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Turkay Nefes

University of Oxford, Sociology, Post-Doc

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I am a sociologist working on social and political diffusion and impacts of knowledge. I have focused on this topic from different angles:

(1) online/offline communication and significance of conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism in Turkey

(2) influence of Emile Durkheim’s sociological theory on Turkish nationalism

(3) teaching sociology by using cartoons.

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University of Delaware

Sheilagh Ogilvie

University of Oxford

National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy"

University College Cork

University of Warsaw

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University of New England - Australia

Microsoft Research

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Deakin University

Lancaster University

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Wellesley College

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Papers by Turkay Nefes

The Conspiratorial Style in Turkish Politics

Oxford University Press eBooks, Dec 20, 2018

The “deep state” conspiracy theory is evergreen in Turkish politics. Why is it so popular, and wh... more The “deep state” conspiracy theory is evergreen in Turkish politics. Why is it so popular, and why do political elites continually turn to different forms of this conspiracy theory? This chapter focuses on an amorphous but significant conspiracy theory, the deep state, which argues that a clandestine elite group is determined to defend the Turkish state ideology and the political stability by legal, and often illegal, means. While all political parties in the Turkish parliament talk about the existence of the deep state, they do not agree on who it is, largely because of their contradictory partisan interests. This creates incompatible definitions of the deep state, which cannot convince all parties. In short, partisan conflict ensures the continuity of the deep state conspiracy theory.

Conspiracy Theories About the Covid-19 Pandemic in Turkey

Routledge eBooks, Jan 27, 2023

A Brief History of Turkish Jews and Anti-Semitism

This chapter recounts the history of Jews and anti-Semitism in Turkey in two subsections: Turkish... more This chapter recounts the history of Jews and anti-Semitism in Turkey in two subsections: Turkish Jewry during the Ottoman period and the Turkish Republic. The former is a brief account about the origins of the Jewish population in Anatolia and the life of the community during the Ottoman period. The latter underlines significant socio-political changes that shaped the fate of the Jewish minority in the Turkish Republic. It discusses the treatment of Jews in important historical moments between 1923 and 2013. All in all, the chapter examines the sociopolitical roots of anti-Semitism in Turkey from a historical perspective and provides a background for the discussion in the next chapter.

racionalidad de las teorías conspirativas. Una aproximación desde Max Weber y Raymond Boudon

Conspiracy theories tend to be perceived as irrational ideological phenomena with the potential t... more Conspiracy theories tend to be perceived as irrational ideological phenomena with the potential to produce harmful effects on those societies in which they are disseminated. Such perception, reinforced by the visibility of those historical examples in which they have legitimized the discrimination of minorities or even genocide, conditions their sociological analysis and constrains its explanatory potential with a presumption of irrationality. This paper defends, by contrast, an approach starting with a presumption of rationality, conceived in a comprehensive sense combining instrumental rationality and value rationality. Such a rational choice perspective allows for a thorough understanding of the phenomenon and, through it, potentially for a sounder basis for interventions seeking normative goals that the theory does not relinquish. The paper presents the two main currents in sociological research of conspiracy theories and shows how they could be reconciled through a rational approach based upon Weber and Boudon's visions of rationality, as opposed to Pareto's restricted one, exploring its applicability to empirical research that relates conspiracy theories to partisanship and religiosity.

Perceived group threats and right-wing political party membership as driving forces of negative descriptions in Turkish Parliamentary debates (1983–2018)

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, May 6, 2021

To what extent do perceived threats explain negative descriptions of minorities in politics? This... more

Analysis of an Online Discussion on Adolf Hitler

This chapter discusses online users’ comments about Adolf Hitler in the most popular online forum... more This chapter discusses online users’ comments about Adolf Hitler in the most popular online forum website in Turkey, Eksi Sozluk. It begins by describing the socio-political significance of Eksi Sozluk in Turkey and outlining the structure of the website. Subsequently, the research analyses the content of the online entries about Adolf Hitler from 1999 to 2013. The data involves around 1,200 entries from 1,000 online users. It differentiates between negative/positive and moral/instrumental comments about Adolf Hitler. Furthermore, the study demonstrates what kinds of events led people to write anti-Semitic comments between 1999 and 2013.

