Student activism in turkey through a comparative perspective: Change and continuity from the 1970s onwards

This thesis examines the intricate relationship between state authorities and student movements in Turkey, focusing on the state's multi-faceted repression strategies. The research specifically analyzes three significant periods of student activism in Turkey: the 1975 movements at Middle East Technical University (METU), the student protests of 1995-1996, and the Boğaziçi University protests in 2021. These cases exemplify the Turkish state's use of both direct and cultural repression in response to student activism, highlighting a tendency to label peaceful, democratic student demands as extremist or even terrorist activities. Using a variety of sources, including parliamentary minutes, politicians' speeches, newspapers, and interviews with movement participants, to dissect the cultural and institutional context shaping these interactions. This analysis reveals how historical and institutional factors have conditioned the state's engagement with democratic university movements, challenging the notion that state repression is merely a reaction to activism. Ultimately, the thesis argues that understanding the state's involvement in student movements in Turkey requires a nuanced analysis of the historicity and institutionality of repression. It contends that cultural repression should not be viewed simply as tactics or language strategies but as manifestations of a deeper historical and institutional context that shapes state-student dynamics.