State tradition and business in Turkey: The case of TÜSİAD

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi, Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2005

Öğrenci: GÖKTEN DOĞANGÜN

Danışman: OSMAN GALİP YALMAN

Özet:

This thesis attempts to make an analysis of the state tradition perspective by particularly focusing on the relations between the state and big bourgeoisie represented by TÜSİAD in the post-1980 period. As this perspective has been hegemonic in discourse in examining state-society relations in Turkey in recent decades, thereby dominating the political, academic, and business circles, it becomes very important for Turkish politics students to understand what is implied by this phrase in order to conceive the political developments in Turkey. This thesis aims to explore the adequacy of this perspective in accounting for the state-society relations. The focus on TÜSİAD is derived from the fact that its organizational evolution allows us to evaluate the adequacy of theoretical premises and main arguments of the state tradition perspective. In this study, it is concluded that the state tradition perspective offers a reductionist framework in favor of the state; neglects the impact of the social dynamics and international institutions and actors; and reproduces the strong state at any historical moment. Depending on these findings, it is claimed that the state tradition perspective does not provide an appropriate methodological and conceptual framework especially in examining the state-big business relations within the context of the changing domestic and international contexts.