Reform In Turkey Research Articles

School starting age and mothers’ labour supply: causal evidence from the 2012 education reform in Turkey

PurposeThis paper assesses the impact of a reduction in childcare costs, resulting from a change in compulsory schooling law, on mothers' labour supply in Turkey.Design/methodology/approachThe 2012 Education Reform lowered the school starting age, allowing children up to 60 months old to enrol in primary schools. Previously, the starting age was seven years old, corresponding to 72-month-old children. We consider this change as an implied childcare subsidy for mothers with eligible children and investigate its labour market consequences. Using Turkish Household Labour Force Surveys, we applied a differences-in-differences method to estimate the effect of this law on mothers' labour supply.FindingsThe results reveal that the reform did not alter mothers' labour supply behaviour, even when categorized by educational attainment and marital status. While the findings for married mothers align with previous literature, the results for single mothers, despite showing a positive magnitude, are not statistically significant.Originality/valuePrevious literature shows a strong correlation but limited causal evidence on childcare subsidies and maternal labour supply in Turkey. This study is the first to use a change in compulsory schooling law to provide causal evidence. The results suggest that mothers in developing countries may respond differently to subsidies than those in developed countries, especially when there is an extensive informal childcare market. Policymakers should consider this when addressing mothers' behavioural inertia.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-02-2024-0110

“The Damage is Permanent”: Law, Women’s “Honor,” and the Psychiatrization of Sexual Violence in Post-reform Turkey

Abstract Existing literature is deeply divided on the effectiveness of rape law reforms. Intervening in this literature, this article examines the workings and consequences of ostensibly gender-neutral and victim-friendly reforms in Turkey. Through court observations, document analysis, and interviews with legal actors, I show how complex—and gendered—notions of victimization, harm, and trauma are embedded in sexual assault laws. I argue that the law defines sexual violence as inherently and invariably traumatizing, causing symptoms that can be identified and evidenced through the examination of the mental states of survivors, thus psychiatrizing it. This psychiatrization rests on the idea that rape primarily, and unequivocally, damages women’s “honor.” Consequently, the category of “legitimate victimhood” does not disappear; rather, it is reinvented by medico-legal logics that invoke gendered norms of honor and morality, which infuse and shape deliberations of justice in cases of sexual violence.

Economic Impacts of the 1997 Compulsory Education Reform in Turkey: New Findings and Employment Analysis

This study investigates the economic impact of Turkey's 1997 compulsory education reform, which extended mandatory schooling from five to eight years. Utilizing data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey and employing an instrumental variable approach with Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) estimation, we provide new insights into the reform's outcomes. The findings reveal that the reform significantly increased educational attainment and reduced gender disparities. However, the anticipated economic benefits were limited, with higher unemployment rates and a lower likelihood of high-skilled employment among treated cohorts. Additionally, those affected by the reform reported lower perceived improvements in their standard of living compared to their parents. These results suggest that the expansion of education increased the supply of educated individuals, potentially lowering the overall value of education in the labour market.

AB-Türkiye İlişkileri Bağlamında Ermenilerin Kimlik İnşasına Yeniden Bakış

This article critically analyses the reconstruction of the Armenian identity in the context of reforms in Turkey's European Union (EU) accession process. Within the scope of the research, in order to understand the cultural, ethnic and religious identity construction processes of the Armenian community in Istanbul, the existing academic literature on Armenians in Turkey has been analysed in detail, and field research based on observation and in-depth interviews has been conducted. In line with the historical background ranging from the Ottoman millet system to the Republic's policies of creating a homogenous nation, from the democratisation movement to the EU accession process, the construction process of Armenian identity has been analysed in three stages in the light of the relevant theoretical debates. Firstly, the historical development of different legal statuses evolving from non-Muslims to minorities is analysed; secondly, the reform process brought about by the EU membership process is examined. While analysing this process, the basic dynamics that contributed to the formation of Armenian identity were first identified. Secondly the prominent changes in the legal, political, social and cultural fields that accelerated the reconstruction of the Armenian community's identity by the EU reform process were tried to be identified. Finally, the social dilemmas experienced in the aftermath of the reforms are analysed and the ongoing identity struggle of the Armenian community is outlined. While the EU membership process allows the Armenian community in Turkey to express their identities more openly and freely, social insecurity and dilemmas prevent this process from being fully realised. The study analyses the theoretical approaches to identity construction and the political, economic, social and cultural transformations experienced by the Armenian community in Turkey and offers suggestions on the processes of identity struggle. In particular, it is emphasised that overcoming social insecurities and dilemmas is critical for the sustainable survival of Armenian identity. In this context, it is concluded that more inclusive and supportive policies should be developed in order to preserve the Armenian identity and increase its social acceptance. Key Words: Identity, European Union, Türkiye, Armenian identity, minority

