School/Faculty/Institute Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences
Course Code POLS 343
Course Title in English Major Issues in Turkish Politics
Course Title in Turkish Türkiye Siyaseti’nde Temel Sorunlar
Language of Instruction EN
Type of Course Flipped Classroom
Level of Course Intermediate
Semester Fall
Contact Hours per Week
Lecture: 3 Recitation: 0 Lab: 0 Other: 2
Estimated Student Workload 136 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 To understand the major political actors, institutions, and political processes in modern Turkey in order to identify continuity and change in Turkey’s political development.
Course Description This course aims to discuss the historical origins of modern politics, major political institutions, state-society relations, and patterns of political participation in Turkey. It will introduce both theoretical approaches and empirical analyzes in order to develop a critical understanding of the trajectory of political life in Turkey from the late Ottoman period up until today.

Course Learning Outcomes and Competences

Upon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:
1) understand the Ottoman legacy on modern Turkish politics and the major tenets of Kemalism
2) comprehend the development of major political institutions
3) examine the patterns of state-society relations
4) examine the trajectory of political participation and social mobilization in Turkey
5) assess the dynamics of change and continuity in Turkish politics
Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes 1 2 3 4 5
1) Has a broad foundation and intellectual awareness with exposure to mathematics, history, economics, and social sciences
2) Demonstrates knowledge and skills in different functional areas of business (accounting, finance, operations, marketing, strategy, and organization) and an understanding of their interactions within various industry sectors
3) Applies theoretical knowledge as well as creative, analytical, and critical thinking to manage complex technical or professional activities or projects
4) Exhibits an understanding of global, environmental, economic, legal, and regulatory contexts for business sustainability
5) Demonstrates individual and professional ethical behavior and social responsibility
6) Demonstrates responsiveness to ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity values and issues
7) Uses written and spoken English effectively (at least CEFR B2 level) to communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions
8) Demonstrates skills in data and information acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting
9) Displays computer proficiency to support problem solving and decision-making
10) Demonstrates teamwork, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills
11) Displays learning skills necessary for further study with a high degree of autonomy

Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences

N None S Supportive H Highly Related
     
Program Outcomes and Competences Level Assessed by
1) Has a broad foundation and intellectual awareness with exposure to mathematics, history, economics, and social sciences N
2) Demonstrates knowledge and skills in different functional areas of business (accounting, finance, operations, marketing, strategy, and organization) and an understanding of their interactions within various industry sectors N
3) Applies theoretical knowledge as well as creative, analytical, and critical thinking to manage complex technical or professional activities or projects N
4) Exhibits an understanding of global, environmental, economic, legal, and regulatory contexts for business sustainability N
5) Demonstrates individual and professional ethical behavior and social responsibility N
6) Demonstrates responsiveness to ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity values and issues N
7) Uses written and spoken English effectively (at least CEFR B2 level) to communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions S Presentation
8) Demonstrates skills in data and information acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting S Participation
9) Displays computer proficiency to support problem solving and decision-making N
10) Demonstrates teamwork, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills S Participation
11) Displays learning skills necessary for further study with a high degree of autonomy S Participation
Prepared by and Date BEGÜM UZUN TAŞKIN , January 2024
Course Coordinator BEGÜM UZUN TAŞKIN
Semester Fall
Name of Instructor Asst. Prof. Dr. BEGÜM UZUN TAŞKIN

