Authoritarian Neoliberalism and Democratic Backsliding in Turkey: Beyond the Narratives of Progress

Unpacking the core themes that are discussed in this collection, this article both offers a research agenda to re-analyse Turkey’s ‘authoritarian turn’ and mounts a methodological challenge to the conceptual frameworks that reinforce a strict analytical separation between the ‘economic’ and the ‘political’ factors. The paper problematises the temporal break in scholarly analyses of the AKP period and rejects the argument that the party’s methods of governance have shifted from an earlier ‘democratic’ model – defined by ‘hegemony’ – to an emergent ‘authoritarian’ one. In contrast, by retracing the mechanisms of the state-led reproduction of neoliberalism since 2003, the paper demonstrates that the party’s earlier ‘hegemonic’ activities were also shaped by authoritarian tendencies which manifested at various levels of governance

Gezi Protests and Beyond: Urban Resistance Under Neoliberal Urbanism in Turkey

International audienceOn May 27th 2014, after having learned of the felling of trees in Gezi Park at Taksim Square, an urban uprising quickly developed in Istanbul and spread to the main cities of Turkey. This uprising came at a moment when nobody expected such a large-scale political resistance in Turkey. There was no economic crisis, the country had increasing rates of growth, the government was stable and Turkey was considered as an alternative political model for Arab countries after the "Arab Spring". However, the country encountered one of the broadest and enduring revolts of its recent political history. There were, of course, mobilizations and campaigns here and there on various topics like the contested exploitation of natural resources, environmental degradation, violence against women, the destruction of historical buildings, forced displacement due to large development projects and urbanization, prohibition of public places such as Taksim Square, protests of the working class and globally for the respect of human rights organized around small-scale mobilisations rarely visible in the media and public spaces. However, they were rather confined to intellectual circles and specific professionals.Starting from Gezi protests, the chapter explores what is at stake in these protests in urban space in Turkey. Through the example of Gezi, it discusses current urban protests in different parts of Turkey which emphasize the principle of the right to the city and reclaiming the participation of city dwellers in decisions concerning their everyday life. After presenting the rise of protest and the general evolution of urban transformation in Turkey, the chapter lays out the historical transformation of urban planning in Turkey and the political context and measures which led to its neoliberalization. Next, it identifies the means by which the neoliberalization of the city triggers new forms of resistance and mobilization. Finally it presents some empirical examples to demonstrate how identity and space shape these acts of resistance. It argues that resistance contributes to the discourses and practices of city life, and therefore constructs a "sense of place" which in turn reinforces the identification with some places (parks, neighourhoods, etc.) inside the city