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Moderation in ideology but immoderation in tactics: Understanding the hybrid transformation of the Kurdish movement in Turkey
Abstract
This paper aims at understanding the hybrid transformation of an armed ethno-political movement which moderated in ideology but not in tactics: The pro-Kurdish movement in Turkey is institutionalized both in the form of a political party and a guerilla organization, yet it went through a paramount ideological transformation from the early 1990s to present. This paper divides this transformation process into three phases: First, during the period of 1991-2000, the movement was a hard-core guardian of separatism with an exclusivist focus on Kurdish nationalism. Second, during the period of 2000-2013, the movement moderated its ideological stance, moving from separatism to regionalism and yet continued to emphasize the narrow and unpopular appeal of Kurdish identity-politics. Third, since 2013 until now, it started campaigning as a democratic socialist party with an aspiration to end religious, gender and ethnic discrimination in Turkey. Despite this ideological moderation, though, the movement did not cease to abandon its violent tactics and the guerilla organization associated with the party continued insurgency. Relying on interview evidence conducted with the pro-Kurdish party activists in the summer of 2018, this paper argues that this hybrid transformation is closely associated with the state policies which changed the form of excluding Kurds from politics over time but not the exclusion itself.
Discipline
Political Science
Geographic Area
Turkey
Sub Area
Democratization