolution as part of the compliance process in IFIs by examining the initiation, implementation and monitoring of the ADR tools in compliance and dispute resolution process. The IFIs use ADR tools in compliance review and dispute resolution as part of their accountability mechanism since ADR methods are effective tools to protect accountability of the IFIs by complying with international rules, standards and regulations including social and environmental standards. IFIs have also provided detailed information on how their ADR mechanisms work in their websites and reports. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have reflected the importance of compliance review function for accountability mechanism. However, the role of ADR tools of different IFIs in compliance process has not been adequately analyzed. Considering this gap, the following research questions direct this study: How compliance processes have been initiated or conducted?, How results have been implemented?, How monitoring and evaluation of the implementation has been done? and (iv) What is the role of ADR tools in resolving the dispute?. By explaining the role of ADR tools in IFIs and selecting cases from IFIs, this study aimed to find answers for these questions which contributed to understand how compliance, accountability and good governance are related to each other in ADR mechanisms of the IFIs. Finally, the main findings of the study were reflected in conclusion section in relation to the role of the ADRs in compliance review and dispute resolution of the IFIs, which is in line with their forms, goals and missions addressing accountability and good governance.Item Open Access Analysis of everyday xenophobia: the case of highly educated Turks with immigrant background in Austria and Germany(Bilkent University, 2022-11) Tulun, Teoman ErtuğrulXenophobia and racism are contested. They are distinct but overlapping. This study analyses the relationship and interaction between these two concepts and seeks to unpack the true nature of contemporary xenophobia in Western Europe. It attempts to answer two key questions: 1) What constitutes the conceptual bases for these terms? 2) How do people report on their experiences on these concepts? In addressing these questions, the study deconstructs and analyzes the multi-dimensional concept of xenophobia to arrive at a meaningful operational definition; explicates its overlooked normative framework constitutively shaped in the United Nations; investigates the rising effects of immigration phenomenon, violent acts against immigrant groups, and the political discourse on the level of xenophobia; focuses on the related developments in Germany and Austria by narrating the events relevant to explain the rising xenophobia in these countries; and refers to reliable secondary data regarding xenophobic and racist perceptions, behaviors, and incidents gathered through research conducted under the supervision of international organizations and reports submitted by member states to such organizations. The study also seeks answers to these questions through an analysis of interview data conducted with highly educated Turks with immigrant background in Germany and Austria, which is characterized as the group least likely to experience xenophobia and racism. Research findings reveal that the interviewees experience both xenophobia and racism. The interviewees mostly regard racism and xenophobia as identical and declare that they are exposed to verbal violence.Item Open Access An analysis on the contribution of civil society to democratic consolidation in Turkey(Bilkent University, 2007) Torus, EmreThis is an analysis on the contribution of civil society to democratic consolidation in Turkey. This thesis will try to understand this problematic by assessing the civil society’s formal structure, legal framework, internal values and its impact during the consolidation process. The key aim here is to understand the civil society’s role as a contributor to democratic consolidation by mapping the civil society and democratic consolidation relationship in Turkey. While doing so, this study will base itself on a combination of theories that link the civil society to democratic consolidation with an empirical tool for the assessment of this linkage.Item Open Access Analyzing the early republican ideology with specific reference to the Turkish literature : 1930-1945(Bilkent University, 2000) Birler, R. ÖmürHaving taken for granted that there exists a certain but nonlinear relation between political ideology and literature, this thesis seeks to trace the early republican political project vis a vis development of the Turkish literature. In this respect, two fundamental dimensions of the republican ideology, modernization and nationalism are considered; and the reflection of these two motives on the political agenda is analyzed through both the works and the debates of period’s Turkish literary world. Further, this thesis attempts to develop a proper theoretical framework derived from the Post-colonial literature theory in order to have a better understanding of the investigated case.Item Open Access The appeal of social capital: analyzing the conceptualization of the concept(Bilkent University, 2018-05) Erden, Veysel YiğitThis thesis aims to make an analysis of conceptualization and operationalization of the concept of ‘social capital’ in the social sciences. Therefore, this thesis looks for answers to the questions such as why the scientific community focused on the conceptualization and operationalization of this concept more frequently compared to several other concepts which could have gained popularity in social science literature, and how and why the number of references to the concept of social capital started to increase dramatically in literature during the 1990s and 2000s. For answering the two main questions of this thesis, the most cited academic studies according to Google Scholar were examined in detail to comprehend the main framework used by wellknown scholars to conceptualize and operationalize the concept of social capital. This thesis identified that the scientific community focused on the conceptualization