An Abstract of the Dissertation of Birsen Talay Kesoglu for the degree of Ph.D. from the Atatürk Institute for Modern Turkish History to be taken October 2007.

Title: Socialist Women’s Organizations in Turkey, 1975-1980

In this study, socialist women’s organizations established between the years 1975-80 in Turkey are explored. The Turkish left, which had not welcomed the idea of separate women’s organization, started to establish women’s associations by 1975. The Progressive Women’s Association (IKD) constitutes the first example in this respect, which was established by the leadership of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP). In the framework of this study, the Democratic Women’s Association (DKB), the women’s association of the Socialist Worker’s Party
of Turkey (TSIP), and the Women’s Section established under the Worker’s Party of Turkey (TIP) are also discussed. From a broader perspective, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the approach of the Turkish left towards women and the women’s question from 1975–1980 through an analysis of socialist women’s organizations. The solutions that these three parties proposed for “women’s emancipation,” the policies that were developed, and the principles that were put into practice allegedly in the name of or for women are also within the scope of this study. In order to evaluate the period in a wider context, the development of the European women’s movement, particularly in England and Germany, is examined closely. Tracing back the legacy of the socialist women’s organization of the 1970s in Turkey and exploring whether or not it was transferred to the feminist movement of the post-1980 era revealed that it was mostly the “former leftist” women of the 1970s who paved the way for and shaped the feminist movement of the post-1980 era.

Atatürk Ilkeleri ve Inkilap Tarihi Enstitüsü’nde Doktora Derecesi için Birsen Talay Kesoglu tarafindan Ekim 2007’de teslim edilen tezin özeti

Baslik: 1975-1980 Yillari Arasinda Türkiye’deki Sosyalist Kadin Örgütlenmeleri

Bu çalismada 1975-80 yillari arasinda Türkiye‘de gerçeklesen sosyalist kadin örgütlenmeleri ele alinacaktir. Daha önce ayri kadin örgütlenmesine sicak bakmayan Türkiye solu 1975 yilindan itibaren ayri kadin örgütleri kurmaya baslar. 1975 yili itibariyle Türkiye Komünist Partisi’nin önderliginde kurulan Ilerici Kadinlar Dernegi (IKD) ilk örnektir. Bu arastirmanin çerçevesi içinde Türkiye Sosyalist Isçi Partisi’nin (TSIP) kadin örgütü Demokratik Kadin Birligi (DKB) ve Türkiye Isçi Partisi’nin (TIP) parti bünyesinde olusturdugu TIP Kadin Seksiyonu da incelenmistir. Daha genel çerçevede ele alirsak, temel olarak Türkiye Solu'nun kadina, kadin sorununa bakisi, sosyalist kadin dernekleri araciligiyla degerlendirilmistir. Çalismanin bütününde bu üç partinin 'kadinlarin kurtulusu' için getirdigi çözümlere, “kadinlar adina” üretilen politikalara ve gerçeklestirilen uygulamalara yer verilmistir. Dönemi daha iyi degerlendirebilmek için de 1975-80 yillari arasinda Avrupa’da kadin hareketinin gelisimi incelenirken, özellikle Ingiltere ve Almanya’daki kadin hareketine daha yakindan bakilmistir. Türkiye’de 1970’lerdeki sosyalist kadin örgütlenmesi nasil bir miras birakti, 1980 sonrasi gelisen feminist harekete bir aktarimi var mi sorularina yanit aranirken, 1980 sonrasi feminist hareketin önünü açan ve yönünü belirleyenlerin çogunun 1970’lerdeki “eski solcu” kadinlar oldugu görülmüstür.