AbstractsSociology

Turkish nationalism and the Kurdish question

by Mathias Koue Hansen




Institution: Roskilde University
Department:
Year: 2015
Keywords: Turkish; Kurdish
Record ID: 1121507
Full text PDF: http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/19824


Abstract

Abstract This project focuses on the Kurdish question in Turkey and how the nationalist project of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk has had an important responsibility on the creation of the conflict. For decades Turkey has been officially fighting for creating a homogenous nation under the principles of Kemalism. This nationalistic objective has been causing problems when it comes to recognition of ethnic minorities living in the Turkish country. Ethnic minorities have been openly showing signs of rejection to the measures of national assimilation, which have been criticised by human rights NGOs as Human Rights Watch for being considered repressive. The Kurdish population has been the ethnic minority, which has been, hit the hardest by this sort of measures, leading them to a conflict that has been going on for almost a century. This project will go through analysing the impact that the Turkish nationalist plan had on the conflict, starting from understanding the theoretical roots of it using Kant’s Perpetual Peace theory. Finally this project will seek to find further solutions to the conflict through analysing the benefits of the construction of a multicultural Turkish state.