The impact of EU conditionality on democratisation in Turkey: institutional transformation and policy (re)formation of minority rights, freedom of expression, the military and the judiciary

This thesis focuses on the impact of EU conditionality on democratisation in Turkey. Built on the assumption that Turkey's democratisation process cannot be fully understood without taking the EU's Impact into account, this thesis argues that even if external actors (e.g., the EU) can create opportunities for domestic political change In target states (e.g., Turkey), these actors cannot impose democracy externally; instead, they can provide support, or encourage power holders towards a more open and democratic system. Ultimately, however, these efforts cannot produce democratisation unless there are sufficient pro-democracy pressures at the domestic level. Empirically, the study examines institutional transformation and policy (re)formation in Turkey in the course of Its EUaccession process by conducting cross-sectoral and cross-temporal analysis. The analysis involves four policy areas and three time periods. These areas include minority rights, freedom of expression, the military and the judiciary; the domestic changes in these policy areas are traced across three time periods: 1999-2002, 2002-2004, and 2005-2008. The study is motivated by an academic interest in the intricacy of Turkey's long-term association with the EU and seeks to explore the external and internal dynamics of Turkey's candidacy process by employing theoretical tools offered by Europeanisation research. Following a Europeanisation theoretical framework, as devised out of new institutionalist theories, the thesis traces and analyses the democratisation process of Turkey and examines Turkey's pre-accession process at two levels. It first looks Into EU-Ievel factors to explore how the EU influences domestic change In Turkey with respect to its conditionality strategy and influence mechanisms; and secondly, it examines the domestic factors that pertain to each policy area to assess how EU conditionality is translated into domestic policy responses. Drawing upon data derived from primary and secondary sources, the thesis has three main findings. First, the recent reforms in Turkey represent a substantively significant effort to consolidate Turkish democracy. Second, as the cross-sectoral analysis illustrates, Turkey's strong desire to accede to the EU played a triggering role in the institutional transformation and policy (re)formation of Turkey. Third, although EU conditionality greatly influenced the domestic political debate surrounding the recent political reforms, ultimately the internal political dynamics determined and shaped the policy outcomes in Turkey. The research also reveals that to fully understand the impact of EU conditionality on domestic change in Turkey, we need to draw on both the external incentives and the social learning models, since they explain different aspects of domestic change based on diverging international and domestic level factors. As a wider outlook, the thesis reflects on the role of international organisations in democracy promotion, relating it to wider academic debates on democratisation and Europeanisation and their implications for domestic transformations in target countries

Katarakt Cerrahisi ile Aynı Seansta Skleral Askılı Göz İçi Lens Yerleştirilmesi

Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate ophthalmologic findings of patients who had preoperative capsullar or zonullar insufficiency and underwent scleral fixated intraocular lens (IOL) implantation at the same session with phacoemulsification surgery. Method: Preoperatively the patients’ visual acuities were measured by Snellen, anterior and posterior segments were evaluated and intraocular pressures were measured by applanation tonometer. Kornealkeratometry values were measured by Topcon KR-800/RM-800 otorefractokeratometry at the stepest and flatest meridians as K1and K2. During the surgries, after cataract extraction scleral fixated İOL was implantated. The patients were followed at least 6 months after the operation. Results: Thirty six eyes of 31 patients were included. Fourteen patients (45.1%) were female, seventeen (54.9%) were male. The average of age was 51.7±24.0 (25-65) years. The ethiology was trauma in 10 (27.8%), Marphan Syndrome in 10 (27.8%) and pseudoeksfoliation in 16 (44.5%) of the eyes. Preoperatively the average of best corrected visual acuities with snellen charts were 0.1±0.1 and at the postoperative 6th month it was 0.6±0.3 with significant improvement (p≤0.000). Intraocular pressures decreased significantly (p=0.036). The changes of K1 and K2 kerometric values were not statistically significant (p=0.351; p=0.875 respectively). The average postoperative spheric values were +0.50±0.50D. Postoperatively, at five eyes (13.9%) intraocular pressure rised slightly, at two eyes (5.5%) intravitreal hemoragyoccured. Conclusion: Scleral fixated IOL implantation at the same session with cataract ekstraction provides rapid visual improvement. In the same session, phacoemulsification and scleral suspension IOL placement did not increase complication rates compared to surgeries performed in separate sessions