Three shades of dismemberment anxiety about Armenians in Turkish politics

Current Sociology, Nov 15, 2021

This article explores the significance of perceived threats about dismemberment in Turkish politi... more This article explores the significance of perceived threats about dismemberment in Turkish politics, also called the Sèvres syndrome. Relying on a qualitative content analysis of Turkish parliamentary records, it scrutinises how the syndrome influences the debates about Armenians between 1983 and 2018. It demonstrates that Turkish politicians refer to the syndrome in three manners: (1) Armenians had tried to dismember; (2) Armenians could create conditions to dismember again and (3) Armenians are actively attempting to dismember. The study concludes that the syndrome presents an obstacle to a peaceful Turkish–Armenian relationship by recalling Turkish victimhood in the past and relating it to contemporary contexts.

Understanding Anti-Semitic Rhetoric in Turkey Through The Sèvres Syndrome

Turkish Studies, Sep 28, 2015

Abstract While various studies suggest that anti-Semitism is almost non-existent in Turkish socie... more Abstract While various studies suggest that anti-Semitism is almost non-existent in Turkish society, the popularity of the conspiratorial rhetoric about Jews raises question marks about this view. This article probes into contemporary anti-Semitism in Turkey by scrutinizing conspiracy theories about a crypto-Judaic society called Dönme. It explores the influence of the paranoid style in Turkish politics, known as the Sèvres syndrome, on the popular conspiracy theories with anti-Semitic themes. The research relies on an analysis of the content of conspiracy accounts and interviews with their authors. It concludes that the influence of the Sèvres syndrome is imperative to understand the rationale of anti-Semitic conspiracy rhetoric in Turkey.

Discussion and Conclusion

Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks, 2015

The phenotypes of the patients may be explained by haploinsufficiency of the genes deleted at 17q... more The phenotypes of the patients may be explained by haploinsufficiency of the genes deleted at 17q23.2. One of the genes deleted from this region is COIL. Deletion of exon 2-7 of COIL led to reduced viability in homozygous mice (5). The mouse knockout model has shown that full-length coilin is essential for proper formation and/or maintenance of CBs and recruitment of snRNP and SMN complex proteins to CBs (5). If Cajal Bodies, key organelles involved in RNA processing in general, are in significantly lower numbers, main molecules necessary for RNA processing may be absent or reduced, resulting in alterations in RNA-splicing andtranscription. The reduction of CBs in the patients suggests that haploinsufficiency of COIL could have phenotypic consequences. The limb defects (symphalangism, syndactyly) are consistent with the deletion of NOG, mutations of which are associated with symphalangism (3). Similarly, mental retardation may be caused by any of the unknown genes including MSI2, which is expressed during CNS development of in mice (4).

Conspiracy Theories in Turkey1

Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories, 2020

Sociology, Social Theory and Conspiracy Theory

Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories, 2020

Explaining negative descriptions of Armenians in Turkish parliamentary speeches (1960–1980) via group position theory

Quality & Quantity

This paper scrutinizes the role of Turkish politicians’ threat perception on negative description... more This paper scrutinizes the role of Turkish politicians’ threat perception on negative descriptions of Armenians between 1960 and 1980. In so doing, it brings together the theoretical insights of group position theory with the scholarship on the perception of non-Muslim minorities in Turkey. Building on a comprehensive, mixed-method content analysis of Turkish parliamentary proceedings, it demonstrates that Turkish politicians are more likely to make negative comments about Armenians while debating about national security and foreign threats than when speaking about other topics. The paper concludes that perceived threats contribute to the negative descriptions of Armenians in Turkish politics.

