Political Violence: An Evaluation of Turkey's 1970s And 1990s

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between political violence and political power in Turkey. In this respect, the study focuses on the periods of the 1970s and 1990s, when violence was most intense in Turkish political history. Design/Methodology: Secondary data analysis is carried out in the research, and the equivalent of political violence in the Turkish sample is examined based on the literature on Turkish political life and political theory. In this respect, the violence between the 1970s and the 1990s is qualitatively compared with the comparison method. Findings: As a result of the analyzes, it was concluded that there is a positive relationship between political instabilities and political violence, and it was seen that economic crises and fragile coalitions increased social marginalization and unrest and led to an increase in political violence. Limitations: The sample is limited to the 1970s and 1990s, which are the two periods when political violence was experienced most intensely in the political history of Turkey and the two periods most associated with violence in the literature on political life. Originality/Value: Although political violence is a subject that is studied theoretically and especially based on individual acts of violence, studies of the period as a whole are very limited in terms of violence. However, there is no study in the literature comparing two different historical periods. In this respect, the study has a unique quality and claims to fill a gap in the literature.