DOCSLIB.ORG

White Vs. Black Turks: the Civilising Process in Turkey in the 1990S

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
White Vs. Black Turks: the Civilising Process in Turkey in the 1990S WHITE VS. BLACK TURKS: THE CIVILISING PROCESS IN TURKEY IN THE 1990S BEYZA SUMER DECEMBER 2003 WHITE VS. BLACK TURKS: THE CIVILISING PROCESS IN TURKEY IN THE 1990S A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY BEYZA SUMER IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DECEMBER 2003 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences ___________________________ Prof. Dr. Sencer Ayata Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. ___________________________ Prof. Dr. Feride Acar Head of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. ___________________________ Assist.Prof.Dr. Necmi Erdoğan Supervisor Examining Committee Members Assist.Prof.Dr. Necmi Erdoğan __________________________ Assist.Prof.Dr. Kürşad Ertuğrul __________________________ Assoc.Prof.Dr. Mesut Yeğen __________________________ ABSTRACT WHITE VS. BLACK TURKS: THE CIVILISING PROCESS IN TURKEY IN THE 1990S Sumer, Beyza M. Sc., Department of Political Science and Public Administration Supervisor: Assist.Prof.Dr. Necmi Erdoğan December 2003, 128 Pages This thesis analyses the formation of “White” and “Black” Turks distinction in terms of the civilising process which operates on the differentiation between “civilised” and “uncivilised/grotesque” bodies and corresponds to the formation of the high/low hierarchy in Turkey in the 1990s. The particular construction of civilised bodies is delineated with respect to the continuity and discontinuity of the Ottoman modernisation and the Kemalist project of Westernisation. The social, political and ideological context of “White” Turks is examined in detail by a textual analysis and with reference to the articles in daily newspapers and magazines of the 1990s. The urbanisation experience of Turkey, particularly in İstanbul with respect to the formation of civic culture against varoş culture is investigated. The construction of ideal modern individual against maganda is examined and it is argued that the features attributed to maganda like moustache, arabesk music, lahmacun and bad smell had become objects of symbolic hate. iii ÖZ BEYAZ TÜRKLER SİYAH TÜRKLERE KARŞI: TÜRKİYE’DE 1990’LI YILLARDA MEDENİLEŞME SÜRECİ Sumer, Beyza Yüksek Lisans, Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Yrd.Doç.Dr. Necmi Erdoğan Aralık 2003, 128 Sayfa Bu tez, medeni ve medeni olmayan bedenler arasında yapılan ayırım üzerinden işleyen ve 1990’larda Türkiye’de aşağı ve yukarı hiyerarşilerinin kuruluşuna tekabül eden “Beyaz” ve “Siyah” Türkler arasında yapılan ayrımı medenileşme süreci bağlamında incelemektedir. Medeni bedenlerin kuruluşu, Osmanlı modernleşmesi ve Kemalist Batılılaşma projesi arasındaki süreklilikler ve kopuşlar bağlamında betimlenmaktedir. “Beyaz” Türklerin toplumsal, siyasi ve ideolojik bağlamı, 1990’ların gazete ve dergilerinde yayımlanan haber ve köşe yazılarının metin analizi yapılarak incelenmektedir. Türkiye’nin kentleşme deneyimi, özellikle İstanbul özelinde kent kültürüne karşı varoş kültürünün kuruluşu bağlamında araştırılmaktadır. İdeal modern bireye karşı maganda tipinin kuruluşu incelenmekte ve maganda tipine atfedilen bıyık, arabesk müzik, lahmacun ve kötü koku gibi özelliklerin sembolik bir nefretin nesneleri haline geldiği iddia edilmektedir. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I feel deeply grateful to my supervisor Assist.Prof.Dr. Necmi Erdoğan for his intellectual and psychological support, guidance and patience from the very beginning to the very end of this study. I would like to give my thanks to my examining committee members Assist.Prof.Dr. Kürşat Ertuğrul and Assoc.Prof.Dr. Mesut Yeğen for their comments. I would like to thank to my big family consisting of my dear friends, my colleagues and my relatives for their help and concern. I also would like to thank to my dear daddy Hasan Nadir Sumer, my elder sister Esra Ünsay and her husband M.Ali Ünsay and younger sister Feyza Sumer, to my mother Nuran Sumer who dedicated her life to her family yet left us too early, to beşibiryerde –Seval Yaman, Ö. Özgül Yılmaz, Aysun Uyanık, Selen Uluç- who supported my academic career passion from the very beginning of the university, to my only love, my husband, my spouse Levent Aydaş who has been right beside me for six years and finally to my cat Sütlaç who make me feel relieved with her fuzzy presence. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................iii ÖZ ..........................................................