Turkey

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Turkey’s Imaginary Need for Presidentialism: What would Erdogan’s latest project bring to the country?

Turkey’s Imaginary Need for Presidentialism: What would Erdogan’s latest project bring to the country?

by Tevfik Murat Yildirim

Much has been written about the growing demand of the Turkish political elite for the presidential system, though relatively little is known about the potential consequences of replacing the parliamentary democracy with an executive presidency. While President Erdogan’s call for a constitutional change shows no sign of abating, several cabinet members and senior Justice and Development […]

October 28th, 2016|Turkey|1 Comment|

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The CHP’s ineffective opposition to Erdoğan continues

The CHP’s ineffective opposition to Erdoğan continues

by Daniel W. Round

It is nearly two months since a section of the military tried to overthrow Turkey’s government. The coup attempt has brought about an unprecedented and ongoing restructuring of key state institutions, accompanied by a thorough purge of alleged Gülenists within the state apparatus. Given the circumstances, it is worth taking a look at the state of […]

September 8th, 2016|Turkey|1 Comment|

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Erdoğan and Machiavelli: Fear, Love and Hate

Erdoğan and Machiavelli: Fear, Love and Hate

by Arash Heydarian Pashakhanlou

In one of his most memorable advices to the prince, the Italian Renaissance thinker, Niccolò Machiavelli, remarked that it is better to be feared than loved, if one cannot be both. However, he urged the prince to avoid being despised and hated. In the aftermath of the coup attempt of July 16, the Turkish President Recep […]

August 4th, 2016|Analysis & Opinion, Turkey|1 Comment|

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War and Identity Making in Turkey and Turkish Kurdistan

War and Identity Making in Turkey and Turkish Kurdistan

by Serhun Al

From 2013 until the general elections of June 2015, the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (known as the PKK) were two parties that were seeking peace to end their thirty-year-long war. Peace between the two parties meant more than just internal rehabilitation. The end of the Kurdish conflict would also open doors for new alliances, […]

May 27th, 2016|Turkey|1 Comment|

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Dersim Region: The Switzerland of Turkey?

Dersim Region: The Switzerland of Turkey?

by Pinar Dinc
Historically, Dersim was a region within the Ottoman borders, surrounded by Pontus-Rum and Lazistan to the north, Kurdistan to the south, Armenia to the east, and Turkey to the west. The region was in the eastern part of the modern Turkish state, and it included parts of the surrounding cities where predominantly Alevis lived (see Map 1).

Nonetheless, […]

April 20th, 2016|Notes from the Field, Turkey|3 Comments|