Turkey Research Articles

A biopolitical perspective on national belonging in the early Turkish Republic

ABSTRACT This article explores the degree to which citizenship in the early Turkish Republic was informed by a biopolitical logic of the administration of population as a social body. How this larger biopolitical logic is connected to understandings of the national project being ‘modern’ and/or ‘scientific’ is also explored, as well as how this approach is preferable to an account based on the perspective of Agamben. Furthermore, this analysis examines how limits to belonging were understood in the period, especially in relation to minority populations, and how they were categorized.

Emergence of chambers in the Turkish history: the case of Dersaadet Chamber of Commerce (DCC) as a public-agent meta-organization, 1882–1929

Purpose Building on previous historical works, this study aims to develop a framework to represent chambers as meta-organizations and present the case of Dersaadet Chamber of Commerce (DCC), based on this framework, during its emergence and evolution in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Design/methodology/approach In the study, a historical narrative was constructed from primary and secondary data. To complement data collected from the archives a systematic content analysis was used to explore the discourse of the chamber within its serial magazine. Findings It was found that the first chamber of the Ottoman Empire, DCC, was established according to the public law model as an extension of the economic context and the guild order, and it was observed that it increasingly conformed to this model between 1882 and 1929. Originality/value In this study, chamber models are examined for the first time according to the designated features of meta-organizational forms, built on the historical work on chambers. The case of DCC suggested that it adopted a public law model and displayed much continuity, even when significant transitions were observed during the modernization process from Ottoman Empire to Turkish Republic.

Exploring EFL instructors’ perceptions, conceptual awareness, and actual practices about gamification: an exploratory case study in a Turkish state university

Abstract This study explores Turkish Higher Education EFL instructors’ perceptions and awareness of ‘gamification’, along with their practices of integrating it into the classroom. Through in-depth interviews with 6 instructors, the research reveals accurate conceptual understanding and alignment between instructors’ knowledge and actual gamification practices. The findings highlight positive attitudes tow1ards gamification, supporting its application across education levels and language skills, despite potential time and curriculum constraints. The study suggests valuable insights for curriculum developers and educators regarding the applicability and effectiveness of gamification in L2 teaching.

An Orthodox Christian Bridging the Boundaries of Mavlana’s Thought

This essay delves into the phenomenon of the "unveiling of Sufis" and traces Yaman Dede's journey to becoming a dervish within the Mavlavī Order in the Republic of Turkey. The Mavlavī Order, a longstanding Islamic Sufi tradition dedicated to preserving the spiritual teachings of Mevlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī and his successors for over seven centuries, faced challenges under Turkey’s secularization policies in 1925. This essay explores the extent to which the Mavlavī Order could practice its religious rituals within the secular framework of the Turkish Republic. Additionally, it examines the compelling appeal of the Mavlavī Order to seekers, worshippers, and intellectuals, a call that resonated deeply with Yaman Dede, a Christian Orthodox individual from Anatolia. Through biographical insights into Yaman Dede's identity quest amidst the backdrop of his conversion story, the essay sheds light on his inner turmoil caused by the clash of two faiths, ultimately leading to personal reconciliation as he embraced the path of a Mavlavī dervish. The latter part of the essay delves into the dynamics of the master-disciple relationship, with a focus on the interaction between Remzi Dede and Yaman Dede as a case study. Furthermore, it explores the enduring intellectual legacy of Yaman Dede and its impact on shaping the contemporary Sufi tradition in Turkey.

Trouble in Cyprus, Riots in Turkey: Ian Fleming, Propaganda, and "The Great Riot of Istanbul"

This article will analyse British influence campaigns that employed disinformation and propaganda to advance British interests during the Second World War and the early Cold War, with a focus on the role of Ian Fleming. It draws on declassified files at The National Archives in London, primary media sources in English and in Turkish, and secondary published research to help understand the extent to which British objectives were achieved in Turkey and Cyprus by finding common ground with the Turkish government, creating false anti-communist narratives, and turning a blind eye to undemocratic and repressive activity against minorities driven by ethno-nationalist policies of the Turkish Republic. The article will answer the following questions: why did Ian Fleming trivialise a violent pogrom against ethnic-Greeks in Istanbul in 1955 as a spontaneous “riot” (in his Sunday Times report), and as a Soviet plot in From Russia With Love? Did British strategic considerations in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean make them complicit in human rights abuses in Turkey? Did Ian Fleming’s writing help shield the Turkish government from criticism at a time of declining colonial power and ideological Cold War? And finally, how do public perceptions of intelligence that Fleming helped to create serve the interests of modern, authoritarian politics in Turkey?

