Fascism, Civility and the Crisis of the Turkish State

This study argues that the perception of a state crisis has contributed to the rise of extreme right-wing civil groups in Turkey. It uses Michael Mann's work on interwar European fascism to identify four aspects-economic, military, political and ideological-in which the state has, according to these organisations, been weakened. The study thus outlines the ways in which Turkey's extreme right has both used and been affected by the 2001 financial crash, the armed forces' response to the PKK's ceasefire (1999-2004), the constitutional changes brought about by the EU harmonisation reforms and the incumbent government's challenge to 'official' religiosity and secularism. © 2011 Southseries Inc.