The Relationship between Perceived Security Threats and Negative Descriptions of Armenians in Turkish Politics (1946–1960)

Nationalities Papers

How do perceived threats influence politicians’ attitudes towards religious minorities? Examining... more How do perceived threats influence politicians’ attitudes towards religious minorities? Examining the Turkish parliamentary records between 1946 and 1960, this study suggests that perceived security threats significantly contribute to Turkish political parties’ negative descriptions of Armenians. The research analyzes speeches about Armenians via a mixed-method content analysis. The findings demonstrate that (a) debate about security threats is a reliable predictor of the political parties’ negative portrayals, and (b) members of the parliament justify their negative views by labeling Armenians as an enemy. The article concludes that perceived threats evoke negative speeches about Armenians in Turkish politics.

Negative Perceptions of Jews in Turkish Politics: An Analysis of Parliamentary Debates, 1983-2016

South European Society and Politics, 2019

What are the political roots of the anti-Jewish rhetoric? This study analyses the perception of J... more What are the political roots of the anti-Jewish rhetoric? This study analyses the perception of Jews in Turkish politics to address this ever-important query. Building on group position theory and the historical background of the Turkish-Jewish relations, the research proposes that rightwing ideological orientation and perceived threats can predict negative perception of Jews. It scrutinises the Turkish parliamentary proceedings by quantitative and qualitative content analysis. The findings support the premise. The study concludes that discussing about perceived threats tends to evoke the negative rhetoric and right-wing ideological orientation seems to be a predictive factor for the expression of such views. This implies that an effective management of perceived threats would decrease the frequency of anti-Jewish statements in Turkish politics.

Turkish parliamentary debates about the international recognition of the Armenian genocide: development and variations in the official denialism

Southeast European and Black Sea Studies

The main source of animosity in modern Turkish – Armenian relations is the debate on the internat... more The main source of animosity in modern Turkish – Armenian relations is the debate on the international recognition of the Armenian genocide. To provide an evidence-based and thorough perspective on the Turkish political stance in this discussion, this article explores all the relevant speeches in Turkish parliamentary records. It pays particular attention to political parties’ stances, the historical evolution of the debate, and the significance of the individual profiles of parliamentarians who contributed to the discussion. The findings show that most political parties in Turkey articulated versions of denial, except for a few marginal anti-denial voices. The study concludes that while political parties’ ideological orientations predominantly shape the Turkish debate on the international recognition of the Armenian genocide, historical contexts, local memories, and the individual backgrounds of parliamentarians seem to inspire minor variations in their tones.

Conspiracy Theories as Conduits of Fundamentalist Ideologies: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

The Sociological Foundations of Turkish Nationalism

Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 2017

Although Ziya Gökalp was one of the most important intellectuals who shaped Turkish nationalism, ... more Although Ziya Gökalp was one of the most important intellectuals who shaped Turkish nationalism, scholarship did not systematically examine the links between his sociological perspective and nationalism. This study portrays how Gökalp's culture-civilization theory, predominantly adapted mainly from Emile Durkheim's sociological perspective, provides a basis to his Turkish nationalism. Gökalp developed two central premises in line with Durkheimian sociology: (a) civilization is dependent on cultural unity; and (b) religion is the root of culture. Via the culture-civilization duality, Gökalp constructed Turkish nationalism that excluded non-Muslim and non-Sunni minorities. This article not only provides a comprehensive account about the roots of Turkish nationalism but also posits a fresh perspective on Gökalp's trinity of Turkification, Islamization and modernization. In so doing, it underlines Durkheim's indirect impact on the foundations of Turkish nationalism.

The impacts of the Turkish government’s conspiratorial framing of the Gezi Park protests

Social Movement Studies, 2017

Metastases claim more than 90% of cancer-related patient deaths and are usually seeded by a subse... more Metastases claim more than 90% of cancer-related patient deaths and are usually seeded by a subset of circulating tumor cells shed off from the primary tumor. In circulation, circulating tumor cells are found both as single cells and as clusters of cells. The clusters of circulating tumor cells, although many fewer in number, possess much higher metastatic potential as compared to that of individual circulating tumor cells. In this review, we highlight recent insights into molecular mechanisms that can enable the formation of these clusters-(a) hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype of cells that couples their ability to migrate and adhere, and (b) intercellular communication that can spatially coordinate the cluster formation and provide survival signals to cancer cells. Building upon these molecular mechanisms, we also offer a possible mechanistic understanding of why clusters are endowed with a higher metastatic potential. Finally, we discuss the highly aggressive Inflammatory Breast Cancer as an example of a carcinoma that can metastasize via clusters and corroborates the proposed molecular mechanisms.