Investigating the Relationship between Digital Literacy and TPACK Levels of Pre-Service English Teachers

This mixed methods study explores the correlation between digital literacy and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) among pre-service English teachers at a Turkish state university. With 118 junior and senior participants, the study employs the Digital Literacy Scale and TPACK-Deep Scale for quantitative data, supplemented by focus group interviews for qualitative insights. Overall, pre-service teachers exhibited high TPACK and digital literacy levels, except for a medium proficiency level. Females scored higher in ethics. Significant differences emerged among participants with and without educational technology training, impacting digital literacy, TPACK, exertion, and proficiency. Pearson correlation analysis established a positive relationship between digital literacy and TPACK, with regression analysis identifying digital literacy as a predictor of TPACK. Qualitative findings underscore pre-service EFL teachers' perceptions of digital competence and TPACK. digital literacy ,TPACK, digital competence , pre-service English teachers

STATE FORMATIONS IN ANCIENT TURKIC STEPPE SOCIETIES

The Turks are one of the oldest nations of the world, and there is evidence that they had established states very early in their history. The masses of the Turks living a nomadic life in the steppes had formed political structures diff erent from the state systems of settled societies, and we can call these "steppe states". The most important feature of the steppe states was that they did not have fi xed centers and ruled over expansive territories using their well-trained armies. Nomadic steppe states were unions of tribes. They were established not by settled states or cities, but by the gathering of nomads who had the power of war. A family with authority torule ("kut" in ancient Turkic), which was received from God and could be held by legitimacy, established the state. The strength of the centralized structure depended on the ability to intervene in the remote corners of the state; otherwise, the dynamics of the steppe would bring about the rebellion of the connected tribes. The Turkic state existed in tribes formed by families connected to each other by blood kinship, and the state emerged from the tight, disciplined cooperation among these tribes. This gave the state a military character. Since the soldiers, horses and weapons were always ready for war, the expansion of the state was inevitable. Starting from the Huns until the 9th century, the center of these great states, which had a nomadic structure before Islam came onto the scene, was Ötüken, which was originally thought to be in the Orkhun Valley. After the 9th-10th centuries, Turkic states were established by Muslim horse warriors who combined urban and nomadic steppe traditions, making rich trade networks their political centers.

Hayder Aliyev's Perspective of the Turkic World: A Qualitative Research on the Concept of Savior Leadership in Political Communication

Subject: Individuals, who form the building blocks of society, can play different roles within their structure. Although it has a controversial and comprehensive terminology, one of the most prominent roles is leadership. Leadership is a crucial role within society, often associated with authoritarian, participatory, and charismatic concepts. The leadership of Heydar Aliyev, the founding leader of Azerbaijan, is often referred to as savior leadership. Despite the Soviet Union's long rule, Azerbaijan quickly built its identity and gained independence in 1991. Various names have been used to describe his leadership style.   Purpose: In this regard, in the relevant study, the meaning categories related to the concept of savior leadership towards Haydar Aliyev will be determined and its relationship with this concept at the discourse level will be questioned. In this context, the summit declarations published regularly every year by the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking Countries (Turkic Council), which was established in 1991, constitute the sample of this study.   Method: In the study, an attempt was made to comparatively analyze Haydar Aliyev's relationship with savior leadership in the context of his discourses and policies, in the declarations of the council established under the leadership of Turkey in order to integrate the newly independent Turkic Republics in Central Asia and the Caucasus into each other and into the international system. In addition, while content analysis was conducted based on qualitative data to determine which research model they reflect in terms of their content and to what extent they meet the dialogical principles, qualitative content analysis was conducted based on thematic coding to describe the topics included in the papers. MAXQDA 20 package program was used while making the analyses.   Results: In the seven summit reports made between 1992-2002; Content analysis was conducted with thematic coding of regional and international integration, cultural integration, political integration and dialogue. As a result of the analysis, "One nation, two states", used by Haydar Aliyev for Turkey and Azerbaijan at the relevant summits, stands out as the most frequently used discourse under the theme of cultural integration. In addition, the Turkic World discourse, which the Republic of Azerbaijan sees in parallel with its own identity construction, is another prominent concept in regional and international integration. Under the theme of political integration, he underlined that Azerbaijan should develop friendly relations with both the region and other countries, and maintained its pro-peace attitude until the last moment, even in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which started with Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani lands in the early 1990s. This situation also shows us the importance Aliyev attaches to dialogue. As a result, as seen in the content analysis of the summit declarations, Haydar Aliyev displayed a common attitude with Turkish President Suleyman Demirel in the integration process of the Turkic World with a policy prioritizing the full independence of Azerbaijan, but due to both the Karabakh War and the difficulties experienced in Azerbaijani domestic politics afterward, Turkey and other The economic crisis that started in 1994 in the Turkic republics caused the targeted integration to be postponed to another period. In this process, it can be said that Haydar Aliyev gave priority to cultural integration towards the Turkish world.

