Kemalism in Turkish Politics: The Republican People's Party, Secularism and Nationalism

Description

Introduction: social democracy, Kemalism and the Republican People's Party -- Kemalism and the left -- Mainstream left politics: 'democratic left' ideology and the CHP. Appraising centre-left politics 1961-1980. The 12 September coup d'état and its aftermath: the displacement of centre left politics?. Accounting for the weakness of the centre-left in the 1990s: ideological considerations -- A crisis of Kemalist modernity?. Three cases: the Alevis, trade unions and the urban vote -- Revisionism: an anathema for the Turkish centre-left and the principle of 'ideological adaptability'. Conclusion: the CHP: the continued projection of centrist politics?.;This book is concerned with Turkey' s political evolution, the role of Kemalism, and why a social democratic alternative has never fully developed. Concentrating on the electoral weaknesses of the Turkish centre-left, represented by the Republican People' s Party (CHP), Sinan Ciddi examines the roles of nationalism and the political establishment and the role of Kemalist ideology. Established by Kemal Ataturk, the CHP is seen to be the founding party of modern Turkey. Kemalism sought to create a secular and democratic society based on ... Introduction: social democracy, Kemalism and the Republican People's Party -- Kemalism and the left -- Mainstream left politics: 'democratic left' ideology and the CHP. Appraising centre-left politics 1961-1980. The 12 September coup d'état and its aftermath: the displacement of centre left politics?. Accounting for the weakness of the centre-left in the 1990s: ideological considerations -- A crisis of Kemalist modernity?. Three cases: the Alevis, trade unions and the urban vote -- Revisionism: an anathema for the Turkish centre-left and the principle of 'ideological adaptability'. Conclusion: the CHP: the continued projection of centrist politics?.