and operationalization of the concept of social capital due to the explanatory power of the concept as opposed to concepts such as financial capital, physical capital and human capital for the transformation in and complexity of industrial societies. It does so by also examining the types of and questions around measurement while using the concept. Other concepts were considered as less comprehensive for explaining the transformation processes especially in economic development, employment, poverty alleviation and democracy at the micro and macro levels in the modern world. Furthermore, by operationalizing social capital as the independent variable, scholars were also able to capture the post-1990 transformations in the advanced industrialized world better, especially when holding other variables constant. Thus, both its explanatory power and the shortcomings of the other concepts in capturing the transformation led to its appeal.Item Open Access Approaching civil-military relations as a regime: lessons from the Turkish case(Bilkent University, 2022-12) Malkoç, DenizhanThis thesis argues that while the equilibrium theories in civil-military relations literature criticise the separation theories for neglecting the domestic conditions of non-western states, they disregard the functional imperative and possible politicisation of militaries. In order to test this criticism of equilibrium theories, this thesis utilises Douglas L. Bland’s shared responsibility theory, which adapts the equilibrium approach by applying regime theory, to analyse the change in Turkish civil-military relations between 1999 and the present by conducting a longitudinal with-in case study of Turkey. The findings indicate that the characteristics of established equilibriums are conditional to the political context. In the case of Turkey, the change in civil-military relations mainly proceeded under competitive authoritarianism on the part of the government and resulted in a civil-military relations equilibrium that is stable at the moment but neglectful of the functional imperative and politicisation of the Turkish Armed Forces.Item Open Access Articulating socialism with nationalism : a critical analysis of nationalism in the Turkish leftist tradition in the 1960s(Bilkent University, 2010) Doğan, ErkanIn this dissertation, it is argued that nationalism was one of the most important characteristics of the socialist movement in Turkey in the 1960s. When we look at the socialist movement in Turkey in this period, we encounter with the concept of nationalism, in other words, Turkish socialists’ deliberate attempt at articulating socialism with nationalism, presenting themselves as the real representatives of nationalism in Turkey. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the uneasy relationship between nationalism and the Turkish left in the 1960s in particular and between socialism and nationalism in general. The main issue of this study is to explore why and how the Turkish left of the sixties incorporated nationalism into its political discourses, strategies, and programs. One important concern of this study is to investigate the internal sources of the articulation of socialism with nationalism in Turkey. A ‘leftist’ variant of Kemalism, becoming a hegemonic discourse within the ranks of the Turkish left in the 1960s, played a very crucial role in the attempts of the leftist intellectuals of the period at accommodating nationalist principles within the idiom of socialism. Turkish left in the 1960s re-invented Kemalism as a progressive, anti-imperialist, anti-feudal and developmentalist outlook. This study, in this sense, argues that Kemalism (together with nationalism) as the founding ideology of the Republican regime has not just only been the basis of the mainstream political parties and movements, but can also be found, in certain forms and amounts, among the ranks of the different factions of socialist movement in Turkey. The sources of Turkish socialists’ engagement with nationalism cannot be fully grasped merely by reference to the Turkish context. Rather, it should be located within an international context and perspective. Turkish socialists were not alone in their efforts to reconcile nationalism with socialism. The history of the ideological and practical accommodation between socialism and nationalism from mid-19th century to the post-colonial era reflects a change from “socialization of the nation” to the “nationalization of socialism” and shows us how this relationship changed from hostility to affinity. Turkish socialists of the 1960s received an important part of their strategic and tactical inspirations from those international experiences. But, their main sources of inspiration were Stalinism and the Third Worldism of the post-colonial period. In this sense, this study analyzes Turkish left’s experience with nationalism also by reference to international experiences, with a special emphasis on the Third Worldist variant of the articulation of socialism with nationalism. The main primary sources of this study are the journals, papers, books, pamphlets, programs, regulations, congress reports and resolutions, election manifestos and other published documents, generated during the political activities of the main factions of the socialist movement in Turkey in the 1960s. These primary sources are evaluated within the general literature on nationalism, its Marxist interpretations, Third Worldism, economic nationalism, develomentalism, imperialism, dependency, and the concepts of imitation and uniqueness.Item Open Access Attitudes of the university youth towards authority : a comparative study in major universities of Ankara and Istanbul(Bilkent University, 2004) Kazak, Evrim ÖzgülItem Open Access Beyond the culturalization of the headscarf : women with headscarves in retail jobs in 2000s Turkey(Bilkent University, 2014) Cengiz, Feyda SayanThis dissertation studies the roles and meanings of the headscarf in the lives of lower middle class, non-university educated women working in private sector retail jobs. The study critically discusses the extent to which the dominant framework of politics of cultural