Sectarianized Securitization in Turkey in the Wake of the 2011 Arab Uprisings

Abstract

This article examines the growth of sectarianism in Turkish politics since the 2011 Arab uprisings, particularly when it comes to the government's portrayal of the Alevi community as a security threat. Comparable to elsewhere in the Middle East, this sectarianized securitization of domestic politics was catalyzed by the overlap of external geopolitical competition and internal challenges to the government. These dynamics are situated within the context of longer-term processes of nation-building, the nature of Islamic authority, and the increasing prominence of Islamists.