COURSE UNIT TITLE

: SELECTED TOPICS IN TURKISH POLITICS

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
UIR 4205 SELECTED TOPICS IN TURKISH POLITICS ELECTIVE 3 0 0 6

Offered By

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (UOLP-SUNY ALBANY)

Level of Course Unit

First Cycle Programmes (Bachelor's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR ILKIM ÖZDIKMENLI ÇELIKOĞLU

Offered to

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (UOLP-SUNY ALBANY)

Course Objective

This course aims to introduce the students selected topics of Turkish politics that would include modernization, democratization and problems with democratic consolidation. Depending on the interests of the students the themes will most probably include transition to multi-party period and chaotic years of the 1970s, military interventions, rise of political Islam and rise of Kurdish nationalism, Turkish nationalism and conservativeness, current attempts to write a new constitution amendments and current court trials.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Gain an understanding of democratization process and the problems with democratic consolidation in Türkiye.
2   Analyze selected topics of their choice to deepen their understanding of current Turkish politics.
3   Concentrate on current challenges that support and hinder consolidation of Turkish democracy.
4   Design and write a research paper to analyze a current issue in Turkish politics.
5   Work effectively individually or as a member of a team.
6   Demonstrate communication skills to make presentations.
7   Demonstrate analytical skills to prepare term projects.
8   Demonstrate analytical skills to use library and internet sources.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction to the course
2 Major Approaches to Turkish modernization - I
3 Major Approaches to Turkish modernization - II
4 Multiparty Politics and Civil-Military Relations - I
5 Multiparty Politics and Civil-Military Relations - II
6 Secularity and Political Islam
7 Kurdish question
8 Contemporary Theoretical Debates on Turkish Politics
9 Presentation
10 Presentation
11 Presentation
12 Presentation
13 Presentation
14 Presentation

Recomended or Required Reading

Various compulsory and recommended articles and book chapters will be announced in the first week.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1. Lecture
2. Term project (oral and written)
3. Class discussions

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MT Midterm
2 TP TermProject
3 FN Final
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MT * 0.40 +TP * 0.30 + FN * 0.30
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MT * 0.40 + TP * 0.30 + BUT * 0.30


*** Resit Exam is Not Administered in Institutions Where Resit is not Applicable.

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

Students will settle a term-project topic and submit a research proposal as a group by Week 3 at the latest. Upon the approval of the proposal by the instructor, they will make a division of labour and present their findings individually on a pre-determined date after the mid-term exam. By taking the feedbacks offered by their peers and the instructor into consideration, they will submit a paper at the end of the semester.
Term project grade will be based on your performance in designing your research, presenting your findings, and writing the term paper.
Final exam will also cover the topics discussed in student presentations.

Assessment Criteria

The rubric that will be used in the evaluation of the term paper and term paper presentations:
a) Poor (0%) b) Fair (40%) c) Good (60%) d) Very good (80%) e) Excellent (100%)
Assignment / term project evaluation criteria (Total Points 100):
1)Justification of the subject choice - 10 Points a) Justification of the subject choice not provided b) Justification of the subject choice insufficiently provided c) Justification of the subject choice provided but without reference to the Course Objectives d) Justification of the subject choice concerning the Course Objectives sufficiently provided e) Significance and relevance of the subject concerning the Course Objectives explained in a detailed way
2)Definition of the research question - 10 Points a) Research question not specified b) Research question vaguely defined c) Research question not fully defined d) Research question fully defined but without specifying the context e) Research question fully defined in the specific context of the subject
3)Theoretical framework - 20 Points a) The essay lacks a theoretical framework b) Theoretical framework weak and poorly connected to the research question c) Theoretical framework provided but without the necessary connections to the research question d) Theoretical framework sufficiently elaborated and used to answer the research question e) Theoretical framework competently used to answer the research question
4)Empirical evidence - 20 points a) No empirical evidence for responding to the research question provided b) Empirical evidence insufficiently provided to develop and support arguments c) Empirical evidence provided but in a disorganized way d) Empirical evidence sufficiently provided and connected to the arguments of the essay e) Empirical evidence sufficiently provided and elegantly employed to describe the conditions and developments that characterize the context and to substantiate the arguments of the essay
5)Argumentation - 30 Points a) No arguments to respond to the research question developed b) Arguments to explain the research question insufficiently and inconsistently made c) Arguments to explain the research question sufficiently made but in a disorganized way d) Arguments to explain the research question made in an analytical and systematic way e) Arguments to explain the research question developed coherently and analytically, supported by a well-knit combination of theory and empirical evidence
6)Standard citation style and bibliography - 10 Points a) No bibliography provided b) Standard citation style not used c) Standard citation style not regularly used throughout the text d) Standard citation style regularly used throughout the text e) Standard citation style regularly used throughout the text and a bibliography included at the end of the essay
Important Note: In case of plagiarism, the student will automatically get a grade lower than the passing grade.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1. 70 percent of attendance is manadatory.
2. Latecomers are not welcome. Please do not enter the classroom if the door is already shut.
3. Plagiarism of any type will result in disciplinary action. Make sure that you are well aware of the rules of academic writing.
4. Students should come to class having read the assigned material and participate in class discussions.
5. DEÜ Online Portal (Sakai) will be used for paper submission, announcements etc. Please regularly check the portal for updates.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

ilkim.ozdikmenli@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

To be announced later.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 14 3 42
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 7 4 28
Preparation for midterm exam 1 10 10
Preparing term assignment 1 40 40
Preparation for final exam 1 10 10
Preparing presentations 1 25 25
Midterm 1 1,5 2
Final 1 1,5 2
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 159

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13
LO.14
LO.24
LO.34
LO.44
LO.55
LO.64
LO.75
LO.84