The victory party: the first case of the radical right in Turkish politics

Abstract

This dissertation examines the Victory Party (Zafer Partisi, ZP) as the first identifiable case of radical right politics in Turkey, with a focus on its anti-immigrant rhetoric and broader political agenda. Drawing on party documents, social media discourse, and semi-structured interviews with party members, the dissertation applies a theoretical framework grounded in the literature on radical right parties – emphasizing ideological pillars such as ethnic nationalism, exclusionary and inclusionary populism, nativism, xenophobia, racism, and authoritarianism. While these host ideologies have primarily been explored in Western European contexts, this research contributes a non-Western case, highlighting both continuities and departures in how radical right strategies are articulated within the Turkish political landscape. The findings reveal that although ZP mirrors many ideological and strategic patterns seen in European radical right parties, it also displays localized adaptations shaped by Turkey’s unique sociopolitical environment. Its construction of migration as an existential threat legitimizes exclusionary measures and intensifies securitized, nationalist discourse. Simultaneously, the party positions itself as a legalistic and populist force against a corrupt elite, capitalizing on democratic disillusionment. The study concludes that ZP’s rise reflects broader trends in global radical right mobilization while offering a distinct configuration of Turkish nationalism. By analyzing a case outside the traditional European focus, this dissertation facilitates the comparative study of the radical right and contributes to understanding the interplay between nationalism and immigration politics in contemporary Turkey.