Search

This article introduces an original dataset on debates in the Turkish Grand Assembly before, during, and after the 2013 Gezi Protests, the biggest wave of demonstrations in Turkey's history. The dataset contains 3478 coded interventions from a total of 230 days in parliament, between May 2012 and February 2014, and provides a unique insight into how political elites responded to the events, as well as the extent to which they addressed the main demands. The article describes the merits of this approach, and the practical steps to create such a dataset in Turkey and other Mediterranean countries. The article suggests that parliamentary debates are very useful for identifying and analysing political discussions and decision-making, as they reveal a level of nuance that alternative data sources do not provide, and track changes over time with a high degree of sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first quarter of the XIIth century, at a time when the influence of the Abbasid Caliphate on Islamic countries and rulers wear off, the Seljuks lost their unity and integrity and dealt with their internal affairs, there was not any stable force left that could prevent the Crusaders from terrorizing the Middle East and spreading in the Islamic lands and the security of Muslims' lives and properties was in danger under the Crusader pressure, a leader came in sight in Harput. This leader was none other than Artuquid Aamir Balaq Ghazi of Harput who stopped the Crusader armies with his bravery, courage and intelligence and who became the fearful dream of the Crusaders by capturing the King of Jerusalem, the Count of Edessa and the Seigneur of Bira. The study, which is prepared by compiling fundamental and current sources, aims to introduce this great hero whose name, we think is not mentioned enough in Turkish history. The study sheds light on his endless struggle against the Crusaders and capturing their leaders during, to prevent them from spreading to Eastern Anatolia and his ensuring peace and order by chastening Armenians who were bandits in the al-Jazeera region and by means of preventing dangerous of the Batinis who caused strife in Aleppo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Muslim-Turkic state Seljuk Empire, which formed in the Middle East in the 11th century, played an important role in the political, economical and cultural life of many peoples. Azerbaijan was one of the countries located in the geographical area dominated by the Seljuk state. In this regard, study the history of the Seljuks state has always been relevant in Azerbaijan historiography. However this problem has been studied since the second half of the twentieth century and is still in its infancy. In Azerbijan historiography Z.Bunyadov, N.Akhundova, N.Aliyeva, T.Dostiyev, R.Huseynov, Sh.Mustafayev, E.Mammadov, I.Hajiyev, A.Ismayilova and others conducted research on this topic. Academician Z.Bunyadov was one of the first researchers of the Seljuk period in Azerbaijani historiography. The monograph of the prominent orientalist "The state of the Atabeys of Azerbaijan in 1136-1225" published in 1978 is very important in this regard. Using medieval Arabic sources and numerous works writen by modern historians of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia and Western Europe of on the history of the Seljuk state, the author conducted research on various problems of the Seljuk state and provided very interesting information in his monograph. After Z.Bunyadov many other Azerbaijani researchers were interested in Seljuk History. The aim of this research is to investigate the history of Seljuk State by considering the researches of Azerbaijani authors and scholars. To this aim we benefit from Z. Bunyadov, N. Akhundova, N.Aliyeva, T.Dostiyev, R.Huseynov, Sh.Mustafayev, E.Mammadov, L.Hajiyev, A. Ismayilova. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English playwright Howard Brenton who mostly brings historical and political facts to his stage is one of the playwrights nurtured by British History after the World War II. In his plays, Brenton intends to reveal Britain's historical and political problems which are the causes of its unsuccessful domestic and foreign pol icy. "A tragicomedy of a hero" (Brenton, 2016b), Lawrence After Arabia, in which the playwright criticizes British policy is no exception. The elements which make the play more interesting are that the play takes place in the last period of the Ottoman Empire and has the traces of Turkish history, and its geographical scene is the land in the Middle East that the Ottoman Empire lost in the Great World War. Lawrence After Arabia was first staged at the Hampstead Theater on April 28, 2016. This date should not be disregarded as it is the centenary of the Arab revolt and the Sykes-Picot Treaty. The negative effects of the conflicts in the Middle East, the Arab spring riots and the events in Syria in the new century make the play even more interesting. It must be said that the playwright claims in the play that Britain should realize its former mistakes in order to resolve its current terrorism-related problems. However, this work handles Lawrence After Arabia from another perspective; it examines Lawrence, the protagonist of the play, through the concept of ideology. In this context, it notably benefits from the works of the French philosopher Louis Althusser; For Marx, Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses and Ecrits Philosophiques Et Politiques, Tome 1. The confusion of the protagonist is examined in the light of Althusser's concept of ideology and by taking advantage of his views on art and literature. This work clarifies how Howard Brenton benefits from ideology as a raw theatral material while forming hi s protagonist and how Lawrence is negatively affected by the ideology that he was born into due to the political mistakes of Britain with the help of the Althusserian approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Middle Eastern Studies / Ortadoğu Etütleri is the property of Turkmen Cooperation & Cultural Foundation Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)