EDUCATIONAL POLICIES BY THE AKP GOVERNMENT AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
Aliyeva, Ilaha (2020)
Aliyeva, Ilaha
Åbo Akademi
2020
Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2020061142884
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2020061142884
Tiivistelmä
This study examines the historical background of manipulated education in Turkey, further analyzing the latest educational reforms by the AKP government (Justice and Development Party-Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi), and understanding how these reforms lead to polarization.
Turkey is an ethnically mixed and diverse country related to its geographical location in the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia, as well as being the heritage of the multinational Ottoman Empire. Most Turkish governments have preferred to use the "nation-building" strategy according to their preference and educational policies making it an essential part of nation-building. While Ataturk's educational policies included the aims of Westernization and secularization, Erdogan's educational policies aim for an Islamization of Turkey. In this way, Erdogan's political ideas and political Islam contradict the ideas of Ataturk's secularism, which creates disputes and misconceptions between Kemalists (Ataturk's supporters) and conservative nationalists (Erdogan's supporters).
In today’s Turkey, educational reforms by the AKP government are therefore increasing polarization because education is used as a basis for revenge by the Islamists vis-à-vis previous secular governments. The restructuring of education aimed to remove secularism from schools and to create a new identity against secular identity. As a result, the latest educational policies indicate Erdoganism, which has triggered polarization in Turkey. This thesis aims to determine how polarization started and developed in Turkey under Erdogan’s rule, and how the use of education as a political tool by AKP has caused polarization in Turkey.
Turkey is an ethnically mixed and diverse country related to its geographical location in the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia, as well as being the heritage of the multinational Ottoman Empire. Most Turkish governments have preferred to use the "nation-building" strategy according to their preference and educational policies making it an essential part of nation-building. While Ataturk's educational policies included the aims of Westernization and secularization, Erdogan's educational policies aim for an Islamization of Turkey. In this way, Erdogan's political ideas and political Islam contradict the ideas of Ataturk's secularism, which creates disputes and misconceptions between Kemalists (Ataturk's supporters) and conservative nationalists (Erdogan's supporters).
In today’s Turkey, educational reforms by the AKP government are therefore increasing polarization because education is used as a basis for revenge by the Islamists vis-à-vis previous secular governments. The restructuring of education aimed to remove secularism from schools and to create a new identity against secular identity. As a result, the latest educational policies indicate Erdoganism, which has triggered polarization in Turkey. This thesis aims to determine how polarization started and developed in Turkey under Erdogan’s rule, and how the use of education as a political tool by AKP has caused polarization in Turkey.