Dissertation
Trick, trap, treason: conspiracy theories on Turkey's internal and external enemies (2002-2022)
On Thursday 29 January 2026 Uğur Derin successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.
- Author
- U. Derin
- Date
- 29 January 2026
- Links
- Leiden Repository
Conspiracy theories (CTs) have been a deeply rooted part of political discourse in Turkey for at least a century. Although CTs exist across the world, those in Turkey have distinctive features. I examine in this PhD thesis Turkish CTs by focusing on the interplay between internal and external enemies, their recurring links to the past, and their distinctive vocabulary. While the study analyses the Erdoğan era (2002–2022), it shows that references to the same enemies from the past remain a constant pillar of conspiracy narratives in Turkey.
Supervisor: Prof.dr.E.J. Zürcher
Co-supervisor: Dr. A.A. Yenen