Course Contents

Week Subject
1) Introduction
2) The Ottoman Legacy
3) From Empire to Republic: The Formation of a Single Party Regime
4) The Founding Ideology: What Kemalism is and What It is not..
5) Constitutions in Comparative Perspective
6) Civil-Military Relations
7) State Tradition in Turkey: Strong State and Weak Society?
8) Quiz and discussion on research paper topics and guidelines
9) The State and Islam
10) The Kurdish Problem
11) Labor and Business
12) The State and Gender
13) Elections and Voting Behavior
14) Presentations
15) Final examination period
16) Final examination period
Required/Recommended ReadingsZürcher, Erik J. (2004). Turkey: A Modern History. London; New York: I.B. Tauris, pp. 76-133. Mardin, Şerif. (1973). “Center-Periphery Relations: A Key to Turkish Politics?” Daedalus 102 (1): 169–90. Zürcher, Erik J. (2004). Turkey: A Modern History. London; New York: I.B. Tauris, pp. 133-206. Bora, Tanıl. (2017). “Kemalizmler”. Tanıl Bora Cereyanlar içinde (pp.162-176). İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları. Bora, Tanıl. (2017). “Kemalizmin Krizi”. Tanıl Bora Cereyanlar içinde (pp.176-194). İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları. Özbudun, Ergun. (2012). “Constitutions and Political System”. In Metin Heper and Sabri Sayarı (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Modern Turkey, London: Routledge. Cizre Sakallıoğlu, Ümit. (1997). “The Anatomy of the Turkish Military’s Political Autonomy”. Comparative Politics, 29(2): 151-166. Demirel, Tanel. (2003). “The Turkish Military’s Decision to Intervene: 12 September 1980”. Armed Forces and Society, 29(2), 253-280. Heper,Metin. (1985). State Tradition in Turkey. Walkington, UK: The Eothen Press, pp. 48 - 66 (Chapter 3). Aslan, Senem. (2011). “Everyday Forms of State Power and the Kurds in the Early Turkish Republic”. International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 43 (1): 75-93. Özdalga, Elizabeth. (2012). “Secularism”. In Metin Heper and Sabri Sayarı (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Modern Turkey, London: Routledge. Lord, Ceren. (2020). “The Transnational Mobilization of the Alevis of Turkey: From Invisibility to the Struggle for Equality”. In Güneş Murat Tezcür (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Turkish Politics. Published Online. Bozarslan,Hamit. (2008). “Kurds and the Turkish State”. In Reşat Kasaba (ed) The Cambridge History of Turkey. (pp. 333-356) .Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Yeğen, Mesut. (2004). “Citizenship and Ethnicity in Turkey" Middle Eastern Studies, 20(4):51 – 66. Keyder, Çağlar. (1987). State and Class in Turkey: A Study in Capitalist Development. London New York: Verso (selected pages) Buğra, Ayşe. (2003). Devlet ve İşadamları. İstanbul:İletişim Yayınları. (selected pages) Arat, Zehra. (2020). “Gender Politics and the Struggle for Equality in Turkey”. In Güneş Murat Tezcür (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Turkish Politics. Published Online. Negron-Gonzales, M.(2016). “The feminist movement during the AKP era in Turkey: challenges and opportunities”. Middle Eastern Studies, 52(2): 198-214. Aytac, S. Erdem. (2020). “Economic Voting during the AKP Era in Turkey”. In Güneş Murat Tezcür (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Turkish Politics. Published Online. Kalaycıoğlu, Ersin. (2020). “The Evolution of Conventional Political Participation in Turkey”. In Güneş Murat Tezcür (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Turkish Politics. Published Online.
Teaching MethodsFlipped Classroom methods such as pre-class videos, group discussions, quizzes, and presentations.
Homework and ProjectsGroup presentations
Laboratory WorkNone
Computer UseNone
Other ActivitiesNone
Assessment Methods
Assessment Tools Count Weight
Attendance 1 % 20
Quiz(zes) 3 % 30
Homework Assignments 1 % 35
Presentation 1 % 15
TOTAL % 100
Course Administration taskinbe@mef.edu.tr
0212 395 36 00
Attendance and active participation are required. There would be no late presentations and make-up exams unless medical report provided. MEF university values academic integrity. Therefore all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the code of student conduct and disciplinary procedures. Any improper behavior, academic dishonesty or plagiarism is subject to the YÖK Disciplinary Regulation. --

ECTS Student Workload Estimation

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 1 84
Presentations / Seminar 1 9 1 10
Homework Assignments 1 15 15 30
Quiz(zes) 3 3 1 12
Total Workload 136
Total Workload/25 5.4
ECTS 5