RECONSTRUCTING DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL PARTIES

Studies of democratization in the 1980s and 1990s
after the second-wave of military regimes across the
world investigated the process from various angles,
each focusing on its specific dimensions and actors.
This study analyzes the Turkish experience of
re-democratization preceded by a relatively short
military regime (1980-1983) from the perspective of
political parties. It deals with both the trajectory
of democratization and the reconstruction of
political parties as institutions. Turkish
democratization has turned out to be a protracted
process extending into the late 1990s and even
continuing today--, and it has unfolded through a
series of political reforms. While the Turkish
military has retained its tutelary and supervisory
role, political parties emerged as the critical
actors in the reform process. This study looks
closely into the identities and strategies of
Turkey s major political parties and party elites who
held power in the first decade after the transition
from military rule. It analyzes how parties have met
the double challenge of institutionalizing and of
democratizating the political system amidst internal
and external pressures.

Autorentext

Canan Aslan-Akman, Ph.D: Studied Women's Studies at TrinityCollege-Dublin and political science at McGill University. Research interests include democratization, political parties,Turkish politics and and women's political participation.Assistant professor of political science and gender studies atMETU, Ankara Turkey since 2002.

Klappentext

Studies of democratization in the 1980s and 1990safter the second-wave of military regimes across theworld investigated the process from various angles,each focusing on its specific dimensions and actors.This study analyzes the Turkish experience ofre-democratization preceded by a relatively shortmilitary regime (1980-1983) from the perspective ofpolitical parties. It deals with both the trajectoryof democratization and the reconstruction ofpolitical parties as institutions. Turkishdemocratization has turned out to be a protractedprocess extending into the late 1990s-and evencontinuing today--, and it has unfolded through aseries of political reforms. While the Turkishmilitary has retained its tutelary and supervisoryrole, political parties emerged as the criticalactors in the reform process. This study looksclosely into the identities and strategies ofTurkey's major political parties and party elites whoheld power in the first decade after the transitionfrom military rule. It analyzes how parties have metthe double challenge of institutionalizing and of democratizating the political system amidst internaland external pressures.