OUP accepted manuscript

Parliamentary Affairs, 2017

Do perceived political threats lead to religious exclusion? This study explores the political rat... more Do perceived political threats lead to religious exclusion? This study explores the political rationale of the exclusionary attitude towards non-Muslim minorities in Turkey. It relies on a qualitative content analysis of the discussions on the Armenian, Greek and Jewish foundations in the Turkish parliament in the 2000s. While doing so, the research brings together the academic literatures on the perception of religious minorities in Turkey with the group threat perspective. The findings show that the exclusionary statements about the non-Muslim minorities are often justified by suspecting them as potential plotters of the dismemberment of the country. The article concludes that to achieve an inclusive political culture in Turkey, it is imperative to understand the perceived national security threats. It also underlines that parliamentary debates constitute an ideal resource for research, which deserves greater attention.

Rationale of conspiracy theorizing: Who shot the President Chen Shui-bian?

Rationality and Society, 2014

Despite their apparent, and at times escalating, significance, there are not many studies on the ... more Despite their apparent, and at times escalating, significance, there are not many studies on the ways conspiracy theories are used in political debates. This research attempts to fill the gap in the existing scholarship by suggesting a rational choice view in understanding conspiracy theorizing, and tests its argument on the uses of online conspiratorial accounts about the attempted assassination of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian in 2004. Findings show that there is a significant correlation between perception of threat and proposing conspiracy theories, and online users change the direction of their conspiratorial accounts subsequent to the release of election results. The article concludes that online users propose conspiracy theories rationally in line with their political arguments and perceived threats.

The Conspiratorial Style in Turkish Politics

Oxford University Press eBooks, Dec 20, 2018

The “deep state” conspiracy theory is evergreen in Turkish politics. Why is it so popular, and wh... more The “deep state” conspiracy theory is evergreen in Turkish politics. Why is it so popular, and why do political elites continually turn to different forms of this conspiracy theory? This chapter focuses on an amorphous but significant conspiracy theory, the deep state, which argues that a clandestine elite group is determined to defend the Turkish state ideology and the political stability by legal, and often illegal, means. While all political parties in the Turkish parliament talk about the existence of the deep state, they do not agree on who it is, largely because of their contradictory partisan interests. This creates incompatible definitions of the deep state, which cannot convince all parties. In short, partisan conflict ensures the continuity of the deep state conspiracy theory.

Conspiracy Theories About the Covid-19 Pandemic in Turkey

Routledge eBooks, Jan 27, 2023

A Brief History of Turkish Jews and Anti-Semitism

This chapter recounts the history of Jews and anti-Semitism in Turkey in two subsections: Turkish... more This chapter recounts the history of Jews and anti-Semitism in Turkey in two subsections: Turkish Jewry during the Ottoman period and the Turkish Republic. The former is a brief account about the origins of the Jewish population in Anatolia and the life of the community during the Ottoman period. The latter underlines significant socio-political changes that shaped the fate of the Jewish minority in the Turkish Republic. It discusses the treatment of Jews in important historical moments between 1923 and 2013. All in all, the chapter examines the sociopolitical roots of anti-Semitism in Turkey from a historical perspective and provides a background for the discussion in the next chapter.

racionalidad de las teorías conspirativas. Una aproximación desde Max Weber y Raymond Boudon