Yeditepe Üniversitesi Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi öğrencilerinin, kan ve vücut sıvılarıyla bulaşan enfeksiyonlar, enfeksiyon kontrolü ve hepatit B enfeksiyonu ile ilgili bilgi düzeylerinin, tutumlarının ve hepatit B aşılanma ve serolojik durumlarının değerlendirilmesi

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı Yeditepe Üniversitesi Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi öğrencilerinin kan ve vücut sıvılarıyla bulaşan enfeksiyonlar, enfeksiyon kontrol yöntemleri ve hepatit B virüsü (HBV) enfeksiyonu ile ilgili bilgi düzeylerini ve tutumlarını değerlendirmek, ve HBV aşılanma ve serolojik durumlarını incelemektir.Gereç ve Yöntem: Yeditepe Üniversitesi Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi’nde, 2010-2011 yılında eğitim gören 261 öğrenciye, HBV bilgi düzeyleri, aşılanma durumları ve enfeksiyon kontrolü konusundaki 52 sorudan oluşan anket formları dağıtıldı. Sonuçlar, tanımlayıcı istatistiksel metodlar, Student t testi, Ki-Kare testi ve Fisher’s Exact Ki-Kare testi kullanılarak değerlendirildi.Veriler p<0,05 anlamlılık düzeyinde değerlendirildi.Bulgular: Yaş ortalaması 21,29 olan öğrencilerin 123’ü (%47,1) kendilerini HBV açısından risk grubunda görmekteydi. Öğrencilerin 207’sinin (%79,3) HBV aşısı yaptırdığı, 142’sinin (%54,4) HBV serolojilerini kontrol ettirdikleri saptandı. 7 (%2,7) öğrenci HBV taşıyıcısı olduğunu bildirdi. Kız öğrencilerin HBV serolojilerini kontrol etme, aşı dozlarını tamamlamış olma ve koruyucu yanıt gelişme oranlarının erkek öğrencilerden anlamlı şekilde yüksek olduğu belirlendi (p<0,01). Sınıf yükseldikçe öğrencilerin kendilerini risk grubunda görme, aşı dozlarını tamamlamış olma, titre ölçtürme işlemi yapmış olma ve koruyucu yanıt gelişme oranlarının anlamlı şekilde arttığı gözlendi (p<0,01). Kan ve vücut sıvıları ile bulaşan enfeksiyonlar ile ilgili genel bilgi düzeyleri incelendiğinde preklinik ve klinik sınıflar arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunurken, riskli işlemler ve koruyucu önlemler ile ilgili bilgi düzeyleri incelendiğinde preklinik ve klinik öğrenciler arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmadı.Sonuç: Diş hekimliği öğrencilerinin HBV’ye karşı 1.sınıftan itibaren aşılanması zorunlu hale getirilmeli, kan ve vücut sıvılarıyla bulaşan enfeksiyonlar ve HBV ile ilgili bilgi düzeyleri düzenli olarak ölçülmeli, yürürlükte olan sterilizasyon ve dezenfeksiyon işlemlerini uygulatmaya yönelik eğitimler arttırılmalıdır

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography findings of the patients with central serous chorioretinopathy

Objectives: In this study, optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings of the patients with a diagnosis of acute or chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) were investigated. Methods: Patients with symptoms and signs longer than 3 months were considered as chronic CSCR. OCT findings of acute and chronic CSCR were recorded at admission. Between the groups, following parameters were compared; visual acuity, hyper reflective dots (HRD), subretinal fluid height (SFH) presence of pigment epithelial detachment (PED), status of photoreceptor inner-outer segment (IS/OS) line. Results: When acute and chronic patients evaluated separately, in acute patients accompanied by PED had lower visual acuity and higher SRF height. In patients with chronic CSCR subretinal fluid of patients with PED was greater than the others however there were no statistically significant differences in visual acuity. Presence of HRD had no effect on the average visual acuity SRF height in patients with acute and chronic CSCR. Also IS/OS line integrity had no effect in visual acuity of the patients in our study. Conclusion: Between the groups there was no difference in terms of IS/OS line distortion, presence of HRD, PED. Height of SRF in patients with PED was higher in both groups. In addition, in acute patients with PED visual acuity was also found to be lower. J Clin Exp Invest 2014; 5 (2): 290-29