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................vi INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ..............................................................7 1.1. Norbert Elias and “The Civilising Process” .....................................8 1.2. The Established and The Outsiders ...............................................12 1.3. “Civilised” and “Grotesque” Bodies ..............................................15 1.4. Pierre Bourdieu: Distinction and “Habitus” ..................................17 1.5. Critical Assessment .......................................................................22 2. THE TURKISH MODERNISATION FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: FROM THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE TO THE 1990s ......25 2.1. “West” and “Westernisation” as a Universal Cultural Code ..........26 2.2. Ottoman Modernisation ................................................................27 2.3. Republican Modernisation ............................................................30 2.4. Cultural Climate of Turkey Until the 1990s .................................36 2.4.1. Urbanisation Experience of Turkey since the 1950s ......36 2.4.2. New Right Policies, Rising Values, Yuppies and Turgut Özal .......................37 vi 2.4.3. Everyday Life in Turkey During the 1980s .....................39 3. A SOCIAL HIERARCHY FORMED IN URBAN SPACE: CIVIC CULTURE VS. VAROŞ CULTURE ..............................................45 3.1. The Urbanisation Experience of Turkey ........................................45 3.1.1. Dangerous Classes ...........................................................50 3.1.2. Modern Places: Luxury Life Complexes .........................53 3.2. The Case of İstanbul and Beyoğlu Nostalgia .................................56 4. THE SYMBOLIC HATE INSCRIBED ON THE BODY; THE BEAUTY VS. THE BEAST OR IDEAL MODERN INDIVIDUAL VS. MAGANDA ...............................66 4.1. General Characteristics of “Ideal Modern Individual” ..................67 4.1.1. Role Models of Society ...................................................70 4.1.2. “Don’t Smoke, Look Good, Love Animals and Be Nationalist” ..................................74 4.1.3. Ertuğrul Özkök and New Turkish Nationalism ...............76 4.1.4. Objects of Symbolic Hate ................................................81 4.2. Five Sensed Insult and Disgust ......................................................83 4.2.1. A Stereotype Offending The Eyes: Maganda .................84 4.2.1.A. Social Anatomy of An Advertisement .....88 4.2.1.B. Moustache ................................................91 4.2.2. A Musical Genre Offending The Ears: Arabesk .............98 4.2.3. A Taste Disturbing Our Understanding of Gusto: Lahmacun vs. Sushi ........................................................105 vii 4.2.4. Bad Smelling Bodies and Places Disturbing Our Noses ....................................................107 4.2.5. The Fear of Being Touched ...........................................110 4.3. “People are Divided into Two; Turks Too: White vs. Black Turks” ................................................................112 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................117 REFERENCES .....................................................................................................123 viii INTRODUCTION This study aims at analysing the transformation of social hierarchies inscribed on body and urban space in Turkey by focusing on the construction of the figures of White and Black Turks. The social, cultural and ideological context of this duality, the mentality lying behind it, the discourses for and against the duality will be examined in detail with reference to the articles published in daily newspapers and magazines during the 1990s. In Western societies, a differentiation is made between “civilised” and “grotesque” bodies. While the concept of “civilised body” is formed as the body appropriate to the dominant rules in the society with respect to its physical appearance and manners; the “grotesque body” is presented as the body that contrasts with the social and moral norms and the rules of manners. I will focus on how and on what basis this differentiation is made between “civilised” and “grotesque” bodies is corresponding to the construction of high and low in Turkey. In this respect, one of
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Making the Afro-Turk Identity
