Haberler

International Relations Faculty Members Participate in the World Democracy Forum

At the World Democracy Forum, Prof. Dr. Rabia Karakaya Polat participated as a speaker in the panel "Democracy and Local Life / Local Governance" with her presentation titled "Political Participation, Representation, and Democracy in Local Governance."

In her speech, Prof. Dr. Karakaya Polat emphasized the lack of female representation in local politics and the need for greater participation of women in local governance. She also highlighted another major representation issue in Turkey, pointing out that approximately 4.5 million voters are governed not by the mayors they elected, but by officials appointed by the central government. As Turkey approaches the 2024 local elections, she stressed the importance of forming inclusive candidate lists that are gender-sensitive and attentive to the representation of different groups and perspectives. She concluded by emphasizing that election campaigns should focus on local issues rather than divisive ideological debates to strengthen democracy.

Additionally, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seda Demiralp moderated the panel on "Democracy and Participation / Inclusivity" and delivered a speech titled "Competing with Populism: Inclusive Democracy."

In her presentation, Dr. Demiralp highlighted that the failure of modern democracy to fulfill its promise of representation and its elitist nature have led to the rise of anti-elitist, populist movements. While these populist movements create a sense of inclusion for the average voter through majoritarian approaches, they also foster exclusion for voters from minority perspectives, beliefs, genders, and ethnic backgrounds. She argued that the shortcomings of both representative democracy and populism could be addressed through the concept of "inclusive democracy."