difference, identity and a focus on Islamic/ secular divide in society in Turkey accounts for the connotations of the headscarf in low status and insecure private sector employment. The study problematizes the overemphasis on issues of cultural difference and identity in post-1990 studies on women, Islam and headscarves in Turkey and suggests an analytical framework that accounts for social inequalities rather than cultural difference. Secondly, it problematizes the reification of Islamic group identity in previous literature, and complicates the dichotomous categorization of ‘secular’ and ‘Islamic’ identities as two ‘oppositional’ sources of belonging. The study relies on in-depth interviews and focus groups conducted with saleswomen, as well as participant observation in five cities in Turkey: İstanbul, Ankara, Denizli, Gaziantep and Kayseri. The findings are twofold: (1) In the retail sales job market, women with headscarves are constructed as a labor force more inclined to settle for insecure, dead-end, low-paid jobs. The discriminatory employment policies that disadvantage women with headscarves are embedded in the problems of workplace democracy, and problems of unqualified, insecure women’s labor; (2) Lower middle class, nonuniversity educated women with headscarves formulate the practice of wearing the headscarf as a continuously negotiated practice, with meanings contingent upon class and status cleavages, instead of formulating it as a matter of deep religiosity, identity and cultural difference.Item Open Access Bipolar disorder : "The West and the Rest"(Bilkent University, 2002) Johnston, Rachelhe current ‘War on Terror’ has revitalized the language of friends and enemies, us and them, good and evil. The whole world has been forced to choose sides: are you with the terrorists or are you with the ‘freedom loving democracies’? This bipolar construct of west/rest dates back to the European expansion in the 16th century. Despite shifts in political conjunctures and alliances since then, it has persisted as an organizing principle operating on a variety of levels, as an idea, an ideology and an identity. Consistently privileging the west’s role in defining itself in opposition to its Others, the west/rest construct is a political tool with a powerful impact on how we perceive ourselves and the world. The main question this thesis poses is: can the divide inherent in the west/rest iv construct be reconciled? With the current war dividing us yet again into friends and enemies, and with Islam silently targeted as the alter-ego of terrorism, understanding the ways in which ‘the west and the rest’ dynamic has determined the boundaries of ‘us versus them’ in the past, allows us to appreciate the current role it plays in orchestrating the present. Turkey is used as an illustrative case, by examining how the construct of Islam as Other functions politically within an Islamic democracy. A tentative conclusion this thesis offers is that alternative conceptions of Islamic identity, originating from within civil society, may well provide an opportunity for reconciling the deadlock of ‘the west and the rest’ as it is expressed both inside Turkey and in the international arena.Item Open Access Bülent Ecevit : continuity and change in his political views(Bilkent University, 2002) Dibek, Esma CeydaAs a politician who introduced social democracy to Turkey in the 1960s under the name of left of center policy and later in the 1970s as democratic left policy Bülent Ecevit opened a new phase in Turkish politics. The content of his political views and whether these views have changed during this long journey in politics or not have become matters of debate. The evolution of Ecevit' s policies over the years is the major focus of this thesis. In order to explain how his policies have evolved, I examine and compare his views and his actions regarding socio-economic issues, democracy, the military, nationalism and religion from the 1960s to the 2000s. In this study I also point out that his people-oriented policies, his notion of the supremacy of democracy in every sphere, his peaceful but nationalist foreign relations, and his humanistic approach towards ethnic and religious issues, together draw a picture of a unique left-oriented politician. As a politician who pursues democratic left policy, his adaptation to a market economy starting in the 1990s, has been one of the major issues of discussion in the iiiTurkish political arena. In this context, his new stance on socioeconomic issues, his belief in social harmony, his attitude towards the private sector after he came to the power in 1999, his social security reforms, realization of his Village-Town project, his approach towards international finance organizations, foreign investment and, his stance regarding the EU are some of the matters that are discussed in this work. Ecevit's views regarding democracy, the military, nationalism and religion have not differed much over the years yet long years of experience have contributed a lot to his policies in these domains. The essence of his views and a clear indication of how experience has affected his views are analyzed in depth. Finally, I have come to the conclusion that the ideological content of his views has always contained pragmatism; therefore I strongly believe that he exhibits a principled pragmatism rather than a radical change in his political views and that has been the reason for his endurance in politics.Item Open Access Bülent Ecevit as a political leader(Bilkent University, 1998) Köseoğlu, Hatice FerahThe objective of this-thesis is to analyze the importance and necessity of the effective leadership in politics in general and in Turkey in particular. In doing so, the thesis provides a theoretical framework of 'leadership' a case study which is about Biilent Ecevit, the leader of DLP. The theoretical framework delineates the ideal type of the leaders who are very necessary for today's democracies. The case study puts forward the contributions of Ecevit to Turkish political life and his faults on this stance. The main argument of this thesis, which was constructed on the basis of the theoretical framework about the 