PSIR 301 | Course Introduction and Application Information - Department of Political Science and International Relations

Course Name

Contemporary Issues in Turkish Politics

Code	Semester	Theory (hour/week)	Application/Lab (hour/week)	Local Credits	ECTS
PSIR 301	Fall	3	0	3	6

Prerequisites	None
Course Language	English
Course Type	Required
Course Level	First Cycle
Mode of Delivery	Blended
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course	Discussion Group Work Q&A Lecture / Presentation
National Occupation Classification	-
Course Coordinator	Prof. Dr. Filiz BAŞKAN
Course Lecturer(s)	Prof. Dr. Filiz BAŞKAN
Assistant(s)	Araş. Gör. BATIKAN BULUT

Course Objectives	This course aims at dealing with contemporary issues that have considerable impact on Turkish political life during the post1980 period.
Learning Outcomes	The students who succeeded in this course; Will be able to explain the notion of modernity and the centrality of modernization in the founding of the Turkish Republic. Will be able to discuss Islam and secularism as one of the central axis points of Turkish politics. Will be able to evaluate the debate over Kurdish question and ethnic violence. Will be able to explain ideologies and strategies of political actors of post-1980 period as AKP, MHP, and CHP. Will be able to examine the reflections of political developments in cultural fields as music and cinema. Will be able to develop critical reading skills by closely reading, analyzing and discussing texts. Will be able to make independent and creative scholarly research. Will be able to develop academic writing skills.
Course Description	This course seeks to familiarize students with the main issues around which politics revolves in Turkey during the post1980 period. Using scholarly work conducted on different dimensions of politics in Turkey, special attention will be paid to the discussion of the issues of the consolidation of democracy, civil society, secularism, the rise of Islam, nationalism, identity politics, socioeconomic changes and modernity in order to be able to capture the essence of the changing nature of Turkish politics. Another aim of this course is to help students develop their analytical thinking, critical reading and writing skills.
Related Sustainable Development Goals

Course Category	Core Courses
	Major Area Courses	X
	Supportive Courses
	Media and Management Skills Courses
	Transferable Skill Courses