Public Law Developments in Türkiye on Its Centennial

Abstract As the centennial anniversary of the Turkish Republic has been celebrated in 2023, by virtue of a dynamic interplay between law and politics both nationally and internationally, year 2023 has been a legally active one for Türkiye. The general elections and the presidential elections were held in May, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extended his twenty years of power by five more at the end of the second round, while AKP (Justice and Development Party, led by Erdoğan) once again became the leading political party in the Parliament. Along with the ongoing economic hardship the State is in for the last few years now, which was deteriorated with the devastating earthquakes of 6 February, and the wars in nearby countries, it may be submitted that the legal outlook has been heavily influenced by internal and external stress factors. This survey presents a selection of public law related legal developments that took place in Türkiye, between January and November of 2023.

The Roles of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in International Trade, Logistics and European Union’s (EU) Energy Supply Security

While new trade routes may have been discovered, the political, economic, and commercial relations among countries may lead to a desire to reactivate old routes or increase their capacity for active use over time. In the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war, which is one of the most significant events happening worldwide, the impact of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on global trade, economic, and logistical activities has been examined. In the current research, the qualitative method was employed to conduct an in-depth examination of the role of the OTS in global trade, transportation corridors, and the EU's energy supply security. For this study, secondary sources such as databases, scientific journals, books, national and international news, etc., were utilized. The research particularly highlights the quest for alternative routes in global trade, especially in recent times. In this context, it is noteworthy that Türkiye and the OTS are among the most significant partners. The presence of OTS is evident in almost all North-South and East-West oriented developed trade corridors, which supports this situation qualitatively. Additionally, the presence of OTS member countries with abundant underground resources enables the optimization of both logistics and supply elements together. This study emphasizes the significance of the OTS in the global economy and commercial activities. Particularly, it highlights the crucial role of Türkiye and OTS as a bridge between East and West, especially after the Ukraine-Russia war. The implications for the future underscore the strengths of OTS and its importance in the times to come.

A Dual State in Turkey?

AbstractIn research on authoritarianism in Turkey and beyond, there is a growing interest in Ernst Fraenkel’s concept of the dual state from the Nazi era. However, upon closer inspection, these articles lack a systematic application and implementation of Fraenkel’s concept. Mostly, there is no discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of such a ‘diachronic’ conceptual transfer. This case study therefore puts particular emphasis on the methodological issues and on the possibilities and limitations of an ‘updated’ application. As a result, it turns out that Fraenkel’s categories are useful tools to trace how the Turkish administration and judiciary are reorganized along a logic of prerogative power. Fraenkel’s state-centred approach can thus contribute to close a gap left by alternative approaches. However, among the weaknesses even of Dreier and Meierhenrich’s supplement is that the time dimension was, respectively is, not sufficiently taken into account. Dual state structures can be more sustainable than originally assumed by Fraenkel.