    Vocabularies of (In)Visibilities: (Re)Making the Afro-Turk Identity AYşEGÜL KAYAGIL* Abstract After the abolition of slavery towards the end of the Ottoman Empire, the majority of freed black slaves who remained in Anatolia were taken to state “guesthouses” in a number of cities throughout the Empire, the most im- portant of which was in Izmir. Despite their longstanding presence, the descendants of these black slaves – today, citizens of the Republic of Turkey – have until recently remained invisible both in the official historiography and in academic scholarship of history and social science. It is only since the establishment of the Association of Afro-Turks in 2006 that the black popu- lation has gained public and media attention and a public discussion has fi- nally begun on the legacies of slavery in Turkey. Drawing on in-depth inter- views with members of the Afro-Turk community (2014-2016), I examine the key role of the foundation of the Afro-Turk Association in reshaping the ways in which they think of themselves, their shared identity and history. Keywords: Afro-Turks, Ottoman slavery, Turkishness, blackness Introduction “Who are the Afro-Turks?” has been the most common response I got from my friends and family back home in Turkey, who were puzzled to hear that my doctoral research concerned the experiences of the Afro-Turk commu- nity. I would explain to them that the Afro-Turks are the descendants of en- slaved Africans who were brought to the Ottoman Empire over a period of 400 years and this brief introduction helped them recall.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconciling Statism with Freedom: Turkey's Kurdish Opening
    Reconciling Statism with Freedom Turkey’s Kurdish Opening Halil M. Karaveli SILK ROAD PAPER October 2010 Reconciling Statism with Freedom Turkey’s Kurdish Opening Halil M. Karaveli © Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program – A Joint Transatlantic Research and Policy Center Johns Hopkins University-SAIS, 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 Institute for Security and Development Policy, V. Finnbodav. 2, Stockholm-Nacka 13130, Sweden www.silkroadstudies.org “Reconciling Statism with Freedom: Turkey’s Kurdish Opening” is a Silk Road Paper published by the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program. The Silk Road Papers Series is the Occasional Paper series of the Joint Center, and ad- dresses topical and timely subjects. The Joint Center is a transatlantic independent and non-profit research and policy center. It has offices in Washington and Stockholm and is affiliated with the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University and the Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy. It is the first institution of its kind in Europe and North America, and is firmly established as a leading research and policy center, serving a large and diverse commu- nity of analysts, scholars, policy-watchers, business leaders, and journalists. The Joint Center is at the forefront of research on issues of conflict, security, and development in the region. Through its applied research, publications, research cooperation, public lec- tures, and seminars, it functions as a focal point for academic, policy, and public dis- cussion regarding the region. The opinions and conclusions expressed in this study are those of the authors only, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Joint Center or its sponsors.
    [Show full text]
  • Whiteness As an Act of Belonging: White Turks Phenomenon in the Post 9/11 World
    WHITENESS AS AN ACT OF BELONGING: WHITE TURKS PHENOMENON IN THE POST 9/11 WORLD ILGIN YORUKOGLU Department of Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice The City University of New York [email protected] Abstract: Turks, along with other people of the Middle East, retain a claim to being “Cau- casian”. Technically white, Turks do not fit neatly into Western racial categories especially after 9/11, and with the increasing normalization of racist discourses in Western politics, their assumed religious and geographical identities categorise “secular” Turks along with their Muslim “others” and, crucially, suggest a “non-white” status. In this context, for Turks who explicitly refuse to be presented along with “Islamists”, “whiteness” becomes an act of belonging to “the West” (instead of the East, to “the civilised world” instead of the world of terrorism). The White Turks phenomenon does not only reveal the fluidity of racial categories, it also helps question the meaning of resistance and racial identification “from below”. In dealing with their insecurities with their place in the world, White Turks fall short of leading towards a radical democratic politics. Keywords: Whiteness, White Turks, Race, Turkish Culture, Post 9/11. INTRODUCTION: WHY STUDY WHITE TURKISHNESS Until recently, sociologists and social scientists have had very little to say about Whiteness as a distinct socio-cultural racial identity, typically problematizing only non-white status. The more recent studies of whiteness in the literature on race and ethnicity have moved us beyond a focus on racialised bodies to a broader understanding of the active role played by claims to whiteness in sustaining racism.