Conspiracy theories tend to be perceived as irrational ideological phenomena with the potential t... more Conspiracy theories tend to be perceived as irrational ideological phenomena with the potential to produce harmful effects on those societies in which they are disseminated. Such perception, reinforced by the visibility of those historical examples in which they have legitimized the discrimination of minorities or even genocide, conditions their sociological analysis and constrains its explanatory potential with a presumption of irrationality. This paper defends, by contrast, an approach starting with a presumption of rationality, conceived in a comprehensive sense combining instrumental rationality and value rationality. Such a rational choice perspective allows for a thorough understanding of the phenomenon and, through it, potentially for a sounder basis for interventions seeking normative goals that the theory does not relinquish. The paper presents the two main currents in sociological research of conspiracy theories and shows how they could be reconciled through a rational approach based upon Weber and Boudon's visions of rationality, as opposed to Pareto's restricted one, exploring its applicability to empirical research that relates conspiracy theories to partisanship and religiosity.

Perceived group threats and right-wing political party membership as driving forces of negative descriptions in Turkish Parliamentary debates (1983–2018)

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, May 6, 2021

To what extent do perceived threats explain negative descriptions of minorities in politics? This... more

Analysis of an Online Discussion on Adolf Hitler

This chapter discusses online users’ comments about Adolf Hitler in the most popular online forum... more This chapter discusses online users’ comments about Adolf Hitler in the most popular online forum website in Turkey, Eksi Sozluk. It begins by describing the socio-political significance of Eksi Sozluk in Turkey and outlining the structure of the website. Subsequently, the research analyses the content of the online entries about Adolf Hitler from 1999 to 2013. The data involves around 1,200 entries from 1,000 online users. It differentiates between negative/positive and moral/instrumental comments about Adolf Hitler. Furthermore, the study demonstrates what kinds of events led people to write anti-Semitic comments between 1999 and 2013.

Three shades of dismemberment anxiety about Armenians in Turkish politics

Current Sociology, Nov 15, 2021

This article explores the significance of perceived threats about dismemberment in Turkish politi... more This article explores the significance of perceived threats about dismemberment in Turkish politics, also called the Sèvres syndrome. Relying on a qualitative content analysis of Turkish parliamentary records, it scrutinises how the syndrome influences the debates about Armenians between 1983 and 2018. It demonstrates that Turkish politicians refer to the syndrome in three manners: (1) Armenians had tried to dismember; (2) Armenians could create conditions to dismember again and (3) Armenians are actively attempting to dismember. The study concludes that the syndrome presents an obstacle to a peaceful Turkish–Armenian relationship by recalling Turkish victimhood in the past and relating it to contemporary contexts.

Understanding Anti-Semitic Rhetoric in Turkey Through The Sèvres Syndrome

Turkish Studies, Sep 28, 2015

Abstract While various studies suggest that anti-Semitism is almost non-existent in Turkish socie... more Abstract While various studies suggest that anti-Semitism is almost non-existent in Turkish society, the popularity of the conspiratorial rhetoric about Jews raises question marks about this view. This article probes into contemporary anti-Semitism in Turkey by scrutinizing conspiracy theories about a crypto-Judaic society called Dönme. It explores the influence of the paranoid style in Turkish politics, known as the Sèvres syndrome, on the popular conspiracy theories with anti-Semitic themes. The research relies on an analysis of the content of conspiracy accounts and interviews with their authors. It concludes that the influence of the Sèvres syndrome is imperative to understand the rationale of anti-Semitic conspiracy rhetoric in Turkey.

Discussion and Conclusion

Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks, 2015

The phenotypes of the patients may be explained by haploinsufficiency of the genes deleted at 17q... more The phenotypes of the patients may be explained by haploinsufficiency of the genes deleted at 17q23.2. One of the genes deleted from this region is COIL. Deletion of exon 2-7 of COIL led to reduced viability in homozygous mice (5). The mouse knockout model has shown that full-length coilin is essential for proper formation and/or maintenance of CBs and recruitment of snRNP and SMN complex proteins to CBs (5). If Cajal Bodies, key organelles involved in RNA processing in general, are in significantly lower numbers, main molecules necessary for RNA processing may be absent or reduced, resulting in alterations in RNA-splicing andtranscription. The reduction of CBs in the patients suggests that haploinsufficiency of COIL could have phenotypic consequences. The limb defects (symphalangism, syndactyly) are consistent with the deletion of NOG, mutations of which are associated with symphalangism (3). Similarly, mental retardation may be caused by any of the unknown genes including MSI2, which is expressed during CNS development of in mice (4).

