| School/Faculty/Institute | Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences | ||||
| Course Code | POLS 331 | ||||
| Course Title in English | Evolution of Political Life in Turkey | ||||
| Course Title in Turkish | Türkiye'de Siyasi Hayatin Gelişimi | ||||
| Language of Instruction | EN | ||||
| Type of Course | Flipped Classroom | ||||
| Level of Course | Intermediate | ||||
| Semester | Fall | ||||
| Contact Hours per Week |
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| Estimated Student Workload | 125 hours per semester | ||||
| Number of Credits | 5 ECTS | ||||
| Grading Mode | Standard Letter Grade | ||||
| Pre-requisites | None | ||||
| Co-requisites | None | ||||
| Expected Prior Knowledge | None | ||||
| Registration Restrictions | Only Undergraduate Students | ||||
| Overall Educational Objective | Not only to learn the necessary background information for evaluating current developments concerning Turkish politics, but also to learn the skills in order to better assess the developments related to Turkish politics. | ||||
| Course Description | The main objective of the course is to enable students to understand and analyze better the current political developments in Turkey. In order to achieve that goal, this course aims to familiarize the students with the history of political institutions and processes starting from 1945 until the current Turkish Republic and also provide them the necessary theoretical and analytical tools for assessing the political developments. Furthermore, the course aims to cover and enable students to discuss some of the current issues in Turkish politics in an environment that is encouraging them to talk and freely express their opinion. The topics include: ‘multi-party period, democracy trials’ (1945-1950), ‘populism and DP era’ (1950-1960), ‘army in politics’ (1960-1971-1980 coups), ‘party politics during ISI’ (60-80), ‘identity politics’, ‘Turkish-Islamic synthesis’ (80 onwards), ‘elections and political parties’, ‘2002 elections and the rule of AKP government’, ‘political Islam’, and ‘Kurdish Question’. |
Course Learning Outcomes and CompetencesUpon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:1) Understand the historical background of political life in Turkey 2) identify key concepts in Turkish politics 3) analyze current developments in Turkish politics by using the tools and skills at hand 4) discuss the contemporary issues in Turkish politics with references to the historical background gained through out the course |
| Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Adequate knowledge of political history necessary to comprehend and effectively evaluate contemporary Political Science and International Relations issues. | ||||
| 2) Understanding of the fundamental concepts that exist in the fields of social and behavioral sciences as well as the correlation between these concepts | ||||
| 3) Ability to analyze the fundamental theories in the field Political Science and International Relations and to assess their reflections into practice | ||||
| 4) Ability to critically discuss different aspects of theories and developments in Political Science and International Relations both individually and in the course of group work during classroom discussions. | ||||
| 5) Ability to conduct research independently, or with a team, about the developments taking place in the international arena, make foreign policy analyses, develop research-based conflict resolution models, and prepare comprehensive reports using computers and relevant software | ||||
| 6) Ability to take decisions as well as to implement these decisions by using the knowledge about the field and the skills that have been acquired during the undergraduate studies | ||||
| 7) Ability to recognize the relations between scientific thought and ethical behavior; pay attention to being tolerant and properly defend different ideas, ideologies and belief systems | ||||
| 8) Ability to work in international institutions and multicultural environments, with the help of the knowledge on different cultures, societies, political systems as well as linguistic skills acquired during the undergraduate studies | ||||
| 9) Ability to display language skills in English at minimum B2 level enough for debating with colleagues on issues of Political Science and International Relations, and also display language skills in a second foreign language at minimum A2 level enough for communicating in daily life | ||||
| 10) Ability to pursue lifelong learning as well as perform advanced/graduate studies in the field Political Science and International Relations and other social sciences disciplines in academic institutions at home and abroad |
| N None | S Supportive | H Highly Related |
| Program Outcomes and Competences | Level | Assessed by | |
| 1) | Adequate knowledge of political history necessary to comprehend and effectively evaluate contemporary Political Science and International Relations issues. | H | Exam |
| 2) | Understanding of the fundamental concepts that exist in the fields of social and behavioral sciences as well as the correlation between these concepts | H | Exam |
| 3) | Ability to analyze the fundamental theories in the field Political Science and International Relations and to assess their reflections into practice | S | Presentation |
| 4) | Ability to critically discuss different aspects of theories and developments in Political Science and International Relations both individually and in the course of group work during classroom discussions. | S | Participation |
| 5) | Ability to conduct research independently, or with a team, about the developments taking place in the international arena, make foreign policy analyses, develop research-based conflict resolution models, and prepare comprehensive reports using computers and relevant software | H | Presentation |
| 6) | Ability to take decisions as well as to implement these decisions by using the knowledge about the field and the skills that have been acquired during the undergraduate studies | S | Participation |
| 7) | Ability to recognize the relations between scientific thought and ethical behavior; pay attention to being tolerant and properly defend different ideas, ideologies and belief systems | H | Participation |
