Tracing Ideologies, Influences, and Politics: the Shaping of a State Monopoly in Turkey's Sports System (1920s-1990s)

Abstract

Despite Turkey's changing political regimes, sports have remained under state governance since 1938. This article analyzes the ideologies, influences, and politics that have shaped this state monopoly over the sports system across three phases from the 1920s to the 1990s: establishment, stabilization, and instrumentalization. The establishment phase aimed to align sports with nation-building ideals, incorporating nationalist ideology and paramilitarism. The stabilization phase embraced a statist approach influenced by socio-economic conditions and Soviet influence. The instrumentalization phase, beginning with the & Ouml;zal years, utilized sports for political discourse and socio-economic purposes, retaining the state-run system even during the era of neoliberalization.