Protest Policing alla Turca

Why do certain protests draw more intervention from the police? And why does the intensity of intervention vary over time? Drawing on literatures on protest policing, the Kurdish question, and the impact of civil conflict on public opinion, this study examines whether pro-Kurdish protest events in Turkey are treated more severely than others, and how the policing of these protests changes over time. Based on an original dataset, we analyze more than 10,000 protest events that took place in Turkey between 2000 and 2009. Our findings suggest that compared to other protests, pro-Kurdish events are more likely to draw police intervention, one that particularly involves repressive strategies. We further show that police repression in pro-Kurdish events is more pronounced when the Kurdish armed conflict intensifies. Thus, this study presents the first systematic quantitative analysis of protest policing and social movements in Turkey.

To further discuss the repercussions of protest policing and social movements on the Kurdish issue and democratization in Turkey, Istanbul Policy Center will organize a workshop entitled "Protest Policing alla Turca: Dynamic Threat and the Repression of pro-Kurdish events in Turkey, 2000-2009" on Monday, March 30, 2015 at Sabancı University Karaköy Minerva Han. The event will commence at 10:30 am and continue until 12:00 am. The language of the event will be English. Please contact with Gülcihan Çiğdem Okan (gcigdem@sabanciuniv.edu) for further questions, 90 212 292 4939 (ext. 1417).

Plese click here for registration.