Authoritarianism and Kurdish Alternative Politics

Abstract

Can autocrats and democracy co-exist? Why are autocratic regimes not just a local but also a global issue? Can democracy survive against autocrat’s populism? What is the role of media, societal nationalism and intellectuals in autocratic governmentality? Can autocrats go by elections? Why autocrats are so obsessed in courts and judges? Why do we need alternative governmentality? Dr. Latif Tas’s timely and important book, Authoritarianism and Alternative Kurdish Politics, tries to answer these and many other significant and present-day questions. Without studying and understanding societal and political authoritarianism, justice and gender regimes in the Middle East, it would not be possible to understand the main reasons for the multiple and continuous conflicts and often changing borders. This unique book engages critically with ‘radical democracy’ and ‘democratic federalism’ as they are articulated and practised by the Kurdish political movement. The book also gives insight into the lived experiences and daily lives of Kurdish women and men under different authoritarian rules. Dr. Tas’s book is based on several years of ethnographic work in the Middle East and Europe, over 200 interviews with Kurdish female and male activists, politicians, mayors, former and active guerrillas, unofficial court representatives, religious leaders, women’s organisations and representatives from different Turkish and Kurdish political parties.