Seren Selvin Korkmaz has defended her dissertation

The dissertation The Role of the Opposition in Autocratisation: The Case of Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) examines the role of opposition parties in autocratisation, focusing on Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). By examining the CHP during the Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule from 2002 to 2023, it reveals the complex roles and strategies of opposition actors. It challenges the binary view of opposition success or failure, suggesting that opposition parties like the CHP are dynamic entities within autocratic regimes. They can both combat and contribute to autocratisation through their discourse, policy decisions, and actions. By analysing the CHP’s evolving strategies, alliances, and discourse, the research underscores the opposition’s pivotal role in shaping Turkey’s political landscape.

The opponent at the defence was Professor Ziya Öniş, Professor of International Political Economy at Koç University, Istanbul.

The examining committee included Susanne Olsson, Professor of History of Religions at Stockholm University; Associate Professor Gabriel Jonsson, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Stockholm University; and Anders Sjögren, Associate Professor of Political Science, Uppsala University.

The supervisors were Professor Jenny White and Dr. Paul Levin, Stockholm University.

At the defence, Gunnar Linder, Senior Lecturer at Stockholm University, served as chair.

You can read the dissertation here

More about Seren Selvin Korkmaz’s research