'leadership' and the case study in relation to Ecevit, is that intra-party democracy and consensus and integration with other parties about the fundamentals are very important and indispensable for sound democracies and stable regimes. In order to subserve this argument, this thesis proceeds by delineating, in a detailed manner, how the diagnosis, policy formulations and policy implementations of Ecevit in relation both to Turkey and to other political parties and groups were built and applied and how they restructured the political scene. It offers a comprehensive analysis of these policies in such a way as to demonstrate that, despite their differences in efficiency, effectivity and consistency, they are necessary for Turkey in immediate conjunctures although some of them are contributions and the others are disadvantageous for the politics in Turkey.Item Open Access A case in diaspora nationalism : Crimean Tatars in Turkey(Bilkent University, 2000) Aydın, Filiz Tutku"Diaspora", an old phenomenon, signifying dispersed people outside their homeland, who sustain their ties with their homeland and their co-ethnics, highly mobilized in politics in recent years, certainly in a new form. This thesis suggests the term “diaspora nationalism” for this unique phenomenon. As “diaspora nationalism” is based on the triadic relationship of homeland, host-state and diaspora community, it differentiates from mainstream nationalisms. While challenging the dominant conceptualizations of nationalism, in fact diaspora nationalism reconstructs nation and ethnicity in a global framework. Therefore it necessitates a new conceptual tool for fully appreciating its features. "Transnationalism", which is a new term to denote the relations across the borders, provides us with the adequate conceptual tool. The rising diaspora nationalism of the Crimean Tatars in recent years can only be fully apprehended in the light of this conceptual framework. With this conceptualization of diaspora nationalism, this study specifies, periodises, and tries to analyse the diaspora nationalism of the Crimean Tatars in Turkey, by also suggesting the case for further theoretical and historical inquiry. Having transnational and hybrid features, Crimean Tatar diaspora nationalism faces with different problems and find different solutions, which in the end contribute to the “new politics” in the global era.Item Open Access The case of Youth Party in the context of post-80 Turkish politics(Bilkent University, 2003) Angılı, Burhan MertThe fundamental purpose of this thesis is to understand the birth and rise of Youth Party (YP) and its political stance. In order to achive this task, the transformation process of Turkish politics in the post-80 era will be assessed first. That discussion will attempt to highlight main aspects of the transformation. Then the case of YP in the context of post-80 Turkish politics will be analyzed. The analysis of YP will include both descriptive and critical accounts in order to widen the research and locate the position of YP in Turkish politics more properly. The main conclusion of this study is that YP is trying to capture the ‘new center’ through an exclusive neo-liberal approach in contrast to its seemingly radical attitude.Item Open Access Celal Bayar and political leadership, 1937-1960(Bilkent University, 2013) Yiğit, AhuThis dissertation sets its objective as studying Celal Bayar‟s leadership from 1937 to 1960 in order to present the portrait of Bayar as a political leader. The interactive approach is employed to structure this analysis. In line with this approach, external and internal resources of Bayar‟s leadership are defined. External resources are considered with regard to institutional and non-institutional aspects. The non-institutional resources referred to are the main characteristics of economy, of international relations and of political regime in 1937-1960. Institutional aspect of Bayar‟s leadership in 1937-1960 is studied with regard to executive offices he held. With regard to the internal resources of leadership, the effects of certain life experiences on Bayar‟s politics and his understanding of major political concepts such as democracy and secularism are discussed. Primary and secondary resources, as well as interviews with his close circle provide the material for this study. In the conclusion part, the impact of certain internal resources on his leadership, such as his commitment to the main principles of the Republican regime is acknowledged but it is pointed out that external resources, such as Atatürk‟s trust in him, had a greater impact on his leadership. It is also observed that the portrait of Bayar as a political leader falls in a category in between a state elite and a political elite. Regarding the interactive approach, it is concluded that under non-institutionalized regimes, the institutional offices lose their defining characteristics on leadership and that other resources such as the leader‟s relations with other leaders and his/her interpretation of political office gains extra emphasis.Item Open Access The changing nature of Islamism in Turkey : a comparison of Erbakan and Erdoğan(Bilkent University, 2002) İmişiker, Zeyneb ÇağlıyanThe present study discusses the impact of the general change with the rise of new tendencies in Turkish politics on Islamist groups. The main purpose in writing this thesis is that of investigating the differences and similarities between two banned politicians, Necmettin Erbakan and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, concerning their views on secularism and Islam-democracy relationship in Turkey. It is basically argued that the differences seem to be greater than the similarities if their current discourses are carefully analyzed. Erdoğan realized that change is inevitable. As a consequence, his discourse has gone through a consistent change. In contrast, Erbakan did nothing but has given an image that his views are erratic. It is obvious that political Islam has been on the wane in Turkish politics. A new formation that praises democracy and secularism seems to get the chance to give a new direction to the so-called Islamist movement in Turkey.