Values, mythology and political socialisation in Türkiye: a departure from mainstream sociological narratives

This article suggests an alternative approach to understanding political socialisation in Türkiye, focusing on cultural conflicts and the values they create instead of using the main ideas and theories of political science. According to this perspective, beginning from the Cold War period, Turkish politics has been stagnant, with political actors from the most dynamic period of Turkish modernisation being reconstructed and imbued with new meanings. Figures like Atatürk, Sultan Abdulhamid II and, in contemporary times, the leaders of the Unionists are widely used in the conflicts between different ideologies. Rival political parties that adopt these different ideologies prefer to mobilise voters to their side by bringing these historical figures into confrontation rather than politically addressing current challenges.