Democracy and Capitalism in Turkey

Does the development of capitalism help or hinder democratization? This is a brilliant contribution to that debate, based on remarkable access to the Turkish business elite, concluding with careful distinctions between state power and the most recent ideological pressures. The book certainly deserves the widest readership. --John A. Hall, Emeritus James McGill Professor of Sociology, McGill University, Canada This book will create a much-needed debate by bringing Turkey's capitalists to the forefront to scrutinize state-business relations. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews, Devrim Yavuz analyzes how the country's wealthiest business elite have played complex leading roles in shaping democratization since 1960s and in navigating through the reversal of democracy in the new millennium. This is a must read for the students and scholars of state-society interaction. --Berna Turam, Professor of Sociology and International Affairs, Northeastern University, USA In this fascinating account of state-business relations, Yavuz examines how and why the Turkish business elite became agents of democracy. This insightful and persuasive account moves beyond explanations that consider economic interests as the most critical variable explaining capitalists' actions. Instead, Yavuz directs our attention to the workings of ideological and political power in determining the course and salience of capitalists' push for regime change. --Yesim Bayar, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Saint Lawrence University, USA