Key facts

Type	Weekly Classes
Location	Oxford - Ewert House
Address	Ewert House Summertown Oxford OX2 7DD
Dates	Thu 17 Jan to Thu 21 Mar 2013 Day: Thursday Time of meeting: 2.00-4.00pm Number of meetings: 10
Subject area(s)	History
CATS points	10
Fees	From £165.00
Application status	Course ended
Course code	O12P664HIW
Course contact	If you have any questions about this course, please email ppweekly@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Overview

Turkey is rapidly becoming a major and influential player on the world stage. After setting the historical context, this course will examine key and topical issues in Turkish domestic and foreign policy.

Description

Facing both east and west, Turkey is becoming an important player in the international arena. This course will provide an overview of the development of modern Turkey from its Ottoman roots before exploring several significant contemporary issues in Turkish domestic and foreign policy. These will include a discussion of civil-military relations, the problems faced by Kurds and other ethnic groups, the role of political Islam, and the emergence of Turkey as an economic power. Concerning external relations, Turkey's role as a strategically important regional state will be given particular attention. Ties with the US and Russia and with the Turkic and Islamic worlds will be examined. The prospects for Turkey's membership of the EU will be considered. These topics will be explored by using various reading materials and by evaluating issues in the current news. Finally, the possible future role of Turkey as a state able to transcend the east-west divide will be discussed.

Programme details

Week 1: The Ottoman and Kemalist legacies Week 2: Civil-military relations Week 3: Ethnic groups and minorities Week 4: The role of the AKP Week 5: A rising economic power Week 6: Relations with NATO, the US and Russia Week 7: Turkey and the European Union Week 8: Relations with the Turkic world Week 9: Turkey, the Islamic world and the Arab Spring Week 10: East and/or West? Park, B. Modern Turkey: People, State and Foreign Policy in a Globalized World (Routledge, 2012) Oktem, K. Angry Nation: Turkey since 1989 (Fernwood/Zed, 2011) Yavuz, H. Secularism and Muslim Democracy in Turkey (Cambridge University Press, 2009)

Staff

Course aims

Course aim:
To examine key issues which explain the emergence and development of Turkey as a modern state and as a significant international actor.

Course objectives:
To explore the major political, social and economic issues and problems of Turkey today.
To discuss Turkey's role as an increasingly important state in a turbulent region.
To draw conclusions with regard to future developments in Turkish domestic and foreign policy by evaluating and discussing a range of books, articles and other materials.

Assessment methods

Students will be asked to prepare a 1000 word essay. This essay should be properly referenced and have a bibliography. Students will be able to write an essay on any topic related to the course. This written work may be based on the topic that the student will have presented earlier in a group in class. The student and instructor will agree in advance on the title of the essay to be prepared. This work will be submitted after all the seminars have been completed.

Teaching methods

A range of teaching and learning methods will be applied in the course. Classes will consist of short lectures given by the instructor, group presentations, and an open discussion of relevant topical news items. PowerPoint will be used as well as class handouts. Before each class students will be encouraged to read widely and to follow key, unfolding developments in the news.

Teaching outcomes

Student will be expected to:

Have a good grasp and understanding of important issues in Turkish domestic and foreign policy.
Show an ability to read and comment on a variety of sources and materials and engage in class discussions and presentations.
Demonstrate an ability to produce in written form a concise and critical analysis of a key contemporary issue in Turkish domestic or foreign policy.

Fee options

Programme Fee

Home/EU fee: £165.00

Non-EU fee: £165.00

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