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A Study of the Relationship Between AKP and Civil Society in Türkiye: Focusing on the Kurdish Women’s Movement

Ha-eun Han 1

1한국외국어대학교 중앙아시아연구소

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ABSTRACT

Türkiye, as a secular nation-state, positions itself as an Islamic country aligned with democratic values. Despite the pro-Islamic AKP’ s (Justice and Development Party) 20-year rule, which has favored Islamic policies, it maintains the rhetoric that democracy and Islamism can coexist, as evidenced by Erdoğan ’s fifth term in office. This study aims to examine the relationship between the AKP and civil society through the lens of the Kurdish women’s movement, which represents one of the most marginalized groups―both as an ethnic minority and as women in general. Despite facing dual forms of oppression, the Kurdish women’ s movement has evolved into a politically representative group that voices its own concerns. Unlike many civil society groups that support the AKP, the Kurdish women’s movement is a group that has been repressed by the government, yet it continues to resist. The democratic system, which allows for political party and civil society activities regardless of ideology or ethnicity, facilitated the emergence of Kurdish political parties. Through political movements, the Kurdish women’s movement grew and initially, during the early years of AKP rule, benefited from a symbiotic relationship under the AKP’s broader platform of supporting all women’s movements. This cooperation helped in the development of Kurdish political activism. However, outside institutional frameworks, the Kurdish women’s movement has been increasingly marginalized by the AKP, which promotes gender justice based on nationalist and Islamic values. By Analyzing the relationship between the AKP and the Kurdish women’s movement, this study aims to shed light on how the movement has forged an independent path despite systemic repression. This exploration is expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamic between the AKP and civil society in Türkiye.

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* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.
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