Why do some minorities resort to ethnic political violence against the state? How do states’ nation-building practices and their often accompanying assimilationist state policies influence this...Show moreWhy do some minorities resort to ethnic political violence against the state? How do states’ nation-building practices and their often accompanying assimilationist state policies influence this decision? This research delves into these questions by means of a comparative analysis between two state-minority relationships, that of the Amazigh minority with the Moroccan state and the Kurdish minority with the Turkish state. Whereas both minorities have been subject to their states’ nation-building endeavours, the Amazigh minority unlike the Kurdish minority has not resorted to violence as a response to this. Both factors related to the state and factors to do with minorities’ ability to mobilize have been shown to influence this decision. Based upon an historical analysis of these factors for both cases, the findings of this research strongly suggest that conditions of political exclusion and discrimination, heavy state interference in both the public and private domain, and violent state repression specifically aimed at an ethnic minority can explain the resort to ethnic political violence of minorities. At the same time, the findings call into question the explanatory capability of economic factors with regard to the rise of ethnic political violence.Show less
Denialism in Turkey has been a phenomenon which has gained significant precedence since the Armenian genocide of 1915. The Turkish governments over the last century have been accountable for...Show moreDenialism in Turkey has been a phenomenon which has gained significant precedence since the Armenian genocide of 1915. The Turkish governments over the last century have been accountable for several crimes which have been inflicted amongst several minority groups within the country causing a grave loss to their identities, memories, property and possessions. Denial has played an intrinsic role within the violence which has been inflicted amongst people to diverge the scene from criminal acts to portray justification of their motives instead.Show less
one of the biggest problems for many states at the time of writing this thesis is the multi-ethnic and multi-nationalistic dynamics within states. Examples of these kind of states are Spain and the...Show moreone of the biggest problems for many states at the time of writing this thesis is the multi-ethnic and multi-nationalistic dynamics within states. Examples of these kind of states are Spain and the secessionist Catalan movement, Morocco and its Berber question, and the case that will be researched in this thesis, the Turkish state and the Kurdish ethno-nationalistic movement that exists within its borders. This thesis will research how the AKP is managing the Kurdish question in Turkey. After analyzing religious, constitutional and idological factors that have influence on the matter this thesis comes to the conclusion that the AKP and Erdogan have not been successful in implementing any major reforms that will solve the Kurdish question in Turkey. The only reform that the AKP and Erdogan have implemented that have had any significant effect are the ideological reforms. These reforms have shown their potential to be of paramount importance in the nation-building process in Turkey.Show less
