Дилемата между държавата и индивида: трънливият път на гражданството в Турция
Dilemma between State and Individual: The Thorny Path of Citizenship in Turkey

Summary/Abstract: The problems faced in Turkey related with citizenship have deep roots in the early Republican period. During this period of nation building, citizenship and national identity were inseparable. Thus, the understanding of citizenship the Kemalist regime aspired for and constructed was republican emphasizing the state and the citizen’s duties towards the state. This understanding was well established and almost unquestioned by the state. However, as Turkey faced problems related with identity claims and attempted to join the EU new problems emerged. Today Turkey is trying to meet the requirements of EU stated in the Copenhagen Criteria. This paper aims to analyze this process, investigating the transformation in citizenship understanding, if any. In doing so, the process of legal amendments and changes, the preparations for, their enactment and reflections in the society will be analyzed. The underlying question is whether there is a shift towards a more liberal understanding while liberalizing the laws related with citizenship. The paper will especially focus on the Justice and Development Party government and their views. The argument is that even though the legal procedures seem to be liberalized, the process of change in Turkey is far from exercising a liberal understanding of citizenship that values citizens as individuals and safeguards their rights against the state.

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