The 'Kurdish question' in Turkey From the Perspectives of Kurdish University students

Download

index.pdf

Date

2009

Author

Effeney, Elizabeth

Metadata

Show full item record

Item Usage Stats

248
views

108
downloads

This thesis is concerned with extrapolating some central issues of the so-called “Kurdish Question” in the Republic of Turkey by applying political anthropological theory and methodologies. It attempts to guage the political identities of five Kurdish University students and understand their perspectives on what constitutes and propogates Kurdish political discontents in the Republic. The following research questions have been addressed: How is Turkey‟s “Kurdish question” (Kürt Meselesi) perceived and defined by Kurdish, post-graduate university students from a university in Ankara? How have individual experiences shaped the participants‟ political identities? What are the relevant macro-level factors informing their political identities and their perceptions of the “Kurdish question”? For the sample group studied, the Kurdish identity has been found to be a highly political and socially stigmatized identity in Turkey. According to the respondents, the Kurdish identity (both group and personal) and its political overtures have developed in an ongoing dialect with an everchanging official Turkish nationalist doctrine that is executed through a state outfit whose legitimacy is anchored largely in the legacy of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The Kurdish Question itself represents a broad range of issues. According to these university students, these issues are beginning to be addressed in line with attempts at political liberalisation and democratisation in the country that are a part of the EU-accession process as well as a product of developing education and an ever-“enlightened” population. Despite this, the respondents are hesitant to believe in positive political change for the Kurds in Turkey as much discussion of the „Kurdish Question‟ remains focused on the outlawed PKK and ongiıng conflict in the South East of the country. Kurdish discontents may also be seen to present and call for the recognition of a historical narrative which is divergent from the official line of state, a narrative which remains highly taboo at state and society levels.

Subject Keywords

Political Identity.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/3/12610829/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/18740

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis

Suggestions

OpenMETU
Core

Hezbollah and its position towards Israel Özkaya, Tuğba; Dağı, İhsan Duran; Department of Middle East Studies (2009) This thesis analyses how Hezbollah has perceived Israel since its establishment. In this study it is argued that Israel is the main enemy of and source of hatred for Hezbollah. The references of this overall statement are the ideology and political, social and military history of Hezbollah. The armed struggle of Hezbollah against Israel started with the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon evolved into both a political participation with the continued armed militia in the period between 1982 to today. During th...
The network governance approach and the activities of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Turkey Kurt, Ömür; Okyayuz, Mehmet; Department of Political Science and Public Administration (2008) The aim of this thesis is to analyze the activities of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, one of the German political foundations in Turkey, within the context of the network governance approach. Several tools within this approach are used as heuristic devices to elaborate the relationships of the KAS in the Turkish political terrain. Among these tools, the concept of informality provides a crucial insight to explore the activities of the KAS. This thesis argues that the weight of informal, non-governmental me...
The politicization of gender: from identity politics to post-identity Kale, Nülüfer; Ecevit, Mehmet Cihan; Department of Gender and Women's Studies (2011) The aim of this thesis study is to understand the significance of today’s feminist politics in Turkey for post-identity politics. When it is considered that identity politics is being widely practiced today, whereas there is still much vagueness regarding the ways of doing post-identity politics, in order to achieve the aim of this study it becomes necessary to make a critique of identity politics and to reveal post-identitarian tendencies through this critique of identity-based political mobilization. In t...
"Liberal intellectuals'' narration of the justice and development party in Turkey Ersoy, Duygu; Özçoban Üstüner, Fahriye (2016-09-01) This article examines the relationship between a specific group of intellectuals and political power in recent Turkish political history. This group of liberal intellectuals' demonstrated constant support for the conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) governments in the 2002-2010 period, although after 2010, some of these former staunch supporters became fierce critics of the party. The changing circumstances of this relationship shows that a sense of distinction determines the manner in which lib...
Muslim Brotherhood’s relationship with Egyptian governments from 1952 to 2008: an accomodational and confrontational relationship Açıkalın, Serpil; Dağı, İhsan Duran; Department of Middle East Studies (2009) This thesis analyses the Muslim Brotherhood’s fluctuated relationship with three of the Egyptian governments for the post-Revolutionary period. It is argued that the Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian Governments were firstly accommodated each other during the legitimacy processes of the governments. However, after the Muslim Brotherhood began to use the governments’ concessions to infiltrate the social and political field the Movement began to be seen as a threat by the governments and the relationship be...

Citation Formats

E. Effeney, “The ‘Kurdish question’ in Turkey From the Perspectives of Kurdish University students,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2009.