| 8) | Ability to work in international institutions and multicultural environments, with the help of the knowledge on different cultures, societies, political systems as well as linguistic skills acquired during the undergraduate studies | H | Presentation |
| 9) | Ability to display language skills in English at minimum B2 level enough for debating with colleagues on issues of Political Science and International Relations, and also display language skills in a second foreign language at minimum A2 level enough for communicating in daily life | H | Participation |
| 10) | Ability to pursue lifelong learning as well as perform advanced/graduate studies in the field Political Science and International Relations and other social sciences disciplines in academic institutions at home and abroad | S | Participation |
| Prepared by and Date | CANSU GÜLEÇ , January 2024 |
| Course Coordinator | CANSU GÜLEÇ |
| Semester | Fall |
| Name of Instructor | Öğr. Gör. PELİN OĞUZ |
| Week | Subject |
| 1) | A brief overview of Turkish modernization and Ottoman Legacy |
| 2) | Transition to multi-party politics 1945-1950 |
| 3) | Politics and society under the rule of Democrat party 1950-1960, 60’coup, Army and politics |
| 4) | Politics and society under the rule of Democrat party 1950-1960, 60’coup, Army and politics continued |
| 5) | Midterm |
| 6) | Pluralism and democracy in Turkey 1960-1980 |
| 7) | 1980 coup and 1982 Constitution, ANAP and neoliberalism 1980s-90s |
| 8) | Week 7 continued |
| 9) | Draft meetings for presentations |
| 10) | Political Culture, clientelism and patronage |
| 11) | Political Islam, democracy and liberalism in Turkey |
| 12) | Kurdish Question |
| 13) | Presentations |
| 14) | Presentations |
| 15) | Final Exam Period |
| 16) | Final exam period |
| Required/Recommended Readings | There is no textbook for this course but a fine selection of readings that are available at the copy center. Required readings for this course are as follows: Yılmaz, H. (1997). Democratization from above in response to the international context: Turkey, 1945-1950. New Perspectives On Turkey, (17), 1-37. Mango, A. (2004). “The High Cost of Free Elections-1945-1960”, The Turks Today. London: John Murray Publishers, 39-57. Zürcher, E. (2005). “The Rule of the Democratic Party.” Turkey: A Modern History. London: I.B. Tauris, 224-229. Zürcher, E. (2003). “The Second Turkish Republic 1960-1980.” Turkey: A Modern History. London: I.B. Tauris, 241-248. Demirel, T. (2005). Lessons of Military Regimes and Democracy: The Turkish Case in a Comparative Perspective, Armed Forces and Society, 31 (2), 245-271 Gursoy, Y. (2012). The changing role of the military in Turkish politics: democratization through coup plots? Democratization, 19 (4), 735-760. Ahmad, F. (1993). The Making of Modern Turkey. London and New York: Routledge, 121- 212. Aral, B. (2001). Dispensing with Tradition? Turkish Politics and International Society during the Özal Decade, 1983-93, Middle Eastern Studies, 37 (1), 72-88. Altunışık, M. B. (2005). Politics in the Turkish Republic. Turkey, Challenges of Continuity and Change. New York: Routledge, 45-56. Bali, R.N. (2009). “Serbest Piyasa Dönemi”, Tarz-I Hayat’tan Life Style’a, İletişim Yayınları: İstanbul, 27-35, 50-56 Sayari, S. (2014). Interdisciplinary Approaches to Political Clientelism and Patronage in Turkey. Turkish Studies, 16p. doi:10.1080/14683849.2014.985809 White, J. B. (2008). “Islam and Politics in Contemporary Turkey.” In The Cambridge History of Turkey: Turkey in the Modern World, edited by R. Kasaba. New York: Cambridge University Press, 363-380. Tuğal, C. (2002). Islamism in Turkey: beyond instrument and meaning. Economy and Society, 31 (1), 85–111. Taşkın, Y. (2013). Hegemonizing Conservative Democracy and the Problems of Democratization in Turkey: Conservatism Without Democrats? Turkish Studies, 14 (2), 292-310, DOI: 10.1080/14683849.2013.802905 Bozarslan, H. (2008). “Kurds and the Turkish State.” In The Cambridge History of Turkey: Turkey in the Modern World, edited by R. Kasaba. New York: Cambridge University Press, 333-356. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Informing lecture using visuals, creating a welcoming environment by encouraging students for discussion and for participation | ||||||||||||||||||
| Homework and Projects | Presentation | ||||||||||||||||||
| Laboratory Work | None | ||||||||||||||||||
| Computer Use | For doing research for the presentation | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other Activities | None | ||||||||||||||||||
| Assessment Methods |
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| Course Administration |
gulecc@mef.edu.tr : (212) 395 3610 Attendance is not required. It is students’ responsibility to be present in class during the quizzes, in-class assignments and presentations. Students should notify the instructor beforehand under any circumstances leading for late submissions or missing the presentation dates. It is required that students do not miss the exams. In case of illness, a valid medical excuse has to be submitted within one week of absence. During quizzes, presentations and exams any use of cellular phones or any other technological device is considered cheating. Students who are involved in such actions will be subjected to disciplinary action. Within the framework of MEF University's Artificial Intelligence Policy, it is aimed to integrate artificial intelligence into educational processes and promote its ethical use. The full text of the policy document can be accessed here:https://www.mef.edu.tr/tr/duyurular/mef-universitesi-yapay-zeka-politikasi-v2-yayimlandi For the exams, students will be responsible for materials covered in the lectures and the readings. |
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| Activity | No/Weeks | Hours | Calculation | ||||
| No/Weeks per Semester | Preparing for the Activity | Spent in the Activity Itself | Completing the Activity Requirements | ||||
| Course Hours | 14 | 2 | 3 | 70 | |||
| Presentations / Seminar | 3 | 9 | 27 | ||||
| Midterm(s) | 2 | 6 | 2 | 16 | |||
| Final Examination | 1 | 10 | 2 | 12 | |||
| Total Workload | 125 | ||||||
| Total Workload/25 | 5.0 | ||||||
| ECTS | 5 | ||||||