Political violence and terrorism in Turkey, 1976-80: a retrospective analysis

Sayarı, Sabri (2010) Political violence and terrorism in Turkey, 1976-80: a retrospective analysis. Terrorism and Political Violence, 22 (2). pp. 198-215. ISSN 0954-6553

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Abstract

During the late 1970s, Turkey experienced a major campaign of political terrorism that was waged by a multiplicity of leftist, ultranationalist, and separatist groups. Between 1976 and 1980, more than 5000 people lost their lives in hundreds of terrorist incidents. The steady escalation of violence amidst a major political and economic crisis undermined the country's fragile democratic system and paved the way for a military coup in September 1980. This study examines the origins and growth of the terrorist movement in Turkey, the main characteristics of political violence, and the causes of the dramatic escalation of terrorism in the late 1970s. The study suggests that although state-sponsored terrorism against Turkey facilitated the rapid proliferation of leftist, rightist, and separatist armed extremist groups, the drift into total terrorism was largely the product of domestic political and social developments.
Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: breakdown of democracy; causes of terrorism; ideological and separatist terror; student radicalism
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe)
Divisions: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences > Academic programs > Political Science
Depositing User: Sabri Sayarı
Date Deposited: 29 Jul 2010 09:17
Last Modified: 25 Jul 2019 11:23
URI: https://research.sabanciuniv.edu/id/eprint/14190

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