Historizing the Terrorist Subject: The Constitution of Terrorism Discourse in Turkey in the Framework of the Power Relations (1973-1980)

Abstract

Terrorism research in Turkey ignores historical and spatial formation of the terrorist subject, treating it as if it were historically fixed. The terrorist subject, on the other hand, is not in the position of transcending all historical times; it is formed as a result of power struggles and power relations in a society. This paper examines the constitution of the terrorist subject in Turkey in the context of power struggles and social developments in the 1970s, drawing on the post-positivist ontological and epistemological contributions of critical terrorism studies. Accordingly, it will be argued that there were two main narratives during the construction of the hegemonic terrorist subject in Turkey in the 1970s within the framework of the power struggle between the Turkish Right and the CHP. Moreover, it will be examined how the declaration of martial law following the Maraş Massacre and the subsequent September 12 Coup hegemonized the narrative of the Turkish Right by fixing the terrorist subject in history. The data for the analysis came from the Parliamentary Minutes.