IREb2004 Turkish Politics and Foreign Policy

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Vladimír Bízik, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Martin Chovančík, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 12:00–13:40 U35
Prerequisites
! IRE204 Politics and FP of Turkey && !NOW( IRE204 Politics and FP of Turkey ) && ! MVZb2054 Turkish Politics and FP && !NOW( MVZb2054 Turkish Politics and FP )
Being able to read and understand English written academic texts, being able to follow lecturing and participate in English-language classes.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 40 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 22/40, only registered: 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
This course offers an in-depth examination of the contemporary Turkish state, including its political system, historical background, social underpinnings, and foreign policy dynamics. It explores three main areas: the historical evolution of Turkey from the late Ottoman Empire to the present, the development of Turkish political and legal institutions, and the nuances of Turkey's foreign policy in regional and global contexts.
1. Overview of the late-Ottoman Empire roots of the Turkish republic, its inception and breakdown of the most significant historical transformations in the country and its society.
2. Description of Turkish political and legal institutions, their evolution and transformations to this day, its party system, and main political actors.
3. Overview of Turkish foreign policy, its evolution, specifics, challenges; in the region and in the global arena.
Learning outcomes
By completing this course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of Turkey's current challenges and historical influences. They will become familiar with the key political, societal, and legal developments from 1923 to today, including critical events and figures. The course also covers Turkey's foreign policy, its strategic alliances, and historical events shaping its current international relations. Engaging with required readings and lectures, students are expected to contribute actively to discussions, enhancing their grasp of the subject matter.
Syllabus
  • I. Introduction to the course; introduction to the subject matter: late Ottoman empire and conditions leading to the emergence of the Turkish republic, actors and founding principles
  • II. Overview of Turkish political history, main actors, parties, elections, constitutions, and historical milestones
  • III. Secularism, role of religion in the society
  • IV. Turkish nationalism, identity
  • V. Role of the military in politics and society, military coups
  • VI. The Kurdish Question
  • VII. Transformations in politics and society since 2002 to the present day, Justice and Development Party, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
  • VIII. History of Turkish foreign policy, pivots and main foreign policy objectives in a changing world
  • IX. The Cyprus conflict, relationship with Greece and other neighbors
  • X. Turkey and the European Union
  • XI. Turkey after July 2016 – constitutional changes, authoritarianism, new perspectives
  • XII. Final exam, discussion
Literature
    required literature
  • Mango, Andrew: "Atatürk." In The Cambridge History of Turkey: Volume 4: Turkey in the Modern World, edited by Kasaba, Reşat, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 147-172. 26 pp.
  • Feroz, Ahmad: "Politics and political parties in Republican Turkey." In The Cambridge History of Turkey: Volume 4: Turkey in the Modern World, edited by Kasaba, Reşat, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 226-265. 40 pp.
  • Özbudun, Edgun and Gençkaya. Ömer F. Democratization and the Politics of Constitution-Making in Turkey. Budapest: Central European University Press, 2009. 10-26. 17 pp.
  • Waldman, Simon A. and Çalışkan, Emre. The ‚New Turkey‘ and Its Discontents. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. 60-80. 21 pp.
  • Lewis, Bernard. The Emergence of Modern Turkey. 2d ed. London: Oxford University Press, 1968. 401-424. 24 pp.
  • White, Jenny B.: "Islam and Politics in contemporary Turkey." In The Cambridge History of Turkey: Volume 4: Turkey in the Modern World, edited by Kasaba, Reşat, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 357-380. 24 pp.
  • Grigoriadis, Ioannis N. Instilling Religion in Green and Turkish Nationalism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. 74-80. 7 pp.
  • Yavuz, Hakan M. Islamic Political Identity in Turkey. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 265-274. 10 pp.
  • Lewis, Bernard. The Emergence of Modern Turkey. 2d ed. London: Oxford University Press, 1968. 352-361. 10 pp.
  • Çınar, Meral Uğur. Collective Memory and National Membership: Identity and Citizenship Models in Turkey and Austria. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. 16-31. 16 pp.
  • Waldman, Simon A. and Çalışkan, Emre. The ‚New Turkey‘ and Its Discontents. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. 19-37. 20 pp.
  • Waldman, Simon A. and Çalışkan, Emre. The ‚New Turkey‘ and Its Discontents. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. 107-126. 20 pp.
  • Çaǧaptay, Soner. A Sultan in Autumn: Erdoğan Faces Turkey's Uncontainable Forces. New York: I.B. Tauris, 2021. (41-56). 16pp.
  • Christofis, Nikos. The Kurds in Erdogan's "New" Turkey: Domestic and International Implications. London and New York: Routledge, 2022. 1-15. 15 pp.
  • Waldman, Simon A. and Çalışkan, Emre. The ‚New Turkey‘ and Its Discontents. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. 39-59. 21 pp.
  • Çandar, Cengiz. Turkey’s Mission Impossible: War and Peace with the Kurds. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2020. 271-287. 17 pp.
  • Balta, Evren. Normalizing transactionalism: Turkish foreign policy after the 2023 elections. Washington, D.C.: Middle East Institute, 2024. 9 pp.
  • Çaǧaptay, Soner. Erdoğan's Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East. London: I.B. Tauris, 2019. 25-40. 16 pp.
  • Çaǧaptay, Soner. Erdoğan's Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East. London: I.B. Tauris, 2019. 41-59, 199-216). 37 pp.
  • Sönmezoglu, Faruk and Ayman, Gülden: The Roots of Conflict and the Dynamics of Change in Turkish-Greek Relations in: Kollias, Christos and Günlük-Şensen, Gülay: Greece and Turkey in the 21st Century. Hauupage: Nova Science, 2003. 37-46. 10 pp.
  • Atakol, Kenan. Thirty-Nine Years into the Cyprus Conflict. Mind and Human Interaction. 2003 (Volume 13). 11-18. 8 pp.
  • Bozdağlıoğlu, Yücel. Turkish Foreign Policy and Turkish Identity: A Constructivist Approach. New York & London: Routledge, 2003. 68-79. 12 pp.
  • Çaǧaptay, Soner. Erdoğan's Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East. London: I.B. Tauris, 2019. (73-88). 16 pp.
  • Erdoğan’s Empire: Special report from The Economist. The Economist: vol. 446, no. 9330, January 21st 2023. 3–12. 10 pp.
Teaching methods
Students will draw information from the required readings they must familiarize themselves with before each seminar; as well as from lectures that will be part of each class. The lecture and subsequent seminar with class discussion will assume knowledge of assigned literature but will provide alternate perspectives and additional information not included in the compulsory literature. Attendance is expected and each student should not miss more than two classes.
Assessment methods
There will be two tests written in the MU Information System in the middle and at the end of the term. These will be multiple-choice tests, with 10 questions each, worth one point. Students can get a total of 20 points for these tests (10 for each). Subsequently, at the end of the term, there will be a written examination, likewise held online in the MU Information System, in which students can gain up to 20 points. If a student fails to meet the threshold of 25 points in total to pass the course, they will have to pass an oral examination with the lecturer.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Teacher's information
A detailed interactive syllabus and other information will be provided at the beginning of the course.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
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