Patterns of Differential Involvement in Terrorist Activities: Evidence from DHKP/C and Turkish Hezbollah

Abstract

PATTERNS OF DIFFERENTIAL INVOLVEMENT IN TERRORIRST ACTIVITIES: EVIDENCE FORM DHKP/C AND TURKISH HEZBOLLAH CASES By Ismail Yilmaz, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Major Director: Dr. William W. Newmann, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs This study examines the patterns of involvement in terrorist activities for the Revolutionary People‘s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) and Turkish Hezbollah members. The study is based on the assumption that terrorists differ in terms of their involvement in terrorist activities. In this sense, there are full-time and part-time terrorists. Full-time terrorists act professionally and do the assignments given by their commanders. Part-time terrorists, on the other hand, act on a non-professional basis and have their own motivations to participate in terrorist activities. For part-timers, there are various factors that may have an effect on their degree of involvement in terrorist activities. Their decisions regarding whether to participate in a specific terrorist act can be influenced by individual factors as well as the instructions and assignments given to them. In this study, these factors are categorized under four different headings; demographic, relative deprivation, frustration, and social learning.