Democracy, Identity and Foreign Policy in Turkey ― Hegemony Through Transformation

The recent history of Turkey is dominated by the country's transformation into a modern democracy. Over the past few years Turkey has been increasingly recognised as a nation of economic, political and cultural significance as well as being a vital political connection between Europe and the Middle East. In this compelling volume, Professor Keyman and Dr. Gumuscu put democratisation in Turkey under the microscope with an especial focus on recent transformations under the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Accordingly, it explores to what extent Turkey's transformation under the AKP has led to democratic consolidation as well as asking if there is a disconnect between economic, cultural, and urban transformation, on the one hand, and democratic consolidation on the other? Furthermore, this book also takes the opportunity to explore several issues that have a direct effect on the consolidation of Turkish democracy such as globalization, foreign policy activism, the kurdish question, religious governance and civil society. By critically analyzing the dialectic between domestic transformations and global/regional dynamics, the book also discusses the ways in which Turkish transformation is affected by the Arab uprisings as well as how Turkey may inspire these countries.

E. Fuat Keyman is Professor of International Relations and the director of Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) at Sabanci University. He has produced many books and articles on democratization, globalization, international relations, civil society, and Turkey-EU relations. His most recent books include Symbiotic Antagonisms: Contending Discourses of Nationalism in Turkey (2011, with Ayse Kadioglu); Remaking Turkey (2008); Turkish Politics in a Changing World: Global Dynamics, Domestic Transformations (2007, with Ziya Onis).
Sebnem Gumuscu is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Sabanci University and research coordinator at Istanbul Policy Center. Her articles on Islamic movements, Turkish politics and dominant parties appeared in numerous journals such as Comparative Political Studies, Middle East Studies, and Government and Opposition.