printMilitary Sociology without Sociology:
a Study on the Turkish Case
Ateş B.
Dr. Sci. (Sociol.), Associate Professor, the Military Sociology Department, Turkish National Defence University, İstanbul, Türkiye barisates@gmail.com
Smirnova Yu.A. (Translater)
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Lecturer, Sociology Department, Moscow State Linguistic University, Moscow, Russia novyuliaalex@yandex.ru
Ateş B., Smirnova Yu.A. Military Sociology without Sociology: a Study on the Turkish Case. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2025. No 2. P. 75-88
This article explores the reasons behind the late development of military sociology in Türkiye and a limited contribution of sociologists within this interdisciplinary field. The distinctive nature of Turkish civil- military relations has largely been studied by political scientists, while sociological analysis of the military’s interaction with society has remained underdeveloped. A historical examination utilizing primary and secondary sources indicates that this lack of interest is due to the closed nature of the military to research, a distorted relationship of sociology with domestic politics and its unfortunate association with communism, and the relative apathy of Turkish sociologists. However, recent initiatives aimed at institutionalizing military sociology in Turkish universities – such as the introduction of graduate courses and postgraduate programs in 2018 – hold promise for the future of this discipline despite ongoing challenges related to restrictions on research permits.
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