Approach of Family Physicians to Pediatric Eye Screening in Diyarbakır

Objectives:In Turkey, preventive medicine services are the responsibility of family physicians and vision screening is a key component of this responsibility. In this study, we aimed to investigate the approach of family physicians to vision screening in infants and children.Materials and Methods:Data were collected using a 16-item questionnaire administered to 100 family physicians working in the center and provinces of Diyarbakır.Results:The results indicated that 88 (88%) physicians declared knowing what the red reflex test was, while 12 physicians declared that they had never heard of it. Only 16 (16%) physicians performed the test routinely and 36 (36%) physicians performed it only in suspicious cases. Ten (10%) physicians indicated that they did not refer the patients to an ophthalmologist even though they did not perform the red reflex test. Moreover, 5 (5%) physicians did not have an ophthalmoscope and 12 (12%) physicians reported not knowing how to use an ophthalmoscope. Forty (40%) of the physicians measured preschool visual acuity at least once. Sixty-six (66%) physicians referred younger children who could not express their vision problems to an ophthalmologist. Four (4%) physicians declared that they would delay surgery in children with strabismus until they were old enough for surgery. Ninety-three (93%) physicians suggested that educational seminars about vision screening would be beneficial.Conclusion:Educational seminars about vision screening may have favorable outcomes. The medical devices in family medicine centers should be improved. Vision screening can be added to the negative performance-based compensation system in order to increase physicians’ attention to vision screening. To implement detailed eye screening programs like those in developed countries, an infrastructure should be established for this screening program

Demographic and etiologic features of adult patients with uveitis in southeastern Anatolia

Objective: To evaluate the demographic and clinicalcharacteristics of adult patients with uveitis who were admittedto our clinic between 2011 and 2013.Methods: Records of the patients older than 18 years oldwith a diagnosis of uveitis between November 2011 andMay 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Age, gender, diagnosis,affected eye, anatomical localization of uveitis,and systemic features were recorded from the patientfiles.Results: In this study 352 patients were evaluated. Themean age of the patients was 35.7±12.8 years. Of the patients177 patients (50.3%) were women and 175 (49.7%)were male. The most common etiology was detected asidiopathic uveitis. Following most common reasons wereBehcet’s disease, and toxoplasma chorioretinitis. Anterioruveitis was found to be the most common involvementsite. Panuveititis was the second most common involvementsite. 69.1% of the patients had unilateral uveitis. Themost common complications of the uveitis were found tobe the development of secondary cataracts and glaucoma.Conclusion: In our study general characteristics of patients,the etiological factors and demographic data of theuveitis patient in Southeastern of Turkey were presented.Because of a similar study has not been performed previouslyin our region, our data will be useful in earlier diagnosisand follow-up of uveitis patients.Key words: Demographic, etiology, uveiti

Mean Platelet Volume in Ocular Behçet’s Disease

Objective. To determine whether mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of disease severity in ocular Behçet’s Disease (BD). Materials and Methods. The study population was 30 newly diagnosed ocular BD patients who presented with active uveitis. These patients had no past history of smoking, drug use, or systemic diseases including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and renal disease. A control group consisting of 34 healthy individuals was included for comparison. MPV measurements were performed serially upon presentation with active uveitis and at one and three month thereafter in BD group whereas only at presentation in the controls. Results. Upon presentation with active uveitis, the mean MPV levels were 7.88 ± 1.14 femtoliters (fL) for BD group. During the posttreatment follow-up period at first and third months, BD patients demonstrated a mean MPV level of 7.71 ± 1.12 fL and 7.65 ± 1.04 fL, respectively. The mean MPV value of control group, was 8.39 ± 0.66 fL at presentation. Fluctuations in MPV values were not significant in the BD group, while there was a significant difference between the initial measurements of the BD and control groups. Conclusion. MPV measurement in ocular BD is not a predictive laboratory test to determine the clinical improvement in early stages following classical immunosuppressive treatment

Pinus nigra subspecies pallasiana LAMB.'da olgunlaşmamış zigotik embriyodan embriyojenik doku indüklemesi.

