Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book highlights the study of Turkish party politics on themes like party systems, clientelism, party policies and intra-party politics. It show that the answers to such questions in the Turkish context differ strongly from those in both Western and new democracies. The book also shows party activism is much higher among the members of Turkey's major parties than is the case in Europe. It describes models of political participation, particularly civic voluntarism, cognitive engagement or social capital. The book argues that ideological attachments and emotions are of paramount importance in shaping political perceptions in the Turkish case. It underlines the role of ideology while discussing how the relationship between the media and party politics has evolved in Turkey. The book suggests that it relates to the way local politics serve clientelistic interests.