Neoliberalism and transformation of the state in Turkey: An analysis on the two-nations hegemonic project

This work analyzes the practices of the Justice and Developement Party (AKP) government with a special reference to Bob Jessop's concept of two-nations hegemonic project. Jessop assesses the relationship between the concepts of regime of accumulation and mode of regulation with hegemonic projects within their own historicity according to the conditions of capital accumulation. Therefore, the transformation of the accumulation regime necessitates the transformation of the mode of regulation and the hegemonic project. In this context, this work tries to explain the New Right's understanding of the state and the neoliberal economic policies that have been put into practice since 1980's, and the two nations hegemonic project within the context of AKP policies. Thus the AKP government is classified into three periods: a) the formation of two-nations hegemonic project between 2002-2010; b) the dissolvement of two-nations hegemonic project between 2010-2013; c) the transition into a new form of state after 2013. The first chapter gives information about the conceptual framework of the study. In this context, capitalist class and its fractions, power bloc and hegemonic fraction, strategy of accumulation and regime of accumulation, hegemony and crisis of hegemony are explained. At the same time, this chapter presents the differences between the concepts of the two-nations hegemonic project and the one-nation hegemonic project. In the second chapter, the relationship between the power bloc and the state is examined within the scope of one-nation and two-nations hegemonic project. The indicators of the transition from the one-nation hegemonic project into the two-nations hegemonic project in the political life of Turkey and the relationship of those with the regime of accumulation are demonstrated. In the third chapter, the relationship between the dependent classes and the state is discussed in terms of the hegemonic projects. Within this framework, the meaning of two-nations hegemonic project during the AKP government for the dependent classes is explained. The final chapter, by analyzing all data and indicators, reveals that the two-nations hegemonic project was tried to be implemented under the AKP government, though this attempt did not succeed due to the conditions of capital accumulation.