The Making of Paramilitarism in Turkey

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Özlem Has (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) Ayhan Işık (Free University of Brussels, Belgium)

The Making of Paramilitarism in Turkey

Özlem Has (University of Copenhagen, Denmark), Ayhan Işık (Free University of Brussels, Belgium)

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English

Routledge
08 August 2025

Middle Eastern history; Military history; Social & political philosophy; Nationalism; Irregular or guerrilla forces & warfare

This edited volume explores the history and evolution of Turkish paramilitarism from the late Ottoman period to the 2010s. Aimed at undergraduates, postgraduates, scholars, and non-specialists, it offers an interdisciplinary analysis of paramilitary forces’ influence on Turkey’s historical, political, social, legal, and visual landscapes. The book examines key issues such as the Armenian Genocide, anti-communist operations, Alevi pogroms, and anti-Kurdish violence, and delves into how state-sponsored paramilitary groups have shaped the nation’s modern history. Through case studies, examining key paramilitary groups such as Grey Wolves, Village Guards, and JİTEM, contributors reveal the deep-seated connections between paramilitarism and statecraft in Turkey.

With a unique focus on the suppression of marginalised groups, including Armenians, Kurds, and Alevis, the book presents groundbreaking research on how paramilitarism has been instrumental in state violence, both domestically and internationally. By incorporating political, economic, and social dimensions, this volume offers a fresh perspective on the enduring role of paramilitary actors in shaping Turkish state policies and provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics behind informal violence in Turkey’s history.

Edited by: Özlem Has (University of Copenhagen Denmark), Ayhan Işık (Free University of Brussels, Belgium)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 500g
ISBN: 9781032435817
ISBN 10: 103243581X
Pages: 162
Publication Date: 08 August 2025
Audience: College/higher education , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Table of Contents About the Book Foreword: Uğur Ümit Üngör PART I: The Origins of Paramilitarism in Modern Turkey Chapter I: Modern Bandits of Purgatory in the Transition from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic: A Story of Property Transfer in Aintab from Warlords to Urban Elite - Ümit Kurt PART II: Paramilitarism and Raison D’etat Chapter II: Counterinsurgency in Turkey: Coloniality of Paramilitary Forces and Provocative Counterorganisation - Deniz Yonucu Chapter III: At the Intersection of Domestic and Foreign Policy in Turkey: Transformation of the Capacity for Extralegal Violence and Kurdistan Issue - Çağrı Kurt PART III: The Functioning of the Paramilitarism Abroad and At Home Chapter IV: Pro-Turkish State Vigilantism in Europe in the Post-1960s - Mazyar Khoojinian Chapter V: The Politics of Violence and Exclusion: Paramilitary Groups and the Targeting of Alevi Communities in Turkey - Ozan Çavdar PART IV: 1990s: The Heyday of Paramilitarism Chapter VI: The Village Guard System: Socio-Anthropology of a Paramilitary Institution in Northern Kurdistan (Turkish Kurdistan) - Adnan Çelik Chapter VII: Strategically Ambiguous and Deniable: Paramilitary Violence and Psychological Warfare in the 1990s - Yeşim Yaprak Yıldız PART V: Post-Truth Paramilitarism Chapter VIII: The Contractual Functioning of Paramilitary Violence in Turkey: The JİTEM Case - Özlem Has Chapter IX: Disfiguring Public Reality: Televisual and Paramilitary Visions - Sidar Bayram

Özlem Has is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Defence Studies at King’s College London. Her research interests include state formation, political violence, paramilitarism, and mercenarism. Her key publications include studies on paramilitaries in the Kurdish–Turkish conflict and private military companies. Ayhan Işık is an independent researcher and an interdisciplinary political historian specializing in 20th- and 21st- century political violence, paramilitarism, and Kurdish Studies. He is author of a book titled Turkish Paramilitarism in Northern Kurdistan: State Violence in the 1990s that was published 2024.