Türkiye'de siyasal ve ideolojik görüşlerin Toplumsal ve sınıfsal belirleyicileri: İller ve mahalleler düzeyinde Bir inceleme

Date

1996

Author

Akşit, Bahattin

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This study is on attempt to explain political and ideological cleavages and in relationship to them the major changes in the structure of party votes in Turkey. The problem is conceptualized and operational ized at the level of provinces of Turkey and the neighborhoods of a middle-sized Turkish city. It has been assumed that the uneven development of capitalism manifests itself not only between countries but also within a country among the regions and provinces. It has, further, been assumed that the class structure of the society will reflect itself at the level of provinces and neighborhoods. In this study, such variables as degree of urbanization and industrialization at the level of provinces; and percentage of employees, percentage of craftsman and small traders etc., at the level of provinces and neighborhoods, are thought to reflect the unevennes and the class nature of capitalist development. In addl· tion, it has been argued that, in Turkey, the percentage of votes received by the different parties at the province and neighborhood level reflects the political and ideological cleavages in the society, On the basis of these assumptions and arguments, and the general proposition that the social and class structure of a society "determines" the political and ideological structures (within the boundary of the relative autonomy and reciprocal interaction of various structures), the following hypothesis has been developed : The higher the degree of industrialization and urbanization, and the percentage of employees in the provinces, the higher is the percentage of votes of the secular, democratic and leftist party (Republican People's Party) and the loM/er is the percentage of of votes of the religious, rightist and authoritarian Parties (Justice Party and National Salvation Party). This hypothesis was supported by the data for 1973 and 1975 elections. However, the hypothesis was not supported by 1965 election results. In that election, the higher the degree of development of the provinces, the higher the percentage of votes of the Justice Party and the lower the percentage of votes of the Republican People's Party. It can be speculated that during the last ten years, a "scissors change" has taken place in the percentage of party votes, and together with it, in the ideological and political position of the parties in Turkey. It seems that the Justice Party moved from the position of a liberal party getting the votes of the developed provinces and rising classes towards the position of a religious, rightist and authoritarian party losing those bases one after another. In those countries where capitalism is underdeveloped, externally dependent and has emerged late, some sections of the ruling classes tend to adopt a religious and rightist ideology and an authoritarianHrepressive political regime. It is possible that the Justice Party's move tt> the right can be conceptualized within such a framework. The other side of the "scissors change" is that the Republican People's Party has moved from the position of an elitist party getting the votes of underdeveloped provinces and bureaucrats towards the position of a democratic, leftist and secular party getting the votes of the developed provinces and the salaried and wage-earning masses. Whether the trend which is symbolized as "scissors change" will continue, and if it continues whether it will be manifested in the above mentioned parties or in some other parties on the right and left are questions answers to which lie in the future.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/110054

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Graduate School of Social Sciences, Article