Search on Ifri.org

About Ifri

Frequent searches

Suggestions

Adıyaman, the “Ownerless City”: Story of a Political Emancipation

Studies
|
Date de publication
|
Image de couverture de la publication
Adıyaman, the “Ownerless City”: Story of a Political Emancipation
Accroche

Over the past two years, the city of Adıyaman has made headlines for two major reasons: first, its devastation by the earthquake of February 6, 2023, which struck between Turkey and Syria, and second, its significant political shift following the municipal elections of March 31, 2024. 

Image principale
Adıyaman Clock Tower
Adıyaman Clock Tower
yilmazharmanci/Shutterstock.com
Table of contents
Table of contents
body

The election of a candidate from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) is unprecedented after 47 years of conservative dominance and 20 years of governance by the Justice and Development Party (AKP). This shift can be partially explained by a protest vote against a central government perceived as neglectful in the aftermath of the earthquake.


The election of this new mayor, in the context of intense political competition at the local level in Turkey and under challenging post-disaster conditions, represents both a challenge for the new municipal leadership and a source of hope for the population. After the traumatic experience of the earthquake, residents aspire to see their city rebuilt and opened to the world. Tourism, arguably the greatest hope for this transformation, is expected to play a key role in this process. The province of Adıyaman possesses an invaluable cultural and historical heritage, shaped by its position at the crossroads of civilizations, religions, and cultures. This rich legacy has the potential to drive economic recovery and foster greater international engagement.

 

>>> This study is also available in Turkish

Decoration

Available in:

ISBN / ISSN

979-10-373-1083-5

Share

Download the full analysis

This page contains only a summary of our work. If you would like to have access to all the information from our research on the subject, you can download the full version in PDF format.

Adıyaman, the “Ownerless City”: Story of a Political Emancipation

Decoration
Author(s)
Image principale
Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, Türkiye
Turkey/Middle East Program
Accroche centre

Ifri's Turkey/Middle East Program aims to provide expertise on the trends and developments in politics, societies and economies across the region.

The programme has the following objectives:

  • Proposing a new approach towards the MENA region through an analysis of local, regional, and international dynamics with the potential to guide and influence new policies.
  • Highlighting the role of foreign powers which have traditionally been present in the region and analyzing the new role taken on by emerging countries ;
  • Anticipating new directions and outlooks in each country.
  • Interpreting risks and potentials and putting forward new templates for analysis.

The programme has built a dense network of researchers and experts who provide expertise on the MENA region and working together on a range of crosscutting themes.

Image principale

Indonesia and the Palestinian Cause

Date de publication
25 July 2025
Accroche

During his inaugural presidential speech on October 20, 2024, Indonesia’s incumbent president, Prabowo Subianto, iterated certain principles central to the philosophical foundation of the Indonesian nation. He noted Indonesia’s longstanding foreign policy of non-alignment or “bebas dan aktif” (free and active) and its aversion to military pacts.

Daniel PETERSON
Image principale

Middle Power Lawfare : South Africa, International Justice, and the Gaza Crisis

Date de publication
21 July 2025
Accroche

The intensification of violence in Gaza following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 Al Aqsa Flood attack and Israel’s military response prompted a broader reassessment of global diplomacy. Longstanding geopolitical alignments were disrupted, and questions about humanitarian obligations, institutional accountability, and the limits of state conduct returned to the centre of international debate.

Gustavo DE CARVALHO
Image principale

The Evolving Role of Nuclear Rhetoric in Iran’s Strategic Calculus

Date de publication
03 July 2025
Accroche

How has the Iranian strategic discourse about nuclear weapons and deterrence evolved? 

Image principale

Turkey and France - Allies or Rivals: Opportunities to be Seized

Date de publication
24 June 2025
Accroche

As international relations have become increasingly unpredictable, the quest is to find a semblance of normality. Alliances are shifting as interests are changing. The so-called order established after the Second World War is being shattered by those who have given so much to create it. Global relations are being transformed by countries that wish to follow the rules and others that want to circumvent or ignore them. In this uncertain environment, it is therefore all the more crucial to find stable allies.

Selim YENEL
Page image credits
Adıyaman Clock Tower
yilmazharmanci/Shutterstock.com

How can this study be cited?

Image de couverture de la publication
Adıyaman, the “Ownerless City”: Story of a Political Emancipation
Adıyaman, the “Ownerless City”: Story of a Political Emancipation , from Ifri by
Copy
Image de couverture de la publication
Adıyaman, the “Ownerless City”: Story of a Political Emancipation

Adıyaman, the “Ownerless City”: Story of a Political Emancipation