    [Show full text]
  • The Racialization of Kurdish Identity in Turkey Murat Ergin Published Online: 01 Oct 2012
    This article was downloaded by: [KU Leuven University Library] On: 11 February 2015, At: 11:22 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Ethnic and Racial Studies Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rers20 The racialization of Kurdish identity in Turkey Murat Ergin Published online: 01 Oct 2012. Click for updates To cite this article: Murat Ergin (2014) The racialization of Kurdish identity in Turkey, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 37:2, 322-341, DOI: 10.1080/01419870.2012.729672 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2012.729672 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ups and Downs of Turkish Growth, 2002-2015: Political Dynamics, the European Union and the Institutional Slide*
    The Ups and Downs of Turkish Growth, 2002-2015: Political Dynamics, the European Union and the Institutional Slide* Daron Acemoglu (MIT) Murat Ucer (Koc University and Global Source) Abstract We document a change in the character and quality of Turkish economic growth with a turning point around 2007 and link this change to the reversal in the nature of economic institutions, which eat underwent a series of growth-enhancing reforms following Turkey's financial crisis in 2001, but then started moving in the opposite direction in the second half of 2000s. This institutional reversal, we argue, is itself a consequence of a turnaround in political factors. The first phase coincided with a deepening in Turkish democracy under the prodding and the guidance of the European Union, and witnessed the waning of the military's influence and the broadening of effective political participation. As Turkey- European Union relations collapsed and internal political dynamics removed the checks against the domination of the governing party, in power since 2002, these political dynamics went into reverse and paved the way for the institutional slide that is largely responsible for the lower-paced and lower-quality growth Turkey has been experiencing since about 2007. Keywords: economic growth, emerging markets, institutions, institutional reversal, low-quality growth, Turkey. JEL Classification: E65, O52. * We thank Izak, Atiyas, Ilker Domac, Soli Ozel, Martin Raiser, Dani Rodrik and Sinan Ulgen for very useful comments on an earlier draft. The usual caveat applies. Though EU-Turkey relations are multifaceted, in this essay we focus on one specific aspect: the role of the EU in the improved institutional structure of Turkey during the early 2000s and the rapid growth that this engendered, and its subsequent more ominous contribution to the unraveling of these political and economic improvements.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ideological Discourse of the Islamist Humor Magazines in Turkey: the Case of Misvak
    THE IDEOLOGICAL DISCOURSE OF THE ISLAMIST HUMOR MAGAZINES IN TURKEY: THE CASE OF MISVAK A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY NAZLI HAZAL TETİK IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES JULY 2020 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Yaşar Kondakçı Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Çakmur Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Prof. Dr. Necmi Erdoğan Supervisor Examining Committee Members Assist. Prof. Dr. Özgür Avcı (METU, PADM) Prof. Dr. Necmi Erdoğan (METU, PADM) Prof. Dr. Lütfi Doğan Tılıç (Başkent Uni., ILF) PLAGIARISM I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name: Nazlı Hazal Tetik Signature: iii ABSTRACT THE IDEOLOGICAL DISCOURSE OF THE ISLAMIST HUMOR MAGAZINES IN TURKEY: THE CASE OF MISVAK Tetik, Nazlı Hazal M.S., Department of Media and Cultural Studies Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Necmi Erdoğan July 2020, 259 pages This thesis focuses on the ideological discourse of Misvak, one of the most popular Islamist humor magazines in Turkey in the 2000s.