Conspiracy Theories in Turkey1

Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories, 2020

Sociology, Social Theory and Conspiracy Theory

Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories, 2020

Explaining negative descriptions of Armenians in Turkish parliamentary speeches (1960–1980) via group position theory

Quality & Quantity

This paper scrutinizes the role of Turkish politicians’ threat perception on negative description... more This paper scrutinizes the role of Turkish politicians’ threat perception on negative descriptions of Armenians between 1960 and 1980. In so doing, it brings together the theoretical insights of group position theory with the scholarship on the perception of non-Muslim minorities in Turkey. Building on a comprehensive, mixed-method content analysis of Turkish parliamentary proceedings, it demonstrates that Turkish politicians are more likely to make negative comments about Armenians while debating about national security and foreign threats than when speaking about other topics. The paper concludes that perceived threats contribute to the negative descriptions of Armenians in Turkish politics.

The Relationship between Perceived Security Threats and Negative Descriptions of Armenians in Turkish Politics (1946–1960)

Nationalities Papers

How do perceived threats influence politicians’ attitudes towards religious minorities? Examining... more How do perceived threats influence politicians’ attitudes towards religious minorities? Examining the Turkish parliamentary records between 1946 and 1960, this study suggests that perceived security threats significantly contribute to Turkish political parties’ negative descriptions of Armenians. The research analyzes speeches about Armenians via a mixed-method content analysis. The findings demonstrate that (a) debate about security threats is a reliable predictor of the political parties’ negative portrayals, and (b) members of the parliament justify their negative views by labeling Armenians as an enemy. The article concludes that perceived threats evoke negative speeches about Armenians in Turkish politics.

Negative Perceptions of Jews in Turkish Politics: An Analysis of Parliamentary Debates, 1983-2016

South European Society and Politics, 2019

What are the political roots of the anti-Jewish rhetoric? This study analyses the perception of J... more What are the political roots of the anti-Jewish rhetoric? This study analyses the perception of Jews in Turkish politics to address this ever-important query. Building on group position theory and the historical background of the Turkish-Jewish relations, the research proposes that rightwing ideological orientation and perceived threats can predict negative perception of Jews. It scrutinises the Turkish parliamentary proceedings by quantitative and qualitative content analysis. The findings support the premise. The study concludes that discussing about perceived threats tends to evoke the negative rhetoric and right-wing ideological orientation seems to be a predictive factor for the expression of such views. This implies that an effective management of perceived threats would decrease the frequency of anti-Jewish statements in Turkish politics.

Turkish parliamentary debates about the international recognition of the Armenian genocide: development and variations in the official denialism

Southeast European and Black Sea Studies

The main source of animosity in modern Turkish – Armenian relations is the debate on the internat... more The main source of animosity in modern Turkish – Armenian relations is the debate on the international recognition of the Armenian genocide. To provide an evidence-based and thorough perspective on the Turkish political stance in this discussion, this article explores all the relevant speeches in Turkish parliamentary records. It pays particular attention to political parties’ stances, the historical evolution of the debate, and the significance of the individual profiles of parliamentarians who contributed to the discussion. The findings show that most political parties in Turkey articulated versions of denial, except for a few marginal anti-denial voices. The study concludes that while political parties’ ideological orientations predominantly shape the Turkish debate on the international recognition of the Armenian genocide, historical contexts, local memories, and the individual backgrounds of parliamentarians seem to inspire minor variations in their tones.

