CURRENT ISSUES IN TURKISH POLITICS

PSIR450

Course Code: PSIR450
Semester: -
Theory+Practice: 3 + 0
ECTS: 5

Course Type

Elective Course

Course Level

Bachelor's Degree

Year of Study

Semester

ECTS

Name of Lecturer(s)

Professor Menderes Çınar

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

Develop an understanding of the current issues in Turkish politics from historical, sociological, economic, political and global perspectives.
Analyze the transformation of the political regime with concepts borrowed from political science.
Grasp the changes in the relationships between the executive, legislative, judiciary in Turkey.
Critically analyzes different political approaches on current issues such as presidential system, security and judicial reform, freedom of the press, women's rights.
Analyze how hegemony and counter-hegemony are established in the political sphere.

Mode of Delivery

Face to face

Prerequisites

Recommended Optional Programme Components

There is no recommended optional programme component for this course.

Course Description

The course covers the post-1980 developments that have left (their) marks in Turkish politics. Democratization debates, women's rights, state-society relations are among the topics to be tackled.

Course Contents

WEEK	TOPICS
1^st Week	Introduction
2^nd Week	Political Regimes
3^rd Week	Political Regime Transitions I
4^th Week	Political Regime Debates in Turkey I
5^th Week	Political Regime Debates in Turkey II
6^th Week	Midterm
7^th Week	Government System Debates in Turkey
8^th Week	Discussions on Political Parties and Party System in Turkey I
9^th Week	Discussions on Political Parties and Party System in Turkey II
10^th Week	Transformation of the Judiciary in Turkey
11^th Week	Transformation of the Media in Turkey
12^th Week	Civil Society in Turkey
13^th Week	The Transformation of Army-Politics Relations in Turkey
14^th Week	Gender Politics in Turkey

Recommended or Required Reading

Steven Levitsky and Lucan A. Way (2010) Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the Cold War, Cambrdige University Press, Chapter 1 and 2
Schedler, Andreas (2013) Electoral Authoritharinasim, 1. Bölüm
Esen, B. ve Hakan Yavuzyılmaz (2023) Demokratikleşme, Demokraside Gerileme ve Melez Rejimler, Demokrasi: Kavram, Kurum, Süreç 337-349.
Lührmann, A., & Lindberg, S. I. (2019). A third wave of autocratization is here: what is new about it? Democratization, 26(7), 1095-1113.
Esen, B., & Gumuscu, S. (2016). Rising competitive authoritarianism in Turkey. Third world quarterly, 37(9), 1581-1606.
Çalışkan, K. (2018). Toward a new political regime in Turkey: From competitive toward full authoritarianism. New Perspectives on Turkey, 58, 5-33.
Esen, Berk, Şebnem Gümüşcü, Hakan Yavuzyılmaz (2023) Türkiye'nin Yeni Rejimi: Rekabetçi Otoriterlik (İletişim Yayınları)
Esen, Berk, Şebnem Gümüşcü, Hakan Yavuzyılmaz (2023) Türkiye'nin Yeni Rejimi: Rekabetçi Otoriterlik (İletişim Yayınları)
Somer, M. (2016). Understanding Turkey's democratic breakdown: old vs. new and indigenous vs. global authoritharianism. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 16(4), 481-503.
Köker, Levent (2020) Başkancı Rejim: Popülist yarışmacı otoriterlik mi? Diktatörlük mü? Birikim Dergisi
Esen B, Gumuscu S. (2018) The Perils of Turkish Presidentialism Review of Middle East Studies, 52(1): 43-53.
Özsoy Boyunsuz, Ş. (2016). The AKP'S proposal for a Turkish type of presidentialism in comparative context. Turkish Studies, 17(1), 68-90.
Dikici Bilgin, Hasret (2023) Hükümet Sitemleri ve Demokrasi Demokrasi: Kavram, Kurum, Süreç, pp.229-246.
Özbudun, Ergun 2013 Party Politics and Social Cleavages in Turkey Chapter 2
Selçuk, O., & Hekimci, D. (2020). The rise of the democracy-authoritarianism cleavage and opposition coordination in Turkey (2014-2019). Democratization, 27(8), 1496-1514.
Somer, M. (2019). Turkey: The Slippery Slope from Reformist to Revolutionary Polarization and Democratic Breakdown. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 681(1), 42- 61.
Gumuscu, S. (2013). The Emerging Predominant Party System in Turkey. Government and Opposition, 48(2), 223-244.
Ayan Musil, P. (2014). Emergence of a Dominant Party System After Multipartyism: Theoretical Implications from the Case of the AKP in Turkey. South European Society and Politics, 20(1), 71-92.
Sayari, S., & Taşkın, B. (2024). Transition from parliamentarism to presidentialism and the restructuring of the Turkish party system. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 1-14.
Özbudun, E. (2015). Turkey's Judiciary and the Drift Toward Competitive Authoritarianism. The International Spectator, 50(2), 42-55.
Esen, Berk. 2025. Judicial Transformation in a Competitive Authoritarian Regime: Evidence from the Turkish Case. Law & Policy 47(1): e12250.
Türmen, Rıza. 2023. Hukuk Devleti, Yargı ve Demokrasi Demokrasi: Kavram Kurum, Süreç, pp. 189-207.
Yanatma, S. (2021). Advertising and Media Capture in Turkey: How Does the State Emerge as the Largest Advertiser with the Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism? The International Journal of Press/Politics, 26(4), 797- 821.
Bilge Yeşil (2018) Authoritarian Turn or Continuity Governance of Media through Capture and Discipline in the AKP Era, South European Society and Politics, 23:2,239- 257
Yabanci, B. (2019). Turkey's tamed civil society: Containment and appropriation under a competitive authoritarian regime. Journal of Civil Society, 15(4), 285-306.
Dedeoglu, S. (2012). Equality, protection or discrimination: Gender equality policies in Turkey. Social Politics, 19(2), 269-290.
Kandiyoti, D. (2016). Locating the politics of gender: Patriarchy, neo-liberal governance and violence in Turkey. Research and Policy on Turkey, 1(2), 103-118.
Cindoglu, D., & Unal, D. (2017). Gender and sexuality in the authoritarian discursive strategies of New Turkey. European Journal of Women's Studies, 24(1), 39-54.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture

Assessment Methods and Criteria

	Quantity	Percentage (%)
Mid-term	1	45
Assignment	1	10
Attendance	1	10
Total(%)		65
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%)		65
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%)		35
Total(%)		100

ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload

Activities	Quantity	Duration (Hour)	Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam	1	1.5	1.5
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work	14	2	28
Preparation for Final exam	1	30	30
Course hours	14	3	42
Preparation for Midterm exam	1	25	25
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam	1	1.5	1.5
Homework	1	25	25
Total Work Load			153
Total Work Load / 30 (h)			5.1
ECTS Credit of the Course			5

Language of Instruction

Turkish

Work Placement(s)

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4	LO5
K1	X
K2
K3	X
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K5	X	X		X	X
K6	X				X
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K12	X
K13	X

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4	LO5
K1	X
K2
K3	X
K4
K5	X	X		X	X
K6	X				X
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K12	X
K13	X

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4	LO5
K1	X
K2
K3	X
K4
K5	X	X		X	X
K6	X				X
K7	X
K8		X		X
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K10				X	X
K11		X		X	X
K12	X
K13	X

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4	LO5
K1	X
K2
K3	X
K4
K5	X	X		X	X
K6	X				X
K7	X
K8		X		X
K9	X		X	X
K10				X	X
K11		X		X	X
K12	X
K13	X