When Neoliberalism Confronts the Moral Economy of Workers: The Final Spring of Turkish Labor Unions

The 1980s transformed the social and economic outlook of Turkey. This transformation led by the Motherland Party is comparable to the wider global trend of neoliberal transformation. The structural changes necessitated or triggered by this transformation attacked existing modes of social and politic...

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Main Author: Mustafa G. Dogan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association pour la Recherche sur le Moyen-Orient 2010-10-01
Series:European Journal of Turkish Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/4321
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author Mustafa G. Dogan
author_facet Mustafa G. Dogan
author_sort Mustafa G. Dogan
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description The 1980s transformed the social and economic outlook of Turkey. This transformation led by the Motherland Party is comparable to the wider global trend of neoliberal transformation. The structural changes necessitated or triggered by this transformation attacked existing modes of social and political relationships, including the moral economy of Turkish unionized workers. The reaction against this assault created a cycle of protest led by the organized labor spanning from the end of 1986 to the fall of 1991. This protest movement contributed to the electoral defeats suffered by the Motherland Party in 1989 and in 1991. This movement emerged despite repressive legal measures still in force after the military intervention of 1980, and constitutes the last massive showing by the trade unions. This paper analyzes the specifics of the development and the retreat of this social movement.
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spelling doaj-art-9573aaadd87b43c68cbae89b5c6b39be2024-12-09T13:09:17ZengAssociation pour la Recherche sur le Moyen-OrientEuropean Journal of Turkish Studies1773-05462010-10-011110.4000/ejts.4321When Neoliberalism Confronts the Moral Economy of Workers: The Final Spring of Turkish Labor UnionsMustafa G. DoganThe 1980s transformed the social and economic outlook of Turkey. This transformation led by the Motherland Party is comparable to the wider global trend of neoliberal transformation. The structural changes necessitated or triggered by this transformation attacked existing modes of social and political relationships, including the moral economy of Turkish unionized workers. The reaction against this assault created a cycle of protest led by the organized labor spanning from the end of 1986 to the fall of 1991. This protest movement contributed to the electoral defeats suffered by the Motherland Party in 1989 and in 1991. This movement emerged despite repressive legal measures still in force after the military intervention of 1980, and constitutes the last massive showing by the trade unions. This paper analyzes the specifics of the development and the retreat of this social movement.https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/4321trade unionsmoral economyturkish labor historyneoliberal transformationturkish politics.
spellingShingle Mustafa G. Dogan
When Neoliberalism Confronts the Moral Economy of Workers: The Final Spring of Turkish Labor Unions
European Journal of Turkish Studies
trade unions
moral economy
turkish labor history
neoliberal transformation
turkish politics.
title When Neoliberalism Confronts the Moral Economy of Workers: The Final Spring of Turkish Labor Unions
title_full When Neoliberalism Confronts the Moral Economy of Workers: The Final Spring of Turkish Labor Unions
title_fullStr When Neoliberalism Confronts the Moral Economy of Workers: The Final Spring of Turkish Labor Unions
title_full_unstemmed When Neoliberalism Confronts the Moral Economy of Workers: The Final Spring of Turkish Labor Unions
title_short When Neoliberalism Confronts the Moral Economy of Workers: The Final Spring of Turkish Labor Unions
title_sort when neoliberalism confronts the moral economy of workers the final spring of turkish labor unions
topic trade unions
moral economy
turkish labor history
neoliberal transformation
turkish politics.
url https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/4321
work_keys_str_mv AT mustafagdogan whenneoliberalismconfrontsthemoraleconomyofworkersthefinalspringofturkishlaborunions