Hicab, türban, and democracy: religious freedom versus political protest

The attire of women, in particular the style of donning of the headscarves to cover the head, neck and the bosoms of women (türban) by pious Sunni women has once again become the center of controversy in Turkish higher education and politics. The amended versions of articles 10 and 42 of the 1982 Constitution of Turkey, which enhance equality before the law of the Turkish citizens, were referred to the scrutiny of the Constitutional Court as a potential breach of the secularist principles of the Republic. Almost simultaneously, the AKP, which won the most votes and seats in the National Assembly after the July 22, 2007 elections and form the government, has also been indicted on the grounds of becoming the focal point of activities against secularism. The Constitutional Court will also decide whether the AKP will be closed down or not. This is all because the resuscitation of the debate on the donning of turban on the university campuses and other public institutions of Turkey has been defended as a religious right of the religious women by the conservative parties of Turkey, and resisted as the promotion of a symbol of political Islam by the secularist parties and political forces of the country. In this paper, I will use the data collected during June 23 and July 16, 2007 in a nationally representative survey of voter attitudes, beliefs, values and reported behavior, and determine to what extent the adult population in Turkey perceived the türban as a religious right of the pious women and also as a symbol of religious freedom. Secondly, I will also examine the extent to which the voters perceive the türban as a pressing issue that needed the attention of the National Assembly and the government. Thirdly, a few studies have so far been conducted by Carkoglu, Göle, Kalaycioglu, Özdalga, and Toprak to examine the role of türban in Turkish politics and society, and none so far on the role that attitudes toward the türban play in the decisions of the voters at the polls. I will examine the role the türban played in determining the party preferences of the voters at the polls on July 22, 2007, and thus contributed to the election victory of the AKP, all of the leaders of which have wives who don the türban

