Journal Article

·2025

Anti-Imperialism in Turkish Right-Wing Politics between 1960–1980: Historical Experiences, Ideological Beliefs and Geopolitical Realities

Enes Bahadır Kızak YTU , Mehmet Akif Okur YTU

African and Asian Studies

Abstract

Abstract Türkiye witnessed intensified debates on imperialism between 1960 and 1980, influencing right-wing rhetoric and shaping the political agenda. This article examines the main points of the anti-imperialist discourse of Türkiye’s right-wing parties, focusing on their perceptions of Russian and U.S. imperialism. Detailed research on speeches and writings of party representatives, supported by parliamentary minutes, party programs, and newspapers and magazines, reveals that right-wing politics developed a comprehensive opposition to imperialism based on historical experiences, national interests, and the need for domestic and national development. Emphasis on resisting both Soviet and American imperialism distinguished the right from the left. Parties’ positions in the government-opposition pendulum and their ideological variations affected how criticism was articulated; the MHP and MSP developed a more definite discourse than liberal actors.

Keywords

Geopolitics Turkish Ideology Politics Asian studies Political science Right wing Gender studies Sociology Political economy Law Philosophy China Linguistics

Subject Areas

Turkey's Politics and Society ·Political Science and International Relations ·Social Sciences
International Relations and Foreign Policy ·Political Science and International Relations ·Social Sciences
Global Economic and Social Development ·Economics and Econometrics ·Social Sciences

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