The need to apologize: a study on the political apologies in the world and their comparison with the Turkish non-apologies

Official URL: http://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b1819786 (Table of Contents)

This thesis aims to explore what a political apology is and how a political apology is important in groups’ relation with one another. The main question of the thesis is whether a real political apology is possible for Turkey in the near future. The thesis first provides the reader with the definition of political apology and gives the necessary criteria for a full-fledged apology based on outstanding scholars’ criteria. Secondly, the thesis examines three world apology cases: Australia, Japan and Germany. The author comments on the apology cases about whether they are full-fledged apologies or not. World apology cases are followed by apology debates in Turkey which the author claims as non-apologies. When world apology cases and Turkey are compared, it comes out that Turkey’s political culture which is consisting of people with nationalistic mindset does not allow for a full-fledged political apology in the near future.