CSES Module 3 Full Release

The module was administered as a post-election interview. The resulting data are provided along with voting, demographic, district and macro variables in a single dataset. CSES Variable List The list of variables is being provided on the CSES Website to help in understanding what content is available from CSES, and to compare the content available in each module. Themes: MICRO-LEVEL DATA: Identification and study administration variables: weighting factors; election type; date of election 1st and 2nd round; study timing (post election study, pre-election and post-election study, between rounds of majoritarian election); mode of interview; gender of interviewer; date questionnaire administered; primary electoral district of respondent; number of days the interview was conducted after the election Demography: age; gender; education; marital status; union membership; union membership of others in household; business association membership, farmers´ association membership; professional association membership; current employment status; main occupation; socio economic status; employment type - public or private; industrial sector; current employment status, occupation, socio economic status, employment type - public or private, and industrial sector of spouse; household income; number of persons in household; number of children in household under the age of 18; attendance at religious services; religiosity; religious denomination; language usually spoken at home; race; ethnicity; region of residence; rural or urban residence Survey variables: most important issues of election; candidates competencies to deal with most important issues; difference who is in power and who people vote for; evaluation of governments performance; party and leader that represent respondent´s view best; sympathy scale for selected parties and political leaders; assessment of parties and political leaders on a left-right-scale; self-assessment on a left-right-scale; differences of choice options; campaign involvement; satisfaction with democracy; party identification; intensity of party identification; respondent cast a ballot at the current and the previous election; vote choice (presidential, lower house and upper house elections) at the current and the previous election; respondent cast candidate preference vote at the current and the previous election; political information items DISTRICT-LEVEL DATA: number of seats contested in electoral district; number of candidates; number of party lists; percent vote of different parties; official voter turnout in electoral district MACRO-LEVEL DATA: election outcomes by parties in current (lower house/upper house) legislative election; percent of seats in lower house received by parties in current lower house/upper house election; percent of seats in upper house received by parties in current lower house/upper house election; percent of votes received by presidential candidate of parties in current elections; electoral turnout; party of the president and the prime minister before and after the election; number of portfolios held by each party in cabinet, prior to and after the most recent election; size of the cabinet after the most recent election; number of parties participating in election; ideological families of parties; left-right position of parties assigned by experts and alternative dimensions; most salient factors in the election; fairness of the election; formal complaints against national level results; election irregularities reported; scheduled and held date of election; irregularities of election date; extent of election violence and post election violence; geographic concentration of violence; post-election protest; electoral alliances permitted during the election campaign; existing electoral alliances; requirements for joint party lists; possibility of apparentement and types of apparentement agreements; multi-party endorsements on ballot; votes cast; voting procedure; voting rounds; party lists close, open, or flexible; transferable votes; cumulated votes if more than one can be cast; compulsory voting; party threshold; unit for the threshold; freedom house rating; democracy-autocracy polity IV rating; age of the current regime; regime: type of executive; number of months since last lower house and last presidential election; electoral formula for presidential elections; electoral formula in all electoral tiers (majoritarian, proportional or mixed); for lower and upper houses was coded: number of electoral segments; linked electoral segments; dependent formulae in mixed systems; subtypes of mixed electoral systems; district magnitude (number of members elected from each district); number of secondary and tertiary electoral districts; fused vote; size of the lower house; GDP growth (annual percent); GDP per capita; inflation, GDP Deflator (annual percent); Human development index; total population; total unemployment; constitutional federal structure; number of legislative chambers; electoral results data available; effective number of electoral and parliamentary partiesDas Modul wurde als Nachwahl-Befragung durchgeführt. Die daraus resultierenden Daten werden mit Daten über das Abstimmungsverhalten, demographischen Daten, und Variablen auf Wahlkreis- und Länderebene in einem einzelnen Datensatz bereitgestellt. CSES Variable List Eine Liste aller Variablen wird auf der Webseite des CSES bereitgestellt. Sie verdeutlicht, welche Inhalte über das CSES verfügbar sind und erlaubt es die Inhalte über verschiedene Module des CSES zu vergleichen. Themen: INDIVIDUALDATEN: Technische Variablen: Gewichtungsvariablen; Art der Wahl; Datum der Wahl 1. und 2. Wahlgang; Zeitpunkt der Studie (Nachwahlbefragung, Vorwahlbefragung und Nachwahlbefragung, Zwischen Wahlgängen in Mehrheitswahlsystemen); Erhebungsmodus; Geschlecht des Interviewers; Datum der Datenerhebung; Wahlkreis des Befragten; Anzahl der Tage zwischen Wahltag und Interview. Demographie: Alter; Geschlecht; Bildung; Familienstand; Gewerkschaftsmitgliedschaft; Gewerkschaftsmitgliedschaft anderer Haushaltsmitglieder; Mitgliedschaft in einem Unternehmerverband; Mitgliedschaft in Bauernverband; Mitgliedschaft in Berufsverband; Erwerbsstatus; Beruf; sozioökonomischer Status; Beschäftigungsform (öffentlicher oder privater Sektor, industrieller Sektor); Erwerbsstatus des Partners; Beruf des Partners; sozioökonomischer Status des Partners; Beschäftigungsform (öffentlicher oder privater Sektor, industrieller Sektor) des Partners; Haushaltseinkommen; Anzahl Personen im Haushalt; Anzahl Kinder im Haushalt; Anzahl Kinder unter 18 im Haushalt; Kirchgangshäufigkeit; Religiosität; Konfessionsmitgliedschaft; Haushaltssprache; Rasse; ethnische Zugehörigkeit; Wohnort; ländliches oder städtisches Wohnumfeld. Befragungsvariablen: Wichtigste Themen der Wahl; Beurteilung der Kandidatenkompetenz im Umgang mit wichtigsten Themen der Wahl; Relevanz von Wahlen für Politikgestaltung; Bedeutung der eigenen Stimme für Politikgestaltung; Beurteilung der Leistung der Regierung; Partei und Spitzenpolitiker, die am besten für die Meinung des Befragten stehen; Sympathie-Skalometer für ausgewählte Parteien und Spitzenpolitiker; Einstufung von Parteien und Spitzenpolitikern auf einem Links-Rechts -Kontinuum; Selbsteinstufung auf Links-Rechts-Skala; wahrgenommene Unterschiede zwischen den zur Wahl stehenden Optionen; Beteiligung an der Wahlkampagne; Demokratiezufriedenheit; Parteiidentifikation; Intensität der Parteiidentifikation; Teilnahme bei der aktuellen und der letzten Wahl; Wahlentscheidung ( Präsidentschafts-, Unterhaus und Oberhauswahlen ) in der aktuellen und der letzten Wahl; Befragter hat Stimme für bevorzugten Kandidaten abgegeben; politische Informiertheit. WAHLKREISDATEN: Anzahl der zu vergebenden Sitze im Wahlkreis; Anzahl der Kandidaten im Wahlkreis; Anzahl der Parteilisten; Prozentanteil der Parteien (Wahlergebnis); Wahlbeteiligung im Wahlkreis. LÄNDERDATEN: Wahlergebnisse der Parteien bei der aktuellen Parlamentswahl (Unterhaus / Oberhaus); Anteil der von den Parteien erhaltenen Sitze im Unterhaus; Anteil der von den Parteien erhaltenen Sitze im Oberhaus; Anteil der Stimmen der Präsidentschaftskandidaten der Parteien bei der aktuellen Wahl; Wahlbeteiligung; Parteizugehörigkeit des Präsidenten und des Ministerpräsidenten vor und nach der Wahl; Anzahl der von jeder Partei gehaltenen Kabinettsposten vor und nach der letzten Wahl; Größe des Kabinetts nach der letzten Wahl; Anzahl der an der Wahl teilnehmenden Parteien; ideologische Parteifamilien; durch Experten zugeordnete Links-Rechts-Position der Parteien und alternative Dimensionen des Parteienwettbewerbs; bedeutendste Faktoren bei der Wahl; Fairness der Wahl; formelle Beschwerden gegen die Ergebnisse auf nationaler Ebene; Unregelmäßigkeiten bei den Wahlen; geplanter und tatsächlicher Wahltermin; Unregelmäßigkeiten des Wahltermins; Umfang von Gewalt während und nach der Wahl; geographische Konzentration von Gewalt; Protest nach der Wahl; Möglichkeit zu Wahlbündnisse im Wahlkampf; existierende Wahlbündnisse; Voraussetzungen für gemeinsame Parteilisten; Möglichkeit von Koalitionen ; Art der Vereinbarungen über Wahlbündnisse; Mehrparteien-Vermerke auf Stimmzetteln; Anzahl abgegebener Stimmen; Abstimmungsverfahren; Anzahl der Wahlgänge; Parteilisten geschlossen, offen oder flexibel; Stimmen übertragbar; Stimmen kumulierbar; Wahlpflicht; Sperrklausel; Einheit der Sperrklausel; Freedom House Rating; Polity-IV Klassifikation (Demokratie-Autokratie); Alter des gegenwärtigen Regimes; Eigenschaften des Regimes: Art der Exekutive, Anzahl der Monate seit den letzten Unterhauswahl und Präsidentschaftswahl; Wahlsystem bei Präsidentschaftswahlen, Wahlsystem für alle Wahlebenen (Mehrheitswahlrecht, Verhältniswahlrecht oder Mischformen); für Unter-und Oberhäuser wurde codiert: Anzahl der Wahlsegmente, verknüpfte Wahlsegmente, Unterformen von Mischwahlsystemen, Größenordnung des Bezirks (Anzahl der aus jedem Bezirk gewählten Mitglieder), Anzahl der sekundären und tertiären Wahlkreise, Stimmabgabe für Parteienbündnisse; Größe des Unterhauses; Wachstum des Bruttoinlandsprodukt (BIP) in Prozent; BIP pro Kopf; Inflationsrate, BIP- Deflator; Human-Development-Index; Gesamtbevölkerung; Arbeitslosigkeit absolut; föderale Verfassungsstruktur; Anzahl der gesetzgebenden Kammern; Verfügbarkeit der Wahlergebnisse; effektive Anzahl der Wahl- und Parlamentsparteien

CSES Module 1-3 Harmonized Trend File

For further information on the Variable List see the Documentation ( Codebook ) of the CSES Module 1-3 Harmonized Trend File. For content information see study numbers ZA5179 CSES Module 1 Full Release, ZA5180 CSES Module 2 Full Release, and ZA5181 CSES Module 3 Full Release.Für weitere Informationen zur Variablenliste siehe die Dokumentation ( Codebook ) des CSES Module 1-3 Harmonized Trend File. Informationen zum Inhalt können den Studiennummern ZA5179 CSES Module 1 Full Release, ZA5180 CSES Module 2 Full Release, und ZA5181 CSES Module 3 Full Release entnommen werden

CSES Module 3 Full Release

The module was administered as a post-election interview. The resulting data are provided along with voting, demographic, district and macro variables in a single dataset. CSES Variable List The list of variables is being provided on the CSES Website to help in understanding what content is available from CSES, and to compare the content available in each module. Themes: MICRO-LEVEL DATA: Identification and study administration variables: weighting factors; election type; date of election 1st and 2nd round; study timing (post election study, pre-election and post-election study, between rounds of majoritarian election); mode of interview; gender of interviewer; date questionnaire administered; primary electoral district of respondent; number of days the interview was conducted after the election Demography: age; gender; education; marital status; union membership; union membership of others in household; business association membership, farmers´ association membership; professional association membership; current employment status; main occupation; socio economic status; employment type - public or private; industrial sector; current employment status, occupation, socio economic status, employment type - public or private, and industrial sector of spouse; household income; number of persons in household; number of children in household under the age of 18; attendance at religious services; religiosity; religious denomination; language usually spoken at home; race; ethnicity; region of residence; rural or urban residence Survey variables: most important issues of election; candidates competencies to deal with most important issues; difference who is in power and who people vote for; evaluation of governments performance; party and leader that represent respondent´s view best; sympathy scale for selected parties and political leaders; assessment of parties and political leaders on a left-right-scale; self-assessment on a left-right-scale; differences of choice options; campaign involvement; satisfaction with democracy; party identification; intensity of party identification; respondent cast a ballot at the current and the previous election; vote choice (presidential, lower house and upper house elections) at the current and the previous election; respondent cast candidate preference vote at the current and the previous election; political information items DISTRICT-LEVEL DATA: number of seats contested in electoral district; number of candidates; number of party lists; percent vote of different parties; official voter turnout in electoral district MACRO-LEVEL DATA: election outcomes by parties in current (lower house/upper house) legislative election; percent of seats in lower house received by parties in current lower house/upper house election; percent of seats in upper house received by parties in current lower house/upper house election; percent of votes received by presidential candidate of parties in current elections; electoral turnout; party of the president and the prime minister before and after the election; number of portfolios held by each party in cabinet, prior to and after the most recent election; size of the cabinet after the most recent election; number of parties participating in election; ideological families of parties; left-right position of parties assigned by experts and alternative dimensions; most salient factors in the election; fairness of the election; formal complaints against national level results; election irregularities reported; scheduled and held date of election; irregularities of election date; extent of election violence and post election violence; geographic concentration of violence; post-election protest; electoral alliances permitted during the election campaign; existing electoral alliances; requirements for joint party lists; possibility of apparentement and types of apparentement agreements; multi-party endorsements on ballot; votes cast; voting procedure; voting rounds; party lists close, open, or flexible; transferable votes; cumulated votes if more than one can be cast; compulsory voting; party threshold; unit for the threshold; freedom house rating; democracy-autocracy polity IV rating; age of the current regime; regime: type of executive; number of months since last lower house and last presidential election; electoral formula for presidential elections; electoral formula in all electoral tiers (majoritarian, proportional or mixed); for lower and upper houses was coded: number of electoral segments; linked electoral segments; dependent formulae in mixed systems; subtypes of mixed electoral systems; district magnitude (number of members elected from each district); number of secondary and tertiary electoral districts; fused vote; size of the lower house; GDP growth (annual percent); GDP per capita; inflation, GDP Deflator (annual percent); Human development index; total population; total unemployment; constitutional federal structure; number of legislative chambers; electoral results data available; effective number of electoral and parliamentary partie

CSES Module 1-3 Harmonized Trend File

Für weitere Informationen zur Variablenliste siehe die Dokumentation (Codebook) des CSES Module 1-3 Harmonized Trend File. Informationen zum Inhalt können den Studiennummern ZA5179 CSES Module 1 Full Release, ZA5180 CSES Module 2 Full Release, und ZA5181 CSES Module 3 Full Release entnommen werden