Conspiracy Theories as Conduits of Fundamentalist Ideologies: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

The Sociological Foundations of Turkish Nationalism

Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 2017

Although Ziya Gökalp was one of the most important intellectuals who shaped Turkish nationalism, ... more Although Ziya Gökalp was one of the most important intellectuals who shaped Turkish nationalism, scholarship did not systematically examine the links between his sociological perspective and nationalism. This study portrays how Gökalp's culture-civilization theory, predominantly adapted mainly from Emile Durkheim's sociological perspective, provides a basis to his Turkish nationalism. Gökalp developed two central premises in line with Durkheimian sociology: (a) civilization is dependent on cultural unity; and (b) religion is the root of culture. Via the culture-civilization duality, Gökalp constructed Turkish nationalism that excluded non-Muslim and non-Sunni minorities. This article not only provides a comprehensive account about the roots of Turkish nationalism but also posits a fresh perspective on Gökalp's trinity of Turkification, Islamization and modernization. In so doing, it underlines Durkheim's indirect impact on the foundations of Turkish nationalism.

The impacts of the Turkish government’s conspiratorial framing of the Gezi Park protests

Social Movement Studies, 2017

Metastases claim more than 90% of cancer-related patient deaths and are usually seeded by a subse... more Metastases claim more than 90% of cancer-related patient deaths and are usually seeded by a subset of circulating tumor cells shed off from the primary tumor. In circulation, circulating tumor cells are found both as single cells and as clusters of cells. The clusters of circulating tumor cells, although many fewer in number, possess much higher metastatic potential as compared to that of individual circulating tumor cells. In this review, we highlight recent insights into molecular mechanisms that can enable the formation of these clusters-(a) hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype of cells that couples their ability to migrate and adhere, and (b) intercellular communication that can spatially coordinate the cluster formation and provide survival signals to cancer cells. Building upon these molecular mechanisms, we also offer a possible mechanistic understanding of why clusters are endowed with a higher metastatic potential. Finally, we discuss the highly aggressive Inflammatory Breast Cancer as an example of a carcinoma that can metastasize via clusters and corroborates the proposed molecular mechanisms.

OUP accepted manuscript

Parliamentary Affairs, 2017

Do perceived political threats lead to religious exclusion? This study explores the political rat... more Do perceived political threats lead to religious exclusion? This study explores the political rationale of the exclusionary attitude towards non-Muslim minorities in Turkey. It relies on a qualitative content analysis of the discussions on the Armenian, Greek and Jewish foundations in the Turkish parliament in the 2000s. While doing so, the research brings together the academic literatures on the perception of religious minorities in Turkey with the group threat perspective. The findings show that the exclusionary statements about the non-Muslim minorities are often justified by suspecting them as potential plotters of the dismemberment of the country. The article concludes that to achieve an inclusive political culture in Turkey, it is imperative to understand the perceived national security threats. It also underlines that parliamentary debates constitute an ideal resource for research, which deserves greater attention.

Rationale of conspiracy theorizing: Who shot the President Chen Shui-bian?

Rationality and Society, 2014

Despite their apparent, and at times escalating, significance, there are not many studies on the ... more Despite their apparent, and at times escalating, significance, there are not many studies on the ways conspiracy theories are used in political debates. This research attempts to fill the gap in the existing scholarship by suggesting a rational choice view in understanding conspiracy theorizing, and tests its argument on the uses of online conspiratorial accounts about the attempted assassination of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian in 2004. Findings show that there is a significant correlation between perception of threat and proposing conspiracy theories, and online users change the direction of their conspiratorial accounts subsequent to the release of election results. The article concludes that online users propose conspiracy theories rationally in line with their political arguments and perceived threats.

Digital Citizenship in Turkey

by Dr. Emre Eren Korkmaz and Turkay Nefes

Oxford TMCD, 2022

In many ways, social media has helped the expansion of fundamental rights, such as access to info... more In many ways, social media has helped the expansion of fundamental rights, such as access to information and free expression. In many countries social media offers an important outlet for activists and journalists to express opposition or to organize. For example, the United States (U.S.) 11 based activist group, Black Lives Matter, successfully used social media to organize protests despite alleged government attempts to block their mobilization. In this and other instances, social media 12 has proven an important tool for free speech and political mobilization. However, just as social media can offer a positive source of free expression, it can also be used to spread disinformation and Tarin Quiros, C. et al. (2018) Women in the Digital Age. European Commission.