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Reconsidering Hybridity: the Selective Use of International Norms in Turkey’S Resolution/Peace Process

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Reconsidering Hybridity: the Selective Use of International Norms in Turkey’S Resolution/Peace Process ESRA DİLEK RECONSIDERING HYBRIDITY: THE SELECTIVE USE SELECTIVE TURKEY’S THE OF INTERNATIONAL NOMS IN THE SELECTIVE USE OF INTERNATIONAL NORMS IN TURKEY’S RESOLUTION/PEACE PROCESS A Ph.D. Dissertation RESOLUTION/PEACE PROCESSRESOLUTION/PEACE by RECONSIDERING ESRA DİLEK HYBRIDITY: Department of Political Science and Public Administration İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University B ilkent University 2019 University ilkent Ankara January 2019 RECONSIDERING HYBRIDITY: THE SELECTIVE USE OF INTERNATIONAL NORMS IN TURKEY’S RESOLUTION/PEACE PROCESS The Graduate School of Economic and Social Sciences of İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University by ESRA DİLEK In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION İHSAN DOĞRAMACI BİLKENT UNIVERSITY ANKARA January 2019 To my family and friends ABSTRACT RECONSIDERING HYBRIDITY: THE SELECTIVE USE OF INTERNATIONAL NORMS IN TURKEY’S RESOLUTION/PEACE PROCESS Dilek, Esra Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çerağ Esra Çuhadar January 2019 This study examines the diffusion of international peacebuilding norms in the case of Turkey’s resolution/peace process for solving the Kurdish issue (2009-2015) as a case of peace process in the absence of top-down design through a third party. The study builds on the limitations of current research on hybridity that focuses on the interaction of international and local norms and practices in peace processes designed and implemented by international actors such as the United Nations and donor organizations. The study calls for broadening and deepening the hybridity debate by investigating the dynamics of local agency in a case where the top-down design of the peace process is absent. Drawing on 34 in-depth open-ended interviews with high and middle level actors in the peace process in Turkey and data collected through the media statements of i primary actors, this study argues that in the absence of top-down design of the peace process, the dynamics of hybridization are different, as, actors have greater freedom for promoting their own perspectives on peace process design. This study finds that in the Turkish case we discern ‘hybridity by design’, defined as the strategies used by local actors to support and promote peace process perspectives by selectively adopting and/or rejecting international norms, ideas, and practices to legitimize their own position in the absence of top-down design of the peace process. The Turkish case points to further findings on conflict resolution expertise sharing and its impact on the diffusion of norms and practices in peace processes in the absence of top-down imposition. Keywords: Hybridity, Kurdish Issue, Norm Diffusion, Peace Process Design, Turkey ii ÖZET HİBRİTLEŞMEYİ YENİDEN DÜŞÜNMEK: TÜRKİYE’DEKİ ÇÖZÜM/BARIŞ SÜRECİNDE ULUSLARARASI NORMLARIN SEÇİCİ KULLANIMI Dilek, Esra Doktora, Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Tez Yöneticisi: Doç. Dr. Çerağ Esra Çuhadar Ocak 2019 Bu çalışma, normların yayılması ve hibritleşme literatürlerini temel alarak uluslararası barış normlarının yayılmasını Türkiye’deki çözüm/barış süreci (2009-2015) üzerinden incelemekte. Bu doğrultuda, Birleşmiş Milletler ve başka uluslararası organizasyonlar tarafından tasarlanan uluslararası barış normlarının ve yerel normların etkileşimine odaklanan halihazırdaki hibritleşme literatürünün eksikliklerini temel almakta. Bu çalışma, tepeden inme barış süreci tasarımının olmadığı bir örneği inceleyerek hibritleşme tartışmasını genişletmeyi ve derinleştirmeyi amaçlamakta. Türkiye’deki barış sürecinde yer almış üst ve orta düzey aktörlerle yapılmış olan 34 derinlemesine ve iii açık uçlu görüşme ve üst düzey aktörlerin medya açıklamalarından toplanan verileri temel alarak, bu çalışma tepeden inme barış süreci tasarımının olmadığı örneklerde hibritleşme dinamiklerinin farklı olduğunu tartışmakta. Bu durum, tepeden inme barış tasarımının yokluğunda yerel aktörlerin barış tasarımı ile ilgili fikirlerini daha özgür ifade edebilmelerinden kaynaklanmakta. Bu çalışma, Türkiye örneğinde tasarlanmış hibritleşme’nin varlığına işaret etmekte. Tasarlanmış hibritleşme, tepeden