THE BETWEENNESS OF CONTEXTS: MILITARY COUPS, INTERNATIONALIZATION, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR INNOVATION IN TURKISH GEOGRAPHY

ABSTRACTThis paper provides an analysis of the historical trajectory of Turkish geographical practice over the past four decades, situated within the broader socio-political landscape of the country. The transmission of the modern geographical tradition from continental Europe to Turkey during the interwar period established the discipline as a holistic science of the human-environment relationship. Although this understanding started to change after the 1968 events, the 1980 Turkish military coup abruptly disrupted innovative endeavors in the discipline, prompting a resurgence of regionally focused synthesis within geography. This insular approach prevailed for several decades but began to evolve in response to the internationalization trends that emerged in the 2000s, with deliberate steps taken toward fostering innovation. Despite institutional damage resulting from the political developments following the 2016 military coup attempt, the discipline maintained its commitment to innovation. This paper critically examines the divergent responses of Turkish geography and its practitioners to the 1980 military coup and the 2016 coup attempt, highlighting the significant influence of globalization. Keywords: internationalization, globalization, military coups, Turkish geography, Turkey.DisclaimerAs a service to authors and researchers we are providing this version of an accepted manuscript (AM). Copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proofs will be undertaken on this manuscript before final publication of the Version of Record (VoR). During production and pre-press, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal relate to these versions also. Acknowledgements[These will appear at the bottom of the first page of the printed manuscript after an asterisk (which is why there is one after the title).We are immensely thankful to the journal’s editor and two anonymous referees, as well as Trevor Barnes, who read the initial version of the manuscript and provided invaluable recommendations, greatly assisting us in revising the paper.Notes1. The relations between the government and the Gülen community, known as FETÖ, the backdrop of the 2016 coup attempt, and whether the Gülen community is an externally supported espionage organization or not, remain unclear and to some extent shrouded. Therefore, in this section, we can only include facts rather than speculations. In this regard, we would like to express that the background of these critical facts and events in Turkey’s recent history still retains a certain degree of mystery.2. During the state of emergency that was implemented following the coup attempt, numerous academics, not only geographers, faced investigations, and a considerable portion of them were expelled from their universities. Among those affected were the Peace Academics, a group of academics who had signed a declaration advocating for an end to the violence resulting from the government’s engagement with the separatist terrorist organization (PKK) in southeastern Turkey. These academics were subsequently dismissed from their positions following the coup attempt.