The role of political parties in democratization in Turkey

Defence date: 25 June 1999Examining board: Prof. Philippe C. Schmitter, European University Institute (supervisor) ; Prof. Gianfranco Pasquino, University of Bologna ; Prof. Semih Vaner, Centre Européen de Recherche Internationale, Paris ; Prof. Stefano Bartolini, European University InstitutePDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digitised archive of EUI PhD theses completed between 2013 and 2017Party politics has been undergoing a revival in many democracies. However, parties are much less studied in countries with unstable political regimes. Party interactions can help to provide explanations for the emergence and performance of regimes, whether of the democratic or authoritarian type. This dissertation is a comprehensive case study that analyses, in depth, Turkish political parties. Starting with broad historical analysis, Huri Tursan takes the reader down to the most recent electoral activities and party politics in a country whose topicality is on the rise, not least due to its political problems. While the author deals with many issues of politics (including the role of the military), she focuses on an aspect of party competition which renders democracy problematic in Turkey, namely polarisation in party politics along cleavages