The second half of the 19th Century was a remarkable period in the history of the transformation of Istanbul's Pera district, which can also be detected in the history of its western type theatre buildings, passages, cultural activities, district regulations, planning and establishment of other public and private spaces. The scope of the study will focus on the period between the announcement of the Edict of Gulhane (1839) till Second Constitutional Era (1908). I have chosen the Pera district, also known as Beyoğlu/Taksim for this case study, because it had quite specific functions in the city. It had hosted various ethnical groups throughout its long history, which was also the case in the middle of the 19th century, and the cultural harmony influenced the district's social life. I intend to test this hypothesis by applying Charles Landry's creativity city concept with Pera's cultural district at the end of the thesis. I will apply the aforementioned concepts and examine the remarkable modern type constructions of the district and their history. I will show that gradual growth of the amount and intensity of interactions between the West and the Ottoman Society created a cultural infrastructure, which in turn created a cosmopolitan area in Pera. Social and daily life started to change with the...

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With 2011 womens movement in Turkey has a new tool for combating violence against women in their hands / Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, a.k.a. the Istanbul Convention. The Convention will add several new tools to the ones used by the womens movement in Turkey since 1980s.

Istanbul undertakes about half of the imports and exports of the country which has been increasing the importance. It is the most developed city in Turkey with a population reaching up to 13.255.685 people in 2010 consisting of %17.98 of the national population. The service sector demand and the real estate production are expected to be high together with the Istanbul&rsquo / s rising position in the globalization process. Upon the increase in demand for global sectors, the production of the commercial real estate tends to increase, which can be observed from construction statistics that are published by the Turkish Statistical Institute. The world city literature developed in several respects. As to the world city/global city concept, there are three main theories that play major roles in understanding the emergence of global command centers and strongly influenced the world city literature that belong to John Friedmann, Saskia Sassen and Manuel Castells. Developments in lines with the world city/global city concept appeared in Istanbul with the 1980&rsquo / s reforms towards economic liberalization, together with the support of the Government to make Istanbul a &lsquo / global city&rsquo / . The city is the primary gateway of Turkey to the global economy and Istanbul has been well ranked in academic rosters of world cities since the beginning of the 21 st century. v When the case of Istanbul is considered, the city as a world city is expected to be relatively at an earlier stage of globalization process, and with respect to these major theories / the attribution of Istanbul seems to have similarity with Friedmann&rsquo / s (1986) &lsquo / world city&rsquo / vision. The main data that reflect the supply of commercial real estate as related to demand in the globalization process are obtained from the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), under the published categories of &lsquo / Hotel and etc constructions&rsquo / , &lsquo / Office, Wholesale and Retail Commerce&rsquo / , &lsquo / Traffic and Communication Buildings&rsquo / , &lsquo / Industry and Storage&rsquo / , and &lsquo / Public, Entertainment, Education and Hospital&rsquo / . In order to figure out the place of Istanbul in the globalization process in the country, Istanbul&rsquo / s data are compared with the same data for Ankara and Izmir comprising the years between 2002 and 2010. It is aimed to figure out the developed sectors of Istanbul and to clarify how Istanbul is leading in the production of real estate for the global sectors of both manufacturing and service activities. The developments in respect of globalization process of the city can be expected in the direction of the formation of world city as defined in line with the Friedmann&rsquo / s theory, since not only buildings for service sector activities are produced in Istanbul, but also industrial real estate production at almost equal level during much of the investigated period. It is expected that global city functions, in lines with the Saskia Sassen&rsquo / s framework will develop as world city functions consolidate in Istanbul. Therefore, the commercial real estate production is expected to be more rapid and more in line with the growth of world city functions in Istanbul, compared to two other most developed cities of Turkey which are Ankara and Izmir.

This study employs widely excepted asset pricing models to test their explanatory power in the context of Istanbul Stock Exchange listed companies between 1990 and 2010. The risk factors, beta, size, book-to-market equity, and momentum are used to form portfolios and their factor loadings are estimated. The results of this study are mostly in line with the previous academic research, and some unique attributes of the return generation mechanism of Istanbul Stock Exchange are reported.

This paper is the result of a minor field study conducted in Istanbul, Turkey, during the period of November and December 2007. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the current business environment for apparel manufacturing in Istanbul. Research was carried out through an industry analysis in terms of competition and potential future development for apparel manufacturers. The research has been carried out through interviews with actors related to the apparel manufacturing segment. Interviewees include five manufacturers, two sourcing agents, one trade organization and one professor with research in the area. Our findings concerning the business environment are based on Michael E. Porters theoretical framework on “How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy”. In the case of Turkish apparel manufacturers this paper concludes how the barriers of entry for new actors are high, unless integrating forward. Additionally in general terms the suppliers have a weak bargaining position while customers are relatively strong in the bargaining process. The rivalry among apparel manufacturers is low, but it can be stated how less differentiