The AKP, Religion, and Political Values in contemporary Turkey: implications for the future of democracy

Turkey once stood as an example of democracy for countries in the Middle East and the Muslim world. It was a remarkable experiment in state-building from the ashes of an empire. However, on the eve of the Republic’s centenary, the Turkish political system cannot be characterized as a functioning democracy. Many of its shortcomings are ably described in other contributions to this Special Issue. As Turkey prepares for elections in 2023, it not only has to deal with the devastating consequences of the February 2023 earthquakes, but also uncertainties and controversies, including whether President Recep T. Erdoğan, who has announced his candidacy to be re-elected, is constitutionally eligible to serve a third term

KADIN TÜKETİCİLERİN KARAR VERME TARZLARINI ANLAMAK

Understanding consumer decision making styles is vital for companies in developing the appropriate marketing strategies to best satisfy their target groups. Many studies have been conducted on the issue using the Consumer Styles Inventory (CSI) in different cultural settings conducted mostly on student samples. This study aims to test the transferability of the CSI to the Cypriot context through working with a sample drawn from adult female consumers living in the northern part of the island. Out of the eight consumer decision traits identified, three of them (Perfectionist- high quality seeking consumer, Confused by over choice consumer, Brand conscious consumer) are the same with the ones in the Sproles and Kendal (1986) study. Three of the traits identified (Time-energy conserving impulsive consumer, Careful, value for money consumer and Brand-store loyal consumer) have low reliabilities indicating that these traits cannot be accepted as reliable and need further refinement. Thus, the CSI's generalizability across cultures has received limited support from the current study. Tüketicilerin karar verme tarzlarını anlamak, isletmeler açısından uygun pazarlama stratejilerini gelistirilmesinde büyük önem tasır. Bu amaçla Tüketici Tarzları Ölçegi (TTÖ) kullanılarak konuya iliskin birçok arastırma yapılmıstır. Bu arastırmalar farklı kültürlerde, çogunlukla ögrencilerden olusan örneklemler üzerinde gerçeklestirilmistir. Bu dogrultuda, çalısmanın öncelikli amacı TTÖ'nin Kıbrıs'ta uygulanabilirligini arastırmaktır. Örneklemi Kıbrıslı kadın tüketiciler arasından seçilen arastırmada belirlenen sekiz karar verme özelliginden üçü ("Mükemmeliyetçi, yüksek kalite odaklı tüketiciler", "Çesit karmasası yasayan tüketiciler", "Marka bilincine sahip tüketiciler") Sproles ve Kendall (1986)'ın çalısmasında ulasılan boyutlarla aynıdır. Belirlenen sekiz boyuttan üçü ("Zaman-enerji tasarruf eden, dikkatsiz tüketiciler", "Dikkatli parasının karsılıgını almak isteyen tüketiciler", Marka-magaza bagımlısı tüketiciler") düsük güvenilirlik düzeyine sahiptir. Dolayısıyla, bu çalısma TTÖ'nin farklı kültürlere genellestirilebilmesine sınırlı destek vermektedi

Has Capitalism Lost its Puritan Spirit? What do Recent WVS Data Say about Religiosity and Work Values?

This paper tests the arguments of social theorists about the changing spirit of capitalism in countries with different levels of economic development using the recent World Values Survey (WVS). Max Weber claimed that the Protestant Ethic was the spirit of capitalism for salvation and improved economic development in Europe. During the last 40 years, sociologists, such as Bell and Bauman, have claimed that capitalism has started to lose its puritan spirit and a new secular/hedonist personality type has emerged as the new characteristic of post-industrial/ consumer capitalism. The data show that religiosity and work values decline but leisure and self-expression values increase in knowledge economy-based post-industrial societies and late consumer capitalism has a new spirit which is the polar opposite of the Protestant ethic. However, the puritan spirit has not totally disappeared from the world but has migrated to newly industrializing societies

EFFECTS OF SOME MICHAEL TYPE ADDITION PRODUCTS ON VARIOUS CYTOKINES

The aim of this research in to investigate the anticytokine activities of the 2-[(2-nitro-l-phenylpropyl)thio]benzoic acid (1), 2-[(2-nitro-l-phenylethyl)thiomethyl]benzimidazole (2) and 2-[(2-nitro-l-phenylpropyl)thiomethyl]benzimidazole (3) derivatives in human primary cells and cell lines. Cytokines are messengers for the regulation of the inflammatory cascades with Tumor Necrosis Factor-a (TNF-a), Interleukin (IL-lβ, IL-2, IL-4 andIL-8), Gamma Interferon (IFN-y) working synergistically. In this study which is performed in cell assay, inhibition capacity of compound 1, 2 and 3 derivatives againts TNF-a, IL-Iβ, IL-8, IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-y production by human whole blood have been measured. The test results were shown that 1, 2 and 3 derivatives have dose-dependent inhibitions on the release of IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-a in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated human whole blood and IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-yin phorbolacetate (PHA) stimulated in human whole bloo

Did Secularism Fail? The Rise of Religion in Turkish Politics

Religious movements have long been challenging the modernist and secularist ideas around the world. Within the last decade or so, pro-religious parties made significant electoral advances in various countries, including India, Sudan, Algeria, and the Palestinian territories. In this article, we focus on the rise of the pro-religious Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi- AKP) to power in the 2002 elections in Turkey. Using the Turkish experience with political Islam, we evaluate the explanatory value of Mark Juergensmeyer\u27s rise of religious nationalism theory, with a special emphasis on the failed secularism argument. Our analysis indicates that the theoretical approach formulated by Juergensmeyer has a great deal of explanatory power; however, it does not provide a complete explanation for the success of the AKP. The rise of religion in Turkish politics is the result of a complex process over long years of encounter and confrontation between two frameworks of order, starting with the sudden imposition of secularism from above, when the republic was established. Hence, to understand the rise of religion in contemporary Turkish politics, an in-depth understanding of history, politics, and the sources of tension between secularists and Islamists is essential. The findings of this article have important implications for other countries, especially those that are experiencing a resurgence of religion in politics, and are struggling to integrate religious parties into a democratic system

Investigation of the Protective Effect of Nigella Sativa Oil in Cisplatin Induced Oral Mucositis: An Experimental Study

Objective: The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the histopathologic effect of Nigella Sativa oil (NSO) on cisplatin (Cis) induced oral mucositis (OM) in rats.Methods: Twenty-four rats were divided into four equal groups. The animals in Group 1 and Group 2 were given 5 mg/kg intraperitoneal (ip) Cis systemically on the 1st, 3rd and 5th days of the study. Additionally, 15 mL NSO were given to the rats in Group 2, with gavage feeding on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. The animals in Group 3 were given per oral 15 ml NSO on days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. As the control group, Group 4 received a total of 15 mL 0.9% saline solution divided into 5 doses on days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 by oral gavage. On the 14th day, animals were euthanized and buccal mucosa from both sides, including submucosal tissues, were excised and taken to histopathological examination.Results: The mean mucosal thicknesses of the groups were 224.58 μm, 276.1 μm, 323.33 μm, and 331.33 μm, respectively for Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 (p0.05).Conclusion: According to the results of this study, NSO, for which anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties have been shown in previous studies, may also be effective in preventing Cis-induced OM

Anti-allergic Activity of Stem Bark of Myrica esculenta Buch.-Ham. (Myricaceae)

Allergic diseases, such as allergic asthma, are hypersensitivity reactions initiated by immunological mechanisms. Myrica esculenta (M. esculenta) is known traditionally in Ayurveda to possess anti-asthmatic activity. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effect of crude extract of stem bark of M. esculenta (Family Myricaceae, commonly known as Kaiphal) on experimental allergic reactions. Experimental models studied were allergic pleurisy and vascular permeability induced by acetic acid in mice. Pretreatment with M. esculenta (75 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly inhibited the eosinophil accumulation (P < 0.01) respectively in the pleural cavity. M. esculenta (75 and 150 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly inhibited the rise in plasma exudation (57.12% and 59.77%, P < 0.01) induced by acetic acid in mice. These findings demonstrate that the crude extract from the stem bark of M. esculenta possesses antiallergic activity. This activity may be mediated by reducing the release of mediators such as histamine, inhibition of mast cell degranulation, and inhibition of eosinophil accumulation thereby preventing the release of cytokines and chemokines

COVID-19: Is There Evidence for the Use of Herbal Medicines as Adjuvant Symptomatic Therapy?

Background: Current recommendations for the self-management of SARS-Cov-2 disease (COVID-19) include self-isolation, rest, hydration, and the use of NSAID in case of high fever only. It is expected that many patients will add other symptomatic/adjuvant treatments, such as herbal medicines. Aims: To provide a benefits/risks assessment of selected herbal medicines traditionally indicated for “respiratory diseases” within the current frame of the COVID-19 pandemic as an adjuvant treatment. Method: The plant selection was primarily based on species listed by the WHO and EMA, but some other herbal remedies were considered due to their widespread use in respiratory conditions. Preclinical and clinical data on their efficacy and safety were collected from authoritative sources. The target population were adults with early and mild flu symptoms without underlying conditions. These were evaluated according to a modified PrOACT-URL method with paracetamol, ibuprofen, and codeine as reference drugs. The benefits/risks balance of the treatments was classified as positive, promising, negative, and unknown. Results: A total of 39 herbal medicines were identified as very likely to appeal to the COVID-19 patient. According to our method, the benefits/risks assessment of the herbal medicines was found to be positive in 5 cases (Althaea officinalis, Commiphora molmol, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Hedera helix, and Sambucus nigra), promising in 12 cases (Allium sativum, Andrographis paniculata, Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurea, Eucalyptus globulus essential oil, Justicia pectoralis, Magnolia officinalis, Mikania glomerata, Pelargonium sidoides, Pimpinella anisum, Salix sp, Zingiber officinale), and unknown for the rest. On the same grounds, only ibuprofen resulted promising, but we could not find compelling evidence to endorse the use of paracetamol and/or codeine. Conclusions: Our work suggests that several herbal medicines have safety margins superior to those of reference drugs and enough levels of evidence to start a clinical discussion about their potential use as adjuvants in the treatment of early/mild common flu in otherwise healthy adults within the context of COVID-19. While these herbal medicines will not cure or prevent the flu, they may both improve general patient well-being and offer them an opportunity to personalize the therapeutic approaches