Republican citizenship in Turkey: historical development, perceptions and practices

Abstract

This article, the result of qualitative research conducted in Ankara, aims to depict the republican understanding of citizenship from the behaviour patterns and daily practices of citizens and to show how it diverges from various other forms of citizenship understanding. Republican citizenship-the most dominant and hegemonic understanding of citizenship in Turkey-was constituted in the process of foundation of the Turkish Republic as a nation-state. In Turkey's historical experience, this tradition, which is based on civil responsibilities, could not develop sufficiently in terms of individual rights and democratic values. As reflected in the perceptions and practices of citizens, Turkish society is still not very close to a democratic understanding of citizenship that strongly defends human rights, legitimacy of differences, equality between people as well as embodying responsibilities for the society