Education and interest in environmental issues in Turkey: Evidence from a compulsory schooling law

ABSTRACT Given the significant impact of individual attitudes in coping with environmental problems, understanding the effects of socioeconomic factors such as education on these attitudes is critical. Utilizing the exogenous variation in educational attainment created by the 1997 education reform in Turkey, I investigate the causal effect of education on individuals’ interest in environmental issues. I apply the fuzzy regression discontinuity design using data from Turkey’s Life Satisfaction Survey. The research provides an insight into the effects of the reform on the schooling behaviour of lower socioeconomic strata. The results indicate that the increase in the proportion of middle school graduates has not changed the interest in environmental issues for men and women in lower socioeconomic positions. The increased likelihood of this group’s exposure to environmental problems, coupled with their reduced capacity to protect themselves, may stimulate interest in environmental issues independent of the effect of education. Furthermore, the increase in economic activities harmful to the environment and the increase in public discourse on environmental issues may also stimulate environmental interest. Since education does not seem to affect environmental interest, targeted policies such as incorporating environmental education into the curriculum may be necessary to enhance environmental interest.

Does Education Affect Religiosity? Causal Evidence from a Conservative Emerging Economy

Abstract Does education make people more or less religious? The previous literature offers mixed findings on the relationship between education and religiosity. This may be due to endogeneity bias: education and religiosity can be caused by a third variable such as culture or upbringing. We instrument education by exposure to the 1997 education reform in Turkey which increased mandatory schooling from 5 to 8 years. The schooling reform increased the probability that young girls would complete 8 years of schooling and report lower religiosity later in life. The reform apparently did not influence such outcomes for boys. These effects are observed primarily in females growing up in strongly religious or poor areas.

Supporting rail freight services in Turkey: Private sector perspectives on logistics connectivity issues

This study explores the current status of rail freight transportation in Turkey, which, despite having once been a dominant mode of land transport, has experienced a substantial decline in its market share. The main aim of this study is to analyse and mitigate the causes that have contributed to the decline in the competitiveness of rail freight. Additionally, this research aims to provide practical solutions for revitalizing the rail freight industry. To achieve this, the research employs a multifaceted approach, involving structured interviews with logistics professionals and industry experts in Turkey, coupled with comprehensive case studies of successful rail initiatives. These methods provide a comprehensive assessment of the current landscape and identify viable strategies for enhancing rail freight competitiveness. The key findings underscore the urgent need for reforms in Turkey's railway sector, emphasizing the importance of improved investment planning, efficient use of rolling stock resources, and the reinforcement of Turkish State Railways' (TCDD) market position. This study concludes that continuous investigation and flexible policy adjustments are essential in order to address issues and ensure the revitalization and growth of the sector. Consequently, this research lays the foundation for future, in-depth examinations and policy refinements, offering valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in Turkey's evolving transport landscape.

The military involvement and extraordinary policymaking in higher education: evidence from Turkey

ABSTRACT Armed forces have been involved in higher education reform processes as either the sole or dominant reform actors in various regions of the world throughout the twentieth century and onwards. During the rule of (interim) military governments or juntas, higher education institutions and systems have been considerably affected by top-down reform initiatives. However, we know relatively little about what role they have played in reform processes and what kind of change outcomes these reforms have produced. Against this backdrop, this study brings two largely unexplored phenomena into the forefront of higher education policy: extraordinary policymaking and military involvement in policy reforms. Theoretically, it crystallizes certain propositions about the nature and actors of policymaking and develops some insights into change expectations based on historical institutionalism and the available empirical research. Empirically, it examines three illustrative case studies, i.e., higher education reforms in Turkey, which came after the 1960, 1971, and 1980 military interventions, in terms of institutional and systemic governance. Even though the analysis offers empirical knowledge only on the case of Turkey, its conceptual and theoretical underpinnings may have relevance for further studies on other countries that have experienced similar processes in higher education policymaking.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Electoral Responses to the Proximity of Health Care

