Disaster Capitalism meets Authoritarian Urbanism: Post-disaster Urban Redevelopment Planning in Hatay, Turkey

In the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquakes that hit south of Turkey and northern Syria, millions of people are displaced, left homeless, and face tremendous hardship in post-disaster conditions for accessing basic services. In this paper, we analyse the institutional and political moves that the State is orchestrating in post-earthquake redevelopment planning. Following the theoretical underpinnings of disaster capitalism (Güney 2022), we argue that the local political conditions and vulnerabilities of a disaster-hit area enable the State’s fast-track policy action to facilitate a wholesale property transfer and dictate land use changes to open room for market-oriented, exclusionary, and non-democratic redevelopment (Ay and Turker 2022). We explore the reinforcing relationship between authoritarian urbanism and disaster capitalism and suggest that an authoritarian policy infrastructure yields “a new breed” of post-disaster redevelopment that directly attacks the local capacity and public interest in the recovery and reconstruction of the lives and livelihoods of the local communities and residents (Zupan et al., 2021). By conducting a case study on the post-disaster planning in Defne and Antakya districts of the Hatay province in the south of Turkey, we identify the institutional pillars of the centralized authoritarian urbanism practice and its reverberations on the ground (Ergenc and Yuksekkaya 2022). Our findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the logic of disaster capitalism and disaster urbanization (Madden 2021) by identifying the policy instruments that the State mobilizes to intensify profit-seeking urban development in politically contested cities

Post-conflict Urban Renewal as an Ethnocratic Regime Practice: Racialized Governance of Redevelopment in Diyarbakir, Turkey

This paper explores the governance of a state-led urban renewal project in a politically contested area in the aftermath of a major armed conflict. Building on the ethnocratic regime theory, we explore the governance of the urban renewal process in the historic district of Suriçi by focusing on the political, spatial, and governmental underpinnings of displacement and dispossession in the context of the unresolved “Kurdish Question” of Turkey. We argue that this exclusionary and state-led urban renewal project is shaped around the ethnocratic state interests with limited real estate returns that aims to sanitize and dehistoricize the historic core of Diyarbakir given its political and socioeconomic significance for the Kurdish Movement. The rhetorical formation of a “renewed” historic core epitomizes the racialized governance that intensifies the race-class realities sitting at the center of the decades-old ethnic conflict in Turkey. The central government authority’s use of gentrification in practice illustrates the ethnocratic regime’s spatial, political, and economic repercussions for the Kurdish population as the country’s largest ethnic minority. Suriçi‘s redevelopment illustrates that ethnocratic regime practices coexist with a democratic façade and militarization activates an ethnocratic urban regime. Our findings contribute to the literature on space and power by illustrating the incompleteness and paradoxical elements of settler-colonial urbanism

Is it possible to plan displacement-free urban renewal? A comparative analysis of the national urban renewal program in Turkey

This is a study of development-induced displacement in the urban context. It explores the planning environment that shapes the ostensibly well-intentioned development projects that often displace existing residents from their established living spaces. This study frames development- induced displacement as a “paradox of public interest” because displacing some members of the public is often justified with a certain conception of public interest. Policies, programs and particular projects pursued under the name of development may distribute the costs and benefits of “development” unevenly, thus, development does not necessarily benefit everyone in the same way. There is one big research question that motivates this dissertation: Is it possible for urban redevelopment to occur in the existing residents’ terms that actually benefit them? If not, what are the obstacles to that occurring? This dissertation focuses on Turkey’s ongoing urban redevelopment program as an extreme case regarding the scope of the renewal policy and the scale of the redevelopment targets chased under a complex legislation. A comparative analysis is conducted to explore the urban renewal program implementation in three second-tier cities (Adana, Bursa, and Izmir). The study investigates the dynamics that shape urban renewal projects’ displacement pressures and the affected communities’ varying responses to these dynamics. This study finds that the planning environment of development-induced displacement is shaped by competition or cohesion between government tiers, tenure structures in designated renewal areas, and the local economic dynamics. Also, governance of renewal projects plays a major role in constructing displacement pressures that destabilize the established communities living in designated renewal areas. Alternative planning vision to address development-induced displacement in cities can rise only if planning practice aims local residents’ meaningful participation in the process. In order to solve the “paradox of public interest” generated by the development-induced displacement, planners and communities need to focus on forming alliances to resist and overcome the hegemony of exclusionary development projects