Week	Subjects	Related Preparation
1	Introduction
2	Introduction to Contemporary Turkish Politics	Çağlar Keyder, “Whither the Project of Modernity”, in S. Bozdoğan and R. Kasaba, eds., Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, (University of Washington Press, Seattle, 1997), pp. 37-51.
3	Military	Heper and Aylin Güney, “The Military and the Consolidation of Democracy: The Recent Turkish Experience”, Armed Forces and Society, vol. 26, no. 4, 2000, pp. 639-645. Tanel Demirel, “Lessons of Military Regimes and Democracy: The Turkish Case in a Comparative Perspective”, Armed Forces and Society, vol. 31, no. 2, 2005, pp. 245-271. Nil Şatana, “Transformation of the Turkish Military and the Path to Democracy”, Armed Forces and Society, vol. 34, no. 3, 2008, pp. 357-388. Documentary: 12 Eylül Belgeseli, episode 9.
4	Political and Economic Liberalization	Ersin Kalaycıoğlu, “The Motherland Party: The Challenge of Institutionalization in a Charismatic Leader Party”, B. Rubin and M. Heper, eds., Political Parties in Turkey, (Frank Cass: London and Portland, OR, 2002), pp. 41-61. Ziya Öniş, “Turgut Özal and his Economic Legacy: Turkish Neo-Liberalism in Critical Perspective,” Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 40, no. 4, 2004, pp. 113-134. Suggested Reading: Üstün Ergüder, “The Motherland Party,” in Heper and Landau eds., Political Parties and Democracy in Turkey (I.B. Tauris&co: London, 1991).
5	The Rise of Political Islam I	Z. Öniş, “The political economy of Islamic resurgence in Turkey”, Third World Quarterly, vol.18, n.4, pp.743-766. Suggested Reading: Haldun Gülalp, “Globalization and Political Islam: the Social Bases of Turkey’s Welfare Party”, International Journal of Middle East Studies, vol.33, n. 3, 2001. pp.433-448. Andrew Davison, “Laiklik and Turkey’s ‘Cultural’ Modernity: Releasing Turkey into Conceptual Space Occupied by ‘Europe’”, E. Fuat Keyman, ed., Remaking Turkey: Globalization, Alternative Modernities, and Democracy. (Oxford: Lexington Books, 2007), pp. 35-46. Documentary: 28 Şubat Belgeseli
6	The Rise of Political Islam II: AKP	Gamze Çavdar, “Islamist New Thinking in Turkey:A Model for Political Learning?” Political Science Quarterly vol.121, n.3, 2006, 477-497. Sultan Tepe, “Turkey’s AKP: A Model ‘Muslim Democratic’ Party?,” Journal of Democracy, vol.16, n.3, 2005, pp.69-82. Suggested Reading Umit Cizre & Menderes Çınar, “Turkey 2003: Kemalism, Islamism and Politics in the Light of the February 28 Process,” South Atlantic Quarterly, vol.102, n.2/3, 2003, pp. 309-332. Murat Somer, “Moderate Islam and Secularist Opposition in Turkey: Implications for the World, Muslims and Secular Democracy”, Third World Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 7, 2007, pp. 1271-1289.
7	The Kurdish Question and Ethnic Violence	Hakan Yavuz, “Five stages of the construction of Kurdish nationalism in Turkey,” Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, vol.7, no.3, 2001. Suggested Reading: E. Fuat Keyman, “Articulating citizenship and identity: the ‘Kurdish Question’ in Turkey”, in F. Keyman& A. İçduygu, eds., Citizenship in a Global World: European Questions and Turkish Experiences. (Routledge: London, Global Governance Series, 2005), pp. 267-288. Murat Somer, “Defensive and Liberal Nationalisms: The Kurdish Question and Modernization/Democratization”, E. Fuat Keyman, ed., Remaking Turkey: Globalization, Alternative Modernities, and Democracy. (Oxford: Lexington Books, 2007), pp. 103-135
8	MIDTERM EXAM
9	Political Actors: MHP	Filiz Başkan, “Globalization and Nationalism: The Nationalist Action Party of Turkey,” Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, Vol.12, No.1, Spring 2006. Alev Çınar And Burak Arıkan, “The Nationalist Action Party: Representing the State, the Nation or the Nationalists?” B. Rubin and M. Heper, eds., Political Parties in Turkey, (Frank Cass: London and Portland, OR, 2002), pp. 25-40.
10	Political Actors: CHP	Ilter Turan, “Old Soldiers Never Die: The Republican People’s Party of Turkey,” South European Society and Politics, vol. 11, no. 3/4, 2006, pp. 559-578. Ayşe Güneş Ayata, “Republican People’s Party”, B. Rubin and M. Heper, eds., Political Parties in Turkey, (Frank Cass: London and Portland, OR, 2002) pp. 102-121.
11	Media and Politics	Raşit Kaya and Barış Çakmur, “Politics and the Mass Media in Turkey,” Turkish Studies, vol.11, no.4, 2011.
12	Modernity and Music	Filiz Başkan, Ü. Doğan Başkır, Erdinç Erdem and Funda Sarıcı, “A music for all times: Arabesk as a nostalgic commodity for New Turkey’s entertainment industry,” European Journal of Cultural Studies, 1-17, 2021. Orhan Tekelioğlu, “The rise of a spontaneous synthesis: the historical background of Turkish popular music,” Middle Eastern Studies 32(2), 1996. Meral Özbek, “Arabesk Culture: A Case of Modernization and Popular Identity”, Sibel Bozdoğan & Reşat Kasaba eds., Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, 211-232. Suggested Reading: Meral Özbek, Popüler Kültür ve Orhan Gencebay Arabeski, İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları, 1991. Martin Stokes, Türkiye’de Arabesk Olayı, İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları, 1992. Documentary: Aynalar-İbrahim Tatlıses
13	New political films	Asuman Suner (2009) New Turkish Cinema: Belonging, Identity and Memory, p. 51-75. Film: Yazı Tura (Uğur Yücel, 2005) Kevin Robins and Asu Aksoy (2000) “Deep Nation: The National Question and Turkish Cinema Culture,” in Mette Hjort and Scott MacKenzie (ed.), Cinema and Nation. London: Routledge.
14	Gezi Park Protests	Coşkun Taştan, “The Gezi Park Protests in Turkey: A Qualitative Field Research,” Insight Turkey, vol. 15, no.3, 2013. Şebnem Yardımcı-Geyikçi, “Gezi Park Protests in Turkey: A Party Politics View,” The Political Quarterly, Vol. 85, No. 4, October–December 2014. Erdem Yörük, “The Long Summer of Turkey: The Gezi Uprising and Its Historical Roots,” South Atlantic Quarterly, Vol. 113, Issue 2, Spring 2014. Suggested Reading: Cihan Tugal, “”Resistance Everywhere”: The Gezi Revolt in Global Perspective.” New Perspectives on Turkey, no.49, 2013. Sinan Erensü and Ozan Karaman, “The Work of a Few Trees: Gezi, Politics and Space,” International Journal Of Urban And Regional Research, 2017.
15	Review of the semester
16	Final Exam