Do voters reward incumbents for the provision of public services? In this article, we study the political economy of catchment areas of public services to answer this question. Rather than examining the binary relationship between health care provision and electoral returns within politically defined borders, we study whether increases in geographic accessibility of health care providers and decreases in congestion in services attract votes for the incumbent. Leveraging a health care reform in Turkey, which substantially impacted the geospatial distribution of public health clinics in Istanbul, we find that decreases in walking time and improvements in congestion levels in the closest clinic from a polling station significantly increase vote share of the AKP, the incumbent party, at that polling station. We also show that poorer communities were more responsive to improvements in spatial accessibility to the local clinics.

The picture behind an intensive English language curriculum reform in Turkey: concerns of English teachers

The picture behind an intensive English language curriculum reform in Turkey: concerns of English teachers

Evaluation of an Educational Reform in the Context of Equal Opportunities in Turkey: Policy Recommendations with Evidence from PISA

The purpose of this research is to identify the current situation regarding equality of educational opportunity after the implementation of 12-year compulsory education which serves as a reform in Turkey on the basis of key indicators and to suggest policy recommendations to provide equality of educational opportunity. The research, aiming to define some variables of student academic success in science, reading and mathematics literacy levels according to PISA 2012 and 2015 panel data for ensuring equality of educational opportunity in Turkey, is in survey model. The research revealed that the extension of the compulsory education period in the context of equal opportunities hadn’t increased student success. Delivery of opportunities to the home environment affects the family’s socio-economic and socio-cultural variables, which themselves affect student academic success. In this context, supportive policy proposals such as an independent budget, regional economic index creation and direct assistance to the child were presented to the relevant parties and stakeholders.

Main Problems of Higher Education and Quests for Reform in Turkey

Main Problems of Higher Education and Quests for Reform in Turkey

What are the Drivers of Constitutional Change in Turkey?


 
 
 This paper explores the reasons for the last constitutional reform in Turkey. This paper argues that the strong Presidency in the 1982 constitution and 2007 amendments paved the way for the presidential reform in Turkey and the internal fragmentation and weakening tutelage of the military opened a window for institutional change. The power of Erdogan for mobilization of masses and the strong personalization of power around him provided a resource for the last constitutional reform. The failed coup attempt on 15 July 2016 triggered the regime change. The study was conducted by employing the method of causal process tracing and the theory of windows of opportunity as well as different approaches of path-dependence. This paper contributes to the literature by exploring the reasons for the institutional change by considering its historical and political context.
 
 

The quest for gender equality in universities at the crossroads of neoliberal and anti-gender pressures: the case of Turkey

ABSTRACT In Turkey, the quest for gender equality in universities takes place under increasing anti-gender, authoritarian and neoliberal pressures. Based on interviews with academic change agents, this article explores gender equality efforts in different universities presented in the form of typology: project-led, collective and individual-led change. It suggests that change processes are context-bound, yet they face similar challenges in securing inclusivity, intersectionality and sustainability, which are better addressed by hybrid strategies. Differing from professionalised reform strategies in the global North, gender equality reform in Turkey’s universities provides insights transcending binaries such as that between the university and its outside, top-down and grassroots change, and formal and informal solidarities.

Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi İktidarı Döneminde Ortadoğu'da Türk Dış Politikası: Çıkar Etkileşimi ve Gelecekteki Zorluklar

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Turkish foreign policy witnessed an almost fundamental change from what it was in the last century, when new worlds emerged in front of Turkey, from the Balkans to the Caucasus and Central Asia through the Middle East. New political approaches have also emerged aimed at inspiring the Ottoman multi-ethnic group formula to reconcile with Turkey's Islamic and Ottoman legacy at home as well as abroad, and within the framework of this new political concept that restored balance to Turkey's regional relations, which it did not attach importance to in the past because of its excessive focus on building solid relations with the European Union and the United States of America. After the Justice and Development Party came to power in Turkey in late 2002, Turkey's new leaders worked to activate the Turkish role in the regional environment surrounding Turkey. The beginning was to establish good relations with neighboring countries in the Middle East. In order to be effective and influential, the new Turkish vision in foreign policy focused on the importance of the internal transformation, especially the consolidation of political and economic stability in the country, as internal reform in Turkey and its growing economic capabilities allowed it to emerge as a sponsor of peace in the Middle East. On this basis, Turkey's leaders have expressed their willingness to pursue active diplomacy in the Middle East in order to reduce or end problems with neighboring countries through a zero-problem policy.

