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theses

This case study aims to examine the interaction between social movements and protest policing in Diyarbakir province within the context of the dynamics of a globalized social mass movement, the Arab Uprising, and its influence on local mass movements and counter protest policing implementations. In a more detailed perspective, this research, first of all, examines the background, inspiration and variations between a global social mass movement, the Arab Uprising, and a locally inspired one, the Kurdish Uprising attempts. Second, this study evaluates prevalent and appropriate police or military interventions in the recent history focuses on the kinds of model and styles of protest policing that security forces have developed and developed after responding threatening social mass protests ended with severe injuries and deaths in the name of maintaining public peace and order. Third, this case study intends to comprehend the characteristics of the existed mass movements and riots in Diyarbakir, located in the southeastern part of Turkey, which has a long history of civil unrest. It seeks to understand whether the dynamics of these protests-sometimes violent and sometimes peaceful- are reflections of anger that come from the past state policies (such as unplanned mandatory displacements of the villages and residents) or something else. Fourth, to achieve its goal, the study examined 2136 social mass events existed within the border of Diyarbakir in order to determine the sufficient number of Anti-Riot officers and needed vehicles to be deployed in social mass events in order to end any social mass demonstrations in peace. Additionally, it scrutinizes the correlation between terrorist activities and legal social mass events; the influence of selected politicians on the frequency, quantity and violence of social mass events; the outcome of prohibiting social mass events; and the emotional factors on the quantıty, frequency and the degree of violence in social mass events existed within the border of Diyarbakir. Fifth, the case study surveyed 538 Anti-riot officers who are the first responders in dealing with social mass events and interviewed 20 experts who were accountable to the Police Commissioner or the Governor in order to provide explanation for the factors that provide troublemakers to commit violent actions; the importance of negotiation with organizers in order to end mass activities in peace; the impact of the media and remarks of the authorities on social mass movements; the perception of the anti-riot forces about protest policing models and styles, job satisfaction, and social mass movements and activists; the inspiration of the Arab Uprising on the attempted Kurdish Uprising; suitable training programs for security forces dealing with social mass movements; the existence of risk assessment studies; the correlation between terrorist activities and democratic social mass events existed within the border of Diyarbakir province. The outcome of this study will assist decision makers, government agencies and security organizations to understand the characteristics, potential, and aims of riots and other social mass movements; illuminate dynamics that generate societal disturbances to protest collectively; identify factors that urge activists to committing violent actions; promote risk assessment strategies and training programs that will help the law enforcement authorities to develop an appropriate form of protest policing that is believed to support public peace and order and facilitates demonstrators’ rights to organize and participate in social mass events; and develop protest policing policies and philosophy for further mass movement control strategies for the good of the society.

ETD_7818

Ph.D.

Includes bibliographical references

by Demez Ercan

doi:10.7282/T3125W33

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.