Divided Selves in Exile: Third Space in Louis de Bernières’ Birds Without Wings

Set in the early 20th century, Louis de Bernieres’ novel Birds Without Wings focuses on the divided identities negatively influenced by wars, exile, and migration in southwestern Anatolia just before the decline of the Ottoman Empire and foundation of Republican Turkey. Based on the decision of population exchange, a great number of non-Muslim people were deported to a foreign land (Greece), away from the newly defined borders of the new Turkish Republic. In his novel Birds Without Wings, Louis de Bernières scrutinizes this social phenomenon and questions the significance and validity of the notions such as race, religion, ethnicity or language in the nation building process. The author deplores the loss of multicultural lifestyle in a utopian, idyllic Anatolian town with the displacement of Greek and Armenian residents. The multicultural structure of society penetrates into the formal and narrative features of the novel, such as multiplicities in viewpoints, a mixture of genres, different languages and the use of nicknames for protagonists. Intercultural encounter provokes hybridity and leads to the emergence of multiplicities in society. However, the exchange of population puts an end to the long-established multicultural society structure, a dynamic cultural exchange and negotiation. The use of multiple voices, multiple characters, narrative techniques, and multiple languages in fact celebrates the hybridity and plurality of worlds throughout the novel. Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of the in-between third space challenges the formation of cultural identity in hybrid societies, simultaneously embracing multiplicities, pluralities, and hybridity. The writer signals to the existence of such a harmonious heterogenous society in Anatolia in the past time and laments for the loss of such an idyllic lifestyle reigned by mutual love, respect, tolerance and cooperation. The purpose of this paper is to interrogate how Bhabha’s conceptualisation of “third space” finds a place in the lives of divided selves in Louis de Bernières’ Birds Without Wings and to demonstrate how it deconstructs the binary thought and essentialist identity in intercultural encounters.

Organization of Turkic States: Diverse Motivations For A Common Aim

Organization of Turkic States: Diverse Motivations For A Common Aim

Navigating the legal liminalities of a de facto state: Migrant precarity and placeholder identity papers in Northern Cyprus

Abstract This article studies the contested legal–political dynamics around forced migration flows to and through an unrecognized state: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). We adopt an analytical perspective drawn from the literature on performative politics and the legal anthropology of documents to explore how migration dynamics interact with the contested legal status of the TRNC. Our two main questions are: What practical shape do the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers take in an interstitial legal space, where the foundation of law is itself subject to ambiguity, suspension, and contestation? And what implications—opportunities and hazards—does this constellation have for refugees and asylum-seekers? Drawing on interviews, lived experience and fieldwork observations, we make two arguments. First, we contend that the interstitial status of the TRNC represents both an opportunity for refugees and a threat. Secondly, we argue that a purely legal or technical understanding of legal identity and concurrent rights is inadequate; we must subject these phenomena to a politically informed analysis of the everyday practices through which legal norms and spaces are continuously shaped and reshaped.

Flexural Experiments on B58 Type Railway Sleepers with Different Dosages of Steel Fibers

The flexural strengths and toughnesses of 15 post-tensioned B58 type railway sleepers produced at the Turkish State Railroads Sivas Plant using C40 class concrete with addition of hooked steel fibers at dosages of 0, 20, 30, 40, 50 kg/m3 were experimentally determined. Four-point flexural experiments were applied to them in one month after their production and proper curing. Three cylindrical samples of 15×30 cm dimensions taken from the first and the fourth batches apiece were subjected to standard compression tests with compressometer rings mounted on each sample after having been cured in 21 °C water tank for 28 days, resulting in their compressive strengths and elasticity moduluses. Modeling a railway sleeper as a post-tensioned reinforced-concrete beam, the maximum load it can resist in the experimented configuration was calculated by the ultimate-strength method using its dimensions and material properties. The experimentally-measured maximum load carried by the reference sleeper without any steel fibers was found to be 1.34 times the theoretically-calculated value, and the same ratio was found to be 1.59 for the sleepers having steel fibers of 40 kg/m3 dosage, accounting for an increase of 18%. And, the experimentally-measured toughness of the sleepers with 40 kg/m3 dosage steel fibers was found to be 23% greater than that of the reference sleepers.

Features of adaptation of the skin of turkeys in industrial conditions

The skin, through its structural features, while performing its functions, participates in the formation and establishment of adaptive processes in the bird’s body in response to the influence of factors of both exogenous and endogenous origin. The purpose of this work was to study the regional and agerelated features of the histostructure of the skin of Hybrid Converter NOVO cross tur keys raised in the conditions of a poultry farm in the Tyumen region. Macroscopic and microscopic studies of the skin of turkey poults were carried out in the laboratory of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology. It has been established that turkey skin has 3 layers: epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous layer. The epidermis consists of the horny and germinal layers, the dermis of the superficial and deep layers, where feather follicles lie. The stratum corneum of the epidermis is represented by corneocytes, and the germinal layer is represented by keratinocytes. The thickness of the skin of the back is less than that of the abdomen. At the same time, the thickness of the stratum corneum on the back is less than that of the germinal layer up to 105 days of age. On the abdomen, the thickness of the horny and germinal layers is almost the same at all ages. There is a thickening of the stratum corneum on the abdomen compared to the skin of the back. The skin is thickest on the abdomen and gradually thins towards the back. The epidermis is thin. The dermis is characterized by a dense interweaving of collagen fibers. Smooth muscle fibers in the skin and hair follicles develop by 42 days, and increase in volume by 105 days of age. The thinning of the feather cover in the sternum and belly area, caused by mechanical stress when poultry are kept on the floor, contributes to an increase in the absolute thickness of the epidermis in this area (about 3.5 times greater than in the back area), which is associated with its participation in protecting the skin from mechanical impacts damage.

