The Analysis of Turkish Election on November 3rd 2002: Continuation and Change in Turkish Political System
Subject Areas : Journal of Law and Politics
Reza Rasouli
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Keywords: Turkish politics, electoral choice, 2002 elections, political behavior,
Abstract :
November 3 rd 2002 early general election in Turkey has created a radical break in Turkish political landscape by putting an end to multi-party coalition governments of the last decade. The election also produced a single party government with a clear majority in a two-party dominated parliament, thus bringing much needed stability and come predictability to Turkish politics since 1960s. Employing public opinion data, this paper attempts to explain socio-economic and psychological underpinnings of radical shift in party preferences of Turkish electorate. The paper concludes that loss of party identity based on "us and them" distinction in politics may offer a better explanation in understanding electoral volatility in Turkish politics.
