Dept. of Political Science and Public Administration - Master's degree

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https://hdl.handle.net/11693/13919

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Open Access
A muslim feminist NGO in Turkey: The case of Havle Women Association
(Bilkent University, 2023-08) Önal, Zeynep
This 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.
Open Access
Against its modernist grounds: rethinking clientelism
(Bilkent University, 2001) Sargın, Ayşe
This 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.
Open Access
Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and compliance in international financial institutions
(Bilkent University, 2019-07) Öztürk, Emine Nur
The 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.
Open Access
Analyzing the early republican ideology with specific reference to the Turkish literature : 1930-1945
(Bilkent University, 2000) Birler, R. Ömür
Having 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.
Open Access
The appeal of social capital: analyzing the conceptualization of the concept
(Bilkent University, 2018-05) Erden, Veysel Yiğit
This 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.
Open Access
Approaching civil-military relations as a regime: lessons from the Turkish case
(Bilkent University, 2022-12) Malkoç, Denizhan
This 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.
Open Access
Attitudes of the university youth towards authority : a comparative study in major universities of Ankara and Istanbul
(Bilkent University, 2004) Kazak, Evrim Özgül
Open Access
Bipolar disorder : "The West and the Rest"
(Bilkent University, 2002) Johnston, Rachel
he 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.
Open Access
Bülent Ecevit : continuity and change in his political views
(Bilkent University, 2002) Dibek, Esma Ceyda
As 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.
Open Access
Bülent Ecevit as a political leader
(Bilkent University, 1998) Köseoğlu, Hatice Ferah
The 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.
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.
Open Access
The case of Youth Party in the context of post-80 Turkish politics
(Bilkent University, 2003) Angılı, Burhan Mert
The 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.
Open Access
The changing nature of Islamism in Turkey : a comparison of Erbakan and Erdoğan
(Bilkent University, 2002) İmişiker, Zeyneb Çağlıyan
The 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.
Open Access
Children's picture book and fairy tales in Turkey: a study in political socialization
(Bilkent University, 1990-09) Mijgar, Gül
Open Access
Civil society and democratic consolidation : the case of TUSIAD
(Bilkent University, 2002) Yaman, Mine
This thesis questions the relationship between civil society and democratic consolidation. By referring to the development of the concept of civil society and civil society organizations in Turkey, this study focuses on one of the influential, economically powerful, protective interest group; namely TUSIAD as a case study.
Open Access
Coalition governments in Turkey: "Office-Seeking or Policy-Pursuing?" A structural approach
(Bilkent University, 1996) Başköy, Tuna
This study examines Turkish coalition government experiences to find answer to the question of whether they were office-seeking coalitions or policyoriented ones. Accordingly, the theoretical framework is proposed to investigate all aspects of the coalitions during the fonnation and maintenance stages. Situational, compatibility, and motivational variables are taken into account as the factors that influence the composition of the coalitions, their duration and success. Four European country experiences are elaborated briefly so as to show significance of the party system for coalition building and coalition success. After the application of these three variables to the Turkish coalition experiences distribution of seats among the coalition partners and common problems that they faced are also elucidated with reference to the composition of coalitions.
Open Access
A comparative analysis of the 1960 and 1980 military interventions in Turkey
(Bilkent University, 1995) Makrihalilaki, Siret
The objective of this thesis is to analyse the evolution of the role of the military in Turkish politics as the guardian of the state. In doing so, the thesis provides a comparative analysis of the 1960 and the 1980 military interventions. This comparison allows us to see that, although both interventions had aimed at bringing the ” rationalist democracy " back in the political life, each intervention employed a different conception of democracy; used it as a ground for the legitimacy of the intervention; and acted, in fact, as a decision-maker to restore state power and state autonomy. The main argument of this thesis, which was constructed on and out of the comparison between the 1960 and 1980 military interventions, is that in a time when the military acts as a decision-maker and as a state elite, it functions as the guardian of the state. In order to subserve this argument, the thesis proceeds by delineating, in a detailed manner, the way in which each intervention was organised and attempted to restructure the political scene. It offers a comprehensive analysis of the 1961 and 1982 Constitutions in such a way as to demonstrate that, despite their differences, the military in each case placed the need to guard the state- its power and autonomy- at the apex of the political stage of Turkey.
Open Access
Conceptualizing the definition of terrorism in light of the developments in the fields of academics, history and legislation
(Bilkent University, 2005) Sözübir, Ufuk
The basic question to be answered in this thesis is: Is there a way to reach a consensus about a generally accepted definition of terrorism by using the perspectives of history and legitimacy in the World Community? The solution to the problem about the definition of terrorism is an important question because of the sensitivities displayed by the nations of different regions and their different perceptions of terror. The questions about the nature of the terrorists, their motivation, their aims and the methods they use to achieve these aims are still being debated world-wide. On the other hand, terrorists also have the ability and possibility to reach the same sources regarding history and legitimacy; therefore it may be thought that, they have a variety of options about learning how to become more deadly without taking all the population of the target community to the opposite side. To fight terrorism effectively, what is needed first is to know who the enemy is. In this thesis, the answer to this question is carefully analyzed and a solution is offered. Brief information about the background of terror events in history and jurisprudence concerning national and international community is added to help understand the subject. Instead of putting up a certain and complete definition that may lead to many misunderstandings and a danger of constriction of the concept, the preconditions to make an efficient definition of terror is explained. This is important because there are certain difficulties in discriminating terrorists from other types of criminals, especially guerilla fighters and organized criminals. In this thesis, the purpose of the guerilla activities and their methods, also the differences and common points of these two are analyzed and explained. As an accessory, the statistics of terror events between 1973- 2003 are included in the thesis.
Open Access
Conscientious objection in Turkey: investigation of the possibility of defining the concept as a general objection category
(Bilkent University, 2023-08) Çelik, Uğurcan
Conscientious objection (CO) entered Turkish literature in 1990 as refusal of conscription. Since then, the reasons for COr’s objections have diversified. In the literature, CO has two definitions: narrow and broad. According to the narrow definition, CO is refusing conscription. The broad definition can be summarized as an agent's objection to complying with a rule, principle, or social norm for various reasons. As a general category of objection, CO is conceptualized in the literature comparatively with civil disobedience. It is defined as a moral objection to obtaining a personal exemption, while civil disobedience is considered a political act of violation of the law by a collectivity to get the law changed/revised/abrogated. CO studies in Turkish literature have been limited to the narrow definition of the concept, and the subject is discussed concerning citizenship, militarism, actors, and law. This thesis deals with the problem of the limitation of approach in the Turkish literature on the concept. In this respect, it analyzes whether CO can be conceptualized as a general objection category and not limited to refusing conscription. Two methods are used in this study: a content analysis of the Amargi journal, published by an anarchist group, including COrs, in Izmir between 1991-1994, in which CO is frequently discussed, and semi-structured in-depth interviews with 12 COrs. In the conclusion, I argue that the concept is considered in a broader context even by COrs who reject conscription.
Open Access
The construction of the republican discourse through interventions in public space
(Bilkent University, 2004) Çağış, Elif
This thesis is on the construction of the early republican discourse through the interventions in public space. These interventions are the construction of Ankara as the national center and the two monuments, The Victory Monument in Ulus and the Güven Monument in Kızılay, located at the center of the nation. Through the analysis of these two monuments it is argued that the construction of monuments is a way of producing and communicating the symbols of the basic premises of the Republican discourse and therefore it contributes to the reproduction of the discourse, to the process of the construction of the nation and the self-construction of the state.