    [Show full text]
  • Istanbulertexteundstudien 30.Pdf
    Venturing beyond borders – Reflections on genre, function and boundaries in Middle Eastern travel writing © 2016 Orient-Institut Istanbul ISTANBULER TEXTE UND STUDIEN HERAUSGEGEBEN VOM ORIENT-INSTITUT ISTANBUL BAND 30 © 2016 Orient-Institut Istanbul Venturing beyond borders – Reflections on genre, function and boundaries in Middle Eastern travel writing Edited by Bekim Agai Olcay Akyıldız Caspar Hillebrand WÜRZBURG 2016 ERGON VERLAG WÜRZBURG IN KOMMISSION © 2016 Orient-Institut Istanbul Umschlaggestaltung: Taline Yozgatian Die Collage auf der Titelseite wurde erstellt unter Verwendung der folgenden Abbildungen: – Tams nehrinin tahtında olan yolun resmidir, Beylikçi Nuri Efendi, İngiltere ve Fransa Sefaret ve Seyahatnamesi, 1834/5 (İstanbul Üniversitesi Kütüphanesi Nadir Eserler Bölümü, kayıt no. 5081). – Hatt-ı seyâhat, Mustafa Said Bey, Avrupa Seyahatnamesi 1898 (Yapı Kredi Yayınları, 2004). – Cenevre’den Mont Blanc’ın görünüşü ve Mont Blanc Köprüsü’yle Jean Jacques Rousseau Adası, Mustafa Said Bey, Avrupa Seyahatnamesi 1898 (Yapı Kredi Yayınları, 2004). – Malik Mansur Mirza and Farah al-Saltanah at L’Exposition de Gand, 1913 (Harvard University Widener Library, olvwork626880). Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de. ISBN 978-3-95650-202-6 ISSN 1863-9461 © 2016 Orient-Institut Istanbul (Max Weber Stiftung) Das Werk einschließlich aller seiner Teile ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung des Werkes außerhalb des Urheberrechtsgesetzes bedarf der Zustimmung des Orient-Instituts Istanbul.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Is the Turk a White Man?' Towards a Theoretical Framework for Race In
    This article was downloaded by: [Bilkent University] On: 13 January 2015, At: 00:02 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Middle Eastern Studies Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/fmes20 ‘Is the Turk a White Man?’ Towards a Theoretical Framework for Race in the Making of Turkishness Murat Ergin Published online: 03 Nov 2008. To cite this article: Murat Ergin (2008) ‘Is the Turk a White Man?’ Towards a Theoretical Framework for Race in the Making of Turkishness, Middle Eastern Studies, 44:6, 827-850, DOI: 10.1080/00263200802425973 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00263200802425973 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
    [Show full text]
  • The Failed Autocrat
    5/27/2014 The Failed Autocrat May 22, 2014 SNAPSHOT The Failed Autocrat Despite Erdogan's Ruthlessness, Turkey's Democracy Is Still on Track Daron Acemoglu Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was once the darling of the international community, but no more. He is still sometimes praised for stewarding Turkey through impressive economic growth, defanging a Turkish military establishment with a long history of meddling in national politics, and initiating a promising peace process with the country’s restive Kurdish population. But Erdogan’s achievements are now shadowed by his undeniable lurch toward autocracy. Over the last year, he has initiated a harsh crackdown against peaceful protesters, political opponents, and independent media outlets. (According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at one point, the number [1] of journalists jailed in Turkey even exceeded the number in Iran and China.) The worst developments of all began last December. That was when, in order to quell a perceived threat from an erstwhile ally, the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, Erdogan fired thousands of prosecutors, judges, and policemen, imposed bans on Twitter and YouTube, intensified the government’s already stifling control over the judiciary, and gave the intelligence services more latitude to monitor Turkish citizens. That the Turkish electorate didn’t seem to care much about the heavy-handed repression and the wholesale gutting of judicial institutions added a degree of farce to the tragedy. The Justice and Development Party (AKP), Erdogan’s party, won 43 percent of the vote in the March 28 municipal election, exceeding the 39 percent it received in the previous municipal election, though falling short of the almost 50 percent it won in the last national elections.
    [Show full text]
  • From Marginalization to Bounded Integration
    From Marginalization to Bounded Integration Reassessing the Compatibility of Religion and Democracy: A Comparison of the State-Religion Relationship in Turkey and Israel Aviad Rubin, Department of Political Science, McGill University, Montreal January 2010 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Copyright © Aviad Rubin 2010 From Marginalization to Bounded Integration January 2010 Abstract There is an inherent tension in the relationship between religion and democracy. While religion generally adheres to a single ultimate set of values, democracy requires political tolerance and the recognition of the coexistence of several truths. This is why, both intuitively and according to influential theories of modernization, the separation of religion and the state has been seen as a pre-condition for successful democratization. Yet a comparison of Israel and Turkey challenge the validity of such alleged ―truths.‖ This is because existing theories cannot adequately account for the dynamic nature of the state-religion relations. Israel, which assigned a formal role to religion in the state, was able to maintain stable democratic rule despite some major internal and external political challenges. Nevertheless, after three decades of constructive collaboration between the state and religious actors, the latter have increased their demands on the state in a manner that challenged the foundations of the regime, although so far the state has been successful in effectively containing them. In contrast, the Turkish state attempted to enforce strict secularization on society by marginalizing religion from public affairs through constitutional measures and military repression. Yet after eight decades trying, Turkish society remained far from being truly secular and the attempts to enforce secularism seriously undermined Turkish democracy.