Distributive Pattern of Health Services Utilization Under Public Health Reform and Promotion in Turkey

Objectives: Inclusive health policies and health promotion to ensure strong primary healthcare systems are main tenets of health reforms in developing countries, such as Turkey. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of interest regarding the assessment of equity in health services utilization under public health reform and promotion of primary care. This study aims to analyze equity by measuring deviations from proportionality in the relationship between the utilization of health services and income using indices and curve approaches. MethodsA cross-sectional national Turkey Health Survey used the years 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014. Gini and Kakwani indices and concentration curves were estimated, and the degree of regressivity was analyzed to understand the sources of equity in health services utilization. ResultsHealth services utilization for inpatient and outpatient services and family medicine and general practitioner services were regressive between the years 2008 and 2014. The most regressive pattern was observed in the year 2014 regarding medicine usage (Kakwani index = –0.1808904). ConclusionsDifferences in the utilization of health services have increased, hurting the poorest during the health reform in Turkey. Policies focused on health promotion to strengthen the primary health system and continuous monitoring of health services utilization by vulnerable groups are essential for ensuring a fairer health service usage in developing countries.

Mental Healthcare Policy Reform in Turkey: A Qualitative Study on the Perspectives of User Groups

The mental health policy of Turkey has been undergoing a transformation process since 2006. This change aims to prioritize the establishment of community-based mental health care services and to organize an accessible mental healthcare service network across the country. The main objective is to analyse the politics of mental health policy change in Turkey and to understand the role of user groups in this process by a qualitative analysis of the views of mental health user groups on these transformations. In this context, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with representatives (n = 13) of patient organisations based in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir. This article reveals that this policy change took the form of the balanced care model, and the introduction of community-based mental health care centers provided to increase the utilization of mental health care services. However, the services in community-based settings were questioned by the respondents due to their purely medical approach to users' recovery processes and this policy change falls short of introducing a holistic perspective to the Turkish mental health care system that would facilitate recovery not only through medical support but also through social support that would empower individuals living with mental health issues.

The effect of education on internal migration of young men and women: incidence, timing, and type of migration

We take advantage of a major compulsory schooling reform in Turkey to provide novel evidence on the causal effect of education on both the incidence and timing of internal migration. In addition, we provide causal effects of education on different types of migration. We find that education substantially increases the incidence of ever-migrating by the mid-20 s for men but not for women. However, using a dataset that comprises complete migration histories, including the reason for each migration, we show that women become more likely to migrate at earlier ages, and their migration reasons change. Women become more likely to move for human capital investments and employment purposes and less likely to be tied-movers.

Regional Health Disparities in the Aftermath of Health System Reforms in Turkey

Starting in 2003, Turkey introduced major health system reforms through the Health Transformation Program (HTP). The HTP aimed to address inequities in health care services across Turkey. This study explores whether regional disparities in several health care indicators persist ten years after the HTP. For this purpose, we use administrative records and individual-level data from the only regionally representative survey, Life Satisfaction Survey, undertaken by the Turkish Statistical Institute in 2013. First, the disadvantaged North-East, Middle-East, and South-East Anatolia regions experienced the most substantial increases in all health inputs and the odds of receiving the non-contributory Green Card insurance was also higher in these regions. Yet, there is still substantial disparity across regions in many health care access and satisfaction indicators. Especially, the disadvantaged regions still have lower utilization, lower satisfaction with healthcare, and lower subjective health scores in 2013 even after accounting for a wide range of control variables. While the HTP enabled the provision of a generous insurance benefits package, there is still room for progress in regional distribution of other major indicators such as subjective assessment of health, healthcare utilization, and satisfaction with health services. To further reduce health inequities across regions, the quality aspect of healthcare provision needs to be prioritized.

The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Middle Eastern and North African History

The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Middle Eastern and North African History