Cloning of trees using somatic embryogenesis could have a major impact on tree breeding and commercial plantation forestry. To initiate somatic embryogenesis in Anatolian black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold. subspecies pallasiana), one-year old cones containing immature seeds were collected from eight trees located in METU campus, Ankara. Embryogenic tissues were derived from immature zygotic embryos excised from the seeds. The zygotic embryos at the time of collection were at the precotyledonary stage of development. For this study, Douglas-fir cotyledon revised medium (DCR) supplemented with 13.6M 2,4-D, 2.2M BAP, 0.5 g/L casein hydrolysate, 0.25 g/L L-glutamine and 3% sucrose was used. The media was solidified with 0.2% gelrite. Embryogenic tissue initiation was calculated for each genotype and collection date. Overall initiation frequencies were recorded as 0.92% for 2004 and 1.96% for 2005. Highest initiation frequency was calculated for 5-July 2005 sampling time (4.06). ANOVA revealed significant differences between trees and collection date for initiation frequencies. Also, ECL (Established cell lines) recorded after five subcultures. Overall, 0.38% and 0.62% of the initial explants were converted into ECLs for 2004 and 2005 respectively.M.S. - Master of Scienc

Serbest lie cebirlerinde taşınabilen ve taşınamayan otomorfizmler ve primitif elemanlar

TEZ6460Tez (Doktora) -- Çukurova Üniversitesi, Adana, 2007.Kaynakça (s.72-73) var.iv, 74 s. ; 29 cm.In this thesis we establish primitive lifting in free metabelian Lie algebras and primitive lifting of a single element in case rank 3. We also establish the systems of sets which can be lifted to a primitive systems of the free nilpotent Lie algebra free nilpotent Lie algebras. Then we present an automorphism of F=gc+1(F) which cannot be lifted to an automorphism of F=(gc+1(F))0 and we show that there are automorphisms of the free metabelian Lie algebras of rank n, which cannot be lifted to automorphisms of the free solvable Lie algebras of rank n and derived length 3, where F is a free Lie algebra. Furthermore, we give a necessary condition for an endomorphism of F to be an automorphism. This condition is explicitly based on the Dieudonn´e determinant and it yields a method to detecting non-tame automorphisms of a free metabelian Lie algebra. Finally we show that if R is an ideal of F then free Lie algebra F=R0 has automorphisms which cannot be lifted to an automorphism of F and F=R has automorphisms which cannot be lifted to an automorphism of F=R0Bu calısmada serbest metabelyen Lie cebirlerinde verilen bir kumenin primitif bir sisteme tasınabilirligini inceleyip rankın 3 olması durumunda primitif bir elemana tasınabilen belirli tipteki elemanları inceledik . Sonra bir serbest nilpotent Lie cebirinin bir primitif sistemine tasınabilen kumelerini arastırdık . F bir serbest Lie cebiri olmak uzere F=gc+1(F) serbest nilpotent Lie cebirinin F=gc+1(F)0 serbest Lie cebirinin bir otomorfizmine tasınamayan bir otomorfizmini belirleyip, rankı n olan serbest metabelyen Lie cebirlerinin n ranklı ve 3 turetilmis uzunluklu serbest cozulebilir Lie cebirinin bir otomorfizmine tasınamayan otomorfizmlerini inceledik. Daha sonra F nin bir endomorfizminin bir otomorfizm olması icin gerekli kosulları belirleyen bir kriter verdik. Bu kriter F=F00 serbest metabelyen Lie cebirinde verilen bir otomorfizmin tasınamazlıgını tespit eden ve temel cıkıs noktası Dieudonn´e determinantına dayanan bir tekniktir. Bu teknigi tasınamayan otomorfizmlerin dolayısıyla tasınamayan uretec kumelerinin belirlenmesinde kullandık. Ayrıca R , F nin bir ideali olmak uzere F=R0 cebirinin F nin bir otomorfizmine tasınamayan otomorfizmlere sahip oldugunu gosterdik. Son olarak da F=R nin F=R0 Lie cebirinin bir otomorfizmine tasınamayan otomorfizmlere sahip oldugunu gosterdik.Bu çalışma Ç.Ü. Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Birimi Tarafından Desteklenmiştir. Proje No