The Middle East Studies Forum is excited to host a talk by our recently conferred PhD candidate Dr Tezcan Gumus on Turkey’s failed democratic consolidation. The talk will present major findings from his PhD thesis, which was conferred without revision earlier this year.

Details:

12:30 – 2:00PM
Tuesday 25 June 2019
Level 2, Building BC
Deakin University Burwood campus

Please RSVP to mesf@deakin.edu.au by 19 June for catering purposes.

Download the event flyer.

Abstract:

Throughout its 70-plus year history, democracy in Turkey has endured a number of major disruptions. Yet, after glimpses of stability in the early 2000s, today, the country has descended into a sub-type of authoritarian regime. Taking into consideration this history and the more recent dramatic turns, this talk is driven by the key research question: Why has Turkey failed to consolidate its democratic gains from the last 70 plus years of multi-party politics?Drawing on theories on the role political of elites in democratisation and consolidation, the primary focus in diagnosing this problem is Turkey’s political leaders. Offering a longitudinal study, the research outlines that Turkish leadership has not displayed many of the key democratic norms to consolidate democracy. Rather, political leaders have consistently displayed a penchant for undemocratic and authoritarian practices to sustain their rule, which represents a traceable line throughout the history of multi-party politics. In doing so, the research provides insight into the forces that have steered crucial political developments in the country and its inability to consolidate democracy.

Bio:

Tezcan Gümüş is a lecturer at The University of Melbourne. He holds a PhD from Deakin University along with a BA (Deakin University), BA Honours and a Master of International Relations (University of Melbourne). His research interests lie in contemporary Turkish politics, politics of the Middle East and the role of elites in democratisation and democratic breakdowns. Mr Gümüş has taught number of courses on politics and international relations, and presented his research at international conferences and authored articles on Turkish politics.