inme barış süreci tasarımının olmadığı örneklerde, yerel aktörlerin belli barış inşası norm, fikir ve pratiklerini beninmseyerek ve veya reddederek kendi görüşlerini meşrulaştırma stratejisi olarak tanımlanıyor. Ayrıca, Türkiye örneğinden elde edilen bulgular çatışma çözümü uzmanlığının paylaşılması ve bunun uluslararası norm ve pratiklerin yayılması ile ilgili sonuçlara da işaret etmekte Anahtar Kelimeler: Barış Süreci Tasarımı, Hibritleşme, Kürt Meselesi, Normların Yayılması, Türkiye iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esra Çuhadar for her continuous support during the research and writing process of this dissertation. She did not hesitate to provide all possible support even at the busiest and hardest times and I am truly thankful for this. Her guidance and support made this dissertation possible. Secondly, this thesis would not be possible without the guidance of Prof. Dr. Pınar Bilgin and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeki Sarıgil. Each committee meeting passed in the form of brainstorming sessions that broadened my horizons and pushed me not only to think, but also to question more and more. Looking back to all those meetings, I will always recall the excitement I felt after each meeting for continuing the research and writing process for completing this dissertation. Thirdly, I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to Prof. Dr. Ayse Betül Çelik and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burak Bilgehan Özpek for their valuable contributions to this dissertation. I was very lucky to receive their comments during my thesis defense on a heavily snowy day in Ankara. Part of this thesis was written at the Joseph Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, CO, USA during March 2016-April 2017. I would like to express my gratitude to my academic supervisor Professor Tamra Pearson d’Estrée during my stay in Denver and my research at the Conflict Resolution Institute. v She has been more than an academic supervisor as she generously opened her house and family to me. I would also like to thank the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) for providing the research grant that made possible my research at the University of Denver. I would also like to thank all the participants in this research that spared their time to talk about sensitive issues in a period of political turmoil. As I will not be able to reach each of them and thank them for their contribution, I hope that I was able to express my gratitude for their participation to this research during our meetings from September 2015 to March 2016. As every Ph.D. journey, my journey would not have been possible without the support of my dearest fellow Ph.D. friends. Pınar, Çağkan, Selin, Özlem, Petra, Bonnie, Jermaine... There are no words to describe how much your support meant to me. Dear Madhuri became part of this group during the last months at our office at T-270. Thanks for all the joy that you gave to my life especially towards the end of this journey. Also, dear Duygu, I will always remember with nostalgia our days at Bilkent and in Ankara. Dear Betül, while you physically moved to another city during the past year, you were always there for me from the very beginning. Dear Tuğba, I am so happy that our paths crossed more than six years ago at Bilkent. As time passes, I feel all the more lucky to have your friendship in my life. Thank you all so much. Finally, my parents Fatma Dilek and Mehmet Dilek and my beloved sister Özlem… There are no words to thank you for being there at each and every stage. This journey would not have been possible without your support. I dedicate this dissertation to you. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ i ÖZET................................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ vii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ xi LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................ xiii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Research Questions and Focus .................................................................................. 6 1.3 The Case of Turkey’s Peace Process for Solving the Kurdish Issue (2009-2015) ... 9 1.4 Dissertation Plan ..................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................. 17 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................
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