Course Notes/Textbooks

There is no single textbook. The course material includes selected articles which will be available at the Ekonomik Kırtasiye.

*All course readings are available at the University Library and as open sources.

Suggested Readings/Materials

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Honesty and trust are the most fundamental pillars of learning and are necessary foundation for success and academic freedom in a university. Hence, any behavior that jeopardizes the learning environment by violating the rules of academic honesty will not be tolerated or condoned: Violations of academic honesty include but are not limited to: Cheating or facilitating cheating • looking or attempting to look at another student's answers or allowing others to copy one's answers, • copying other student’s in-class or take-home exam answers or letting others use take-home exam answers, • using "cheat sheet," pre-programmed calculator if not allowed by the instructor, • having someone else prepare the term project or homework or letting others use one’s homework/term project/paper, • Assistance of another person in preparation of a tem paper/homework/project if not allowed by the instructor, • Taking an exam for another student, • Purchasing term projects or homework or other assignments, • Signing in place of another student using their name/signature/student id number, Plagiarism • showing the work of another as one's own, • Not properly citing an earlier own work, • Submitting the same homework/paper/term project in one more one course if not allowed by the instructor, • Inaccurately or inadequately citing sources including those from the Internet, Violations of academic honesty can result in disciplinary action, as stated in the "Student Disciplinary Rules and Regulation" of the University. http://www.ieu.edu.tr/en/bylaws/type/read/id/13 and http://kariyer.ieu.edu.tr/en/bylaws/type/read/id/81 By enrolling in the University, each student is assumed to have read the rules and regulations regarding academic dishonesty, and lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense.

Semester Activities	Number	Weigthing
Participation	1	15
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments	1	25
Presentation / Jury
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exams
Midterm	1	30
Final Exam	1	30
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade	3	70
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade	1	30
Total

Semester Activities	Number	Duration (Hours)	Workload
Theoretical Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours)	16	3	48
Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: '.16.' x total hours)	16		0
Study Hours Out of Class	14	2	28
Field Work			0
Quizzes / Studio Critiques			0
Portfolio			0
Homework / Assignments	1	27	27
Presentation / Jury			0
Project			0
Seminar / Workshop			0
Oral Exam			0
Midterms	1	27	27
Final Exam	1	35	35
		Total	165

#	Program Competencies/Outcomes	* Contribution Level
#	Program Competencies/Outcomes	1	2	3	4	5
1	To be able to use the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in the areas of Political Science and International Relations.	-	-	-	-	-
2	To be able to have the basic knowledge of, and make use of other disciplines which contribute to the areas of Political Science and International Relations.	X	-	-	-	-
3	To be able to distinguish the differences between classical and contemporary theories and to assess their relationship.	-	-	-	-	-
4	To be able to recognize regional and global issues, and develop solutions based on research.	-	-	-	-	-
5	To be able to assess the acquired knowledge and skills in the areas of Political Science and International Relations critically.	-	-	-	X	-
6	To be able to transfer ideas and proposals on issues in the areas of Political Science and International Relations to other people and institutions verbally and in writing.	-	X	-	-	-
7	To be able to identify the historical continuity and changes observed in the relations between the actors and institutions of national and international politics.	-	-	-	-	X
8	To be able to examine concepts, theories, and developments with scientific methods in the areas of Political Science and International Relations.	-	-	-	-	-
9	To be able to take responsibility as an individual and as a team member.	-	-	-	-	-
10	To be able to act in accordance with the scientific and ethical values in studies related to Political Science and International Relations.	-	-	X	-	-
11	To be able to collect data in the areas of Political Science and International Relations and communicate with colleagues in a foreign language ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1).	-	-	-	-	-
12	To be able to speak a second foreign at a medium level of fluency efficiently.	-	-	-	-	-
13	To be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout human history to their field of experience.	-	-	-	-	-