Cost-effectiveness analysis of chronic mechanical back pain treatment modalities

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate and compare the cost-effectiveness of inpatient physical therapy, outpatient physical therapy applications, and back school education in low back pain (LBP) treatment. Patients and methods: Between March 2011 and September 2011, a total of 105 patients (43 males, 62 females; mean age 44.8 +/- 12.7 years; range, 27 to 58 years) who were treated for chronic LBP were included in this prospective study. Of the patients, 34 received inpatient physical therapy consisting of electrotherapy, superficial-deep heat application, and basic back exercise program, 35 received the same treatment in the outpatient setting, and 36 received back school education. Each patient was evaluated five times during the study using pain intensity Visual Analog Scale (VAS), spinal mobility measurements (inclinometer), general evaluation (VAS), functional disability measurement (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire [RMDQ]), and quality of life (Short Form-36 [SF-36]). All expenses and costs for treatment of LBP were estimated. Results: At the end of six months of follow-up, all study groups had a statistically significant improvement in all variables. Improvements in spinal mobility, RMDQ, and SF-36 scores were significantly higher in the inpatient physical therapy group (p<0.001). Direct and total costs were the highest in the inpatient treatment group and were the lowest in the back school education group (p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed in terms of additional cost of one-unit improvement in these variables among the study groups. Conclusion: Our study results suggest that all three treatment modalities are effective in chronic LBP. In patients with LBP-related impairment in functional status and quality of life, inpatient physical therapy and rehabilitation should be preferred

The effectiveness of low laser therapy in subacromial impingement syndrome: a randomized placebo controlled double‐blind prospective study

OBJECTIVES: Conflicting results were reported about the effectiveness of Low level laser therapy on musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of 850-nm gallium arsenide aluminum (Ga-As-Al) laser therapy on pain, range of motion and disability in subacromial impingement syndrome. METHODS: A total of 52 patients (33 females and 19 males with a mean age of 53.59±11.34 years) with subacromial impingement syndrome were included. The patients were randomly assigned into two groups. Group I (n = 30, laser group) received laser therapy (5 joule/cm² at each point over maximum 5-6 painful points for 1 minute). Group II (n = 22, placebo laser group) received placebo laser therapy. Initially cold pack (10 minutes) was applied to all of the patients. Also patients were given an exercise program including range of motion, stretching and progressive resistive exercises. The therapy program was applied 5 times a week for 14 sessions. Pain severity was assessed by using visual analogue scale. Range of motion was measured by goniometer. Disability was evaluated by using Shoulder Pain and Disability Index. RESULTS: In group I, statistically significant improvements in pain severity, range of motion except internal and external rotation and SPADI scores were observed compared to baseline scores after the therapy (p<0.05). In Group II, all parameters except range of motion of external rotation were improved (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were recorded between the groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Low level laser therapy seems to have no superiority over placebo laser therapy in reducing pain severity, range of motion and functional disability

Diz osteoartriti olan hastalarda ev egzersiz programı önermenin etkili bir yolu Var mıdır? randomize kontrollü bir çalışma

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate an effective way in prescribing exercise program in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Materials and Methods: Sixty patients were included in the study. Group 1 received exercise program with both visual demonstration and written information materials. In addition, they have learned exercises under the supervision of a physiotherapist at the physiotherapy unit. Group 2 has got written materials describing exercises and they learned exercises under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Group 3 received only written materials about exercise program. Pain severity was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Functional ability was evaluated with WOMAC functional score and WOMAC total score as well as 100-meter walk test, time required to ascend and descend, and chair rises. All assessments were performed before the treatment and one month and three months after the treatment. Results: At the end of three months of follow-up, there were statistically significant improvements in VAS, WOMAC scores, 100-meter walking test, time to ascend and descend stairs and sit-to-stand chair rises in both group 1 and 2 (p<0.05). In group 3, statistically significant improvements were detected in all parameters except for pain severity (p<0.05). After one month of follow-up, there were statistically significant differences between the groups in all parameters except for WOMAC pain scores (p<0.05), however, after three months of follow-up, statistically significant differences were observed in all parameters between the groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results showed that an effective way for prescribing an exercise program seems to be giving both visual demonstration and written materials together. Besides, accompanying training lectures were found to be increasing the effectiveness of therapy in patients with OA

Is low-level laser therapy effective in acute or chronic low back pain?

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on pain and functional capacity in patients with acute and chronic low back pain caused by lumbar disk herniation (LDH). LLLT has been used to treat acute and chronic pain of musculoskeletal system disorders. This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Forty patients with acute (26 females/14 males) and 40 patients with chronic (20 females/20 males) low back pain caused by LDH were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated into four groups. Group 1 (acute LDH, n=20) received hot-pack + laser therapy; group 2 (chronic LDH, n=20) received hot-pack + laser therapy; group 3 (acute LDH, n=20) received hot-pack + placebo laser therapy, and group 4 (chronic LDH, n=20) received hot-pack + placebo laser therapy, for 15 sessions during 3 weeks. Assessment parameters included pain, patients' global assessment, physician's global assessment, and functional capacity. Pain was evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS) and Likert scale. Patients' and physician's global assessment were also measured with VAS. Modified Schober test and flexion and lateral flexion measures were used in the evaluation of range of motion (ROM) of lumbar spine. Roland Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) and Modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (MODQ) were used in the functional evaluation. Measurements were done before and after 3 weeks of treatment. After the treatment, there were statistically significant improvements in pain severity, patients' and physician's global assessment, ROM, RDQ scores, and MODQ scores in all groups (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were detected between four treatment groups with respect to all outcome parameters (p>0.05). There were no differences between laser and placebo laser treatments on pain severity and functional capacity in patients with acute and chronic low back pain caused by LDH