Admission Requirements
This class is intended (in order of preference) for:
(1) students of the BA Middle Eastern Studies who have successfully completed the propedeutic exam of the BA Middle Eastern Studies;
(2) premaster students for the MA Middle Eastern Studies;
(3) students from other programmes. For registration, please contact the education coordinator.
Description
Turkey is a pivotal country. Since becoming an independent republic in 1923 and transitioning to a multi-party democracy in 1950, Turkey’s post-Ottoman history has been marked by both the triumphs and traumas of state formation, nation-building, and modernization. While its foreign policy remains closely tied to the West, Turkey is deeply entangled in the conflicts of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean. Over the past two decades, a turn toward authoritarian populism and adventurous foreign policies has had disconcerting effects on Turkish politics, society, economy, and culture. Today, expertise on Turkey’s complex history, contentious politics, dynamic diplomacy, and vibrant cultural life is more sought after than ever. This course offers a critical introduction to Turkey’s modern history, an exploration of its contemporary politics, and a window into its diverse social and cultural landscape.
Course objectives
Students will be able to:
give an overview of the political history of modern Turkey in regards to themes of continuity and change;
assess the academic literature on a given theme and summarize its main paradigms and debates;
follow contemporary political and cultural developments in Turkey with greater insights;
analyse the content and context of a given primary source about Turkey’s history and culture;
write a paper that answers a relevant research question through an assessment of secondary literature and use of primary sources and theory.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Participation | 5% |
| Presentation | 10% |
| The midterm assignment | 15% |
| Weekly preparations and assignments | 20% |
| 2500-word term paper | 50% |
The term paper must use one of the proper academic citation systems (Chicago style notes-bibliography preferred) and it must be authentic. The term paper must conform to the designated limit of 2,500 words. Plagiarism will be checked and automatically means failing the class.
The final mark for this course is determined by the weighted average. An additional requirement is that students must pass their term paper. In order to pass the course, students must obtain an overall mark of 5.50 (=6) or higher.
Re-sit
Students who miss the deadline for the first opportunity will get an INC (Incomplete).
A re-sit is available to students whose mark on the term paper was insufficient (5.49 or lower) or to students who missed the deadline for the 1st opportunity and got an INC mark.
Please note that handing in the term paper after the deadline will count as a re-sit.
The re-sit deadline will be at least 10 working days after the fail grade has been issued.
Reading list
A list of weekly articles will be made available after the first session.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory. General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the information bar on the right.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr
Remarks
Please note that the additional course information is an integral part of this course description.