Authoritarian Neoliberalism and Resistance in Turkey Construction, Consolidation, and Contestation Introduction

Abstract

While capitalism has been associated with democracy for a long time, the neoliberalisation that has coincided with the rise of populism and authoritarian resurgence in the global context demands further inquiry into the relationship between capital accumulation and political regimes. The growing literature on authoritarian neoliberalism examines the relationship between authoritarian governance and neoliberalisation, and interrogates how neoliberal reforms buttress the legal, administrative, and coercive power of states, creating leverage for ruling governments to enhance authoritarian forms of governance. While these studies highlight the vulnerability of these regimes and emphasise their crisis-laden character, there is a need for an extensive analysis of the dynamics of resistance in authoritarian neoliberal regimes to understand the limits and potentials of counter-hegemonic practices. Using in-depth case studies, this book demonstrates the repertoires of resistance against authoritarian neoliberalism in Turkey and discusses how different sections of society, including NGOs, bureaucrats, media, workers, marginalised communities and activists, challenge or reinforce neoliberal policies with their claims, tactics, strategies, and discourses. Drawing upon multidisciplinary scholarship from sociology, politics, law, media, urban development, and feminist studies, this book sheds light on the capacity of resistance to challenge the authoritarian forms of the neoliberal regime from within.