    [Show full text]
  • Beyaz Türkler: Medyanın Ürettiği Ve Dönüştürdüğü Bir Kavram Alaaddin Faruk Paksoy1 Öz
    Araştırma Makalesi - Gönderim Tarihi: 06.03.2018 Kabul Tarihi: 18.04. 2018 Beyaz Türkler: Medyanın Ürettiği ve Dönüştürdüğü Bir Kavram Alaaddin Faruk Paksoy1 Öz Türkiye’de 1980 sonrasında yaşanan siyasi gelişmeler ve toplumsal dönüşüm, merkez ve çevre arasındaki gerilimi daha belirgin hale getirmiştir. Hızlı kentleşme, kırsallığın kentlerde görünür olmaya başlaması ve neoliberal politikaların yükselişi, medyada yeni bir tartışmayı başlatmış ve Türkçeye “Beyaz Türkler” denen bir kavramsallaştırmayı kazandırmıştır. Bu çalışma Beyaz Türkler kavramının nasıl doğduğunu, başlangıçta ve şu anda ne anlama geldiğini ve siyasi olarak Beyaz Türkler kavramına yüklenen anlamları sorgulamayı amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında 2017 yılında ulusal basında yayımlanan tüm haber ve köşe yazıları taranmış ve analiz edilmiştir. PRNet dijital gazete arşivinden elde edilen 185 adet metin tematik analiz yöntemiyle çözümlenmiştir. Örneklemdeki metinler 90’lı yıllar ve 2000’li yıllardaki tartışmaların değişime uğradığını, daha önceleri ağırlıklı olarak kültürel ve ekonomik konularla gündeme gelen Beyaz Türkler kavramının son dönemde siyasallaştığını göstermiştir. Gazete içeriklerindeki bu siyasallaşma boyutu olumsuz bir içerik taşımakta olup, Beyaz Türkleri Türkiye için bir tehdit olarak temsil etmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Beyaz Türkler, Temsil, Türk Basını, Merkez-Çevre, Tematik Analiz White Turks: A Notion Produced and Transformed by the Media Abstract The tension between center and periphery became more salient because of the political developments and social transformation in the post-1980 process in Turkey. Following rapid urbanisation, the appearance of rural life in city centers and the rise of neoliberal policies, a new discussion started in the media. This discussion created the conceptualisation of “White Turks” in the Turkish language. This study aims to investigate how the notion of White Turks emerged, what the notion means at the beginning and now, and what is politically attributed to the notion.
    [Show full text]
  • New Am Erica Foundation
    NEW AM ERICA FOUNDATION Working Paper March 25, 2007 IS THE UNITED STATES LOSING TURKEY? *By Rajan Menon and S. Enders Wimbush Executive Summary On February 5th and 6th, 2007, the Hudson Institute, with support from the Smith Richardson Foundation, convened a small workshop of noted specialists on Turkey, Europe, and international security to assess the state of America’s alliance with Turkey and, more specifically, to ascertain whether the United States risks “losing” Turkey as a long-time and critical ally. The workshop was part of a project directed by Rajan Menon, Professor of International Relations at Lehigh University and Fellow at the New America Foundation. S. Enders Wimbush, Director of the Center for Future Security Strategies at the Hudson Institute, served as chairman of the workshop. This report, while it draws on the discussions that occurred during the workshop, is an independent analysis written by Messrs. Menon and Wimbush. The memoranda prepared by the experts in advance of the workshop and the list of participants appear in the appendix to this document. The alliance between the United States and Turkey, which has endured since the 1947 Truman Doctrine and has contributed to the security of both countries, is now in serious trouble. What is worse, neither side is facing up to this reality, let alone taking serious remedial measures, nor even making concerted efforts to understand the new political currents within each other’s societies. If this neglect continues, the price paid by both sides will be steep. It is becoming increasingly clear that Washington and Ankara see the world and define their interests in divergent ways.
    [Show full text]