Join us for a talk exploring the recent coup attempt in Turkey by Feryaz Ocakli, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Skidmore College.

Turkey has just experienced its worst year in its ninety three-year history. It began in July 20, 2015 with a suicide attack in the southern city of Suruc that killed thirty three young political activists, continued with massive bombings in Istanbul and Ankara that claimed hundreds of lives, and culminated in a coup attempt in July 15, 2016. Western audiences have not fully grasped the seriousness of the coup attempt, how close it came to succeeding, and the trauma it caused in Turkish society. This talk will disaggregate the complex political processes that led to the failed coup plot and describe its social and political consequences. It will examine the growing authoritarianism of the Erdogan regime as well as the rival Islamist group that went from being Erdogan’s best friend to deadliest foe.

Feryaz Ocakli is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Skidmore College. He specializes in Islamist and ethnic politics in the Middle East. His research explores how Islamist parties appeal to non-Islamist constituencies when they run in elections. He teaches widely on comparative politics, international relations, and Middle Eastern politics.

This event is part of the exhibition A More Perfect Union and is free and open to the public.