1923 and the legacies of genocide

AbstractThis article discusses the founding of the Republic and the legacy of the Armenian genocide of 1915 in the subsequent decades by scrutinizing two pivotal facets. The first one revolves around the accumulation of capital by the Turkish state through the sequestration of Armenian properties, and the second one is the appointment of mid‐level Ottoman bureaucrats of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) as new civilian bureaucrats of the Republican regime without accountability for their involvement in the Armenian genocide during wartime. Thus, the article argues that perpetrators of this genocide under the CUP regime ascended to the upper echelons of the bureaucracy during the Republican era.

INVESTIGATION OF THE PREDICTION LEVEL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS RELATED TO SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION

The aim of this study is to reveal the predictive levels of psychological symptoms of social media addiction in adults. The study was conducted among adults living in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The sample of the study consisted of 514 adult individuals, 63% (n=324) female and 37% (n=190) male, selected according to the convenience sampling method. In this study, Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and socio-demographic information form were used to collect data. Frequency distribution, percentage calculation, ANOVA, correlation test and regression analysis were performed using SPSS software. As a result, a statistically significant difference was found in the level of social media addiction according to the duration of daily use of social media. A statistically significant difference was found in the level of social media addiction according to the time of using social media. A moderate statistically significant positive correlation was found between social media addiction and psychological symptom subscales. Depression and anger/aggression among psychological symptoms were found to be significant predictors of social media addiction. The results of the research were discussed in the context of the relevant literature and then suggestions were made for future studies.

The Primary Reading/Writing Education Process in Light of the Views of Mothers, Who Learn Reading/Writing in Turkish, and Their Children

The primary reading and writing education process is one of the most crucial experiences that shape individuals’ future lives and influence their achievements throughout life. With the help of acquired reading and writing skills, individuals learn their societal values and ensure that the society, in which they live, will look toward the future more confidently. Today when information is intensively produced and consumed, whether a person’s existence is acknowledged and whether a person continues to succeed are directly connected to whether a good quality reading and writing education was received by the person in the past. The goal of this research is to evaluate and analyze the views of mothers, who participated in the primary education course on reading and writing in Turkish at the Turkish Cypriot Child Protection Institution in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus approximately for five months in the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, as well as the views of their children, who closely followed up the process. With this goal, a study was carried out with 15 mothers, who participated in the above course, and 15 children, who stood by their mothers during this process. Mothers and children participating in the study were asked to narrate the memories of their experiences during the primary education course on reading and writing in Turkish. The research data were collected via face-to-face interviews and written documents. The thematic analysis method was used in the analysis of research data, and themes produced from written documents were categorized into sub-themes and were evaluated.

LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG INDIVIDUALS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PROCESS

In this study, the levels of depression and psychological well-being among individuals were examined during the Covid-19 pandemic. The population of the study comprises individuals living in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus aged between 16 and 65. A total of 447 individuals, selected through random sampling, were included in the study. Data were collected using the Sociodemographic Information Form, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the DSM-5 Depression Scale. Within the scope of the research, Mann-Whitney U analysis was conducted for binary groups, and Kruskal-Wallis H analysis was employed for three or more groups as non-parametric tests. It was determined that there was a negative and moderately significant relationship between the level of depression and the level of psychological well-being among individuals. Although variables such as age, education level, living situation, chronic disease, and psychiatric diagnosis were not found to be correlated with the level of psychological well-being, gender, marital status, income level, the degree of psychological negative impact from the pandemic, and the use of psychiatric drugs were observed to influence the level of psychological well-being. Finally, no significant difference was found between the level of depression and variables such as gender, age, education status, the psychological negative impact of the pandemic process, and chronic disease. It was concluded that variables such as marital status, income level, cohabitating person, psychiatric drug use, and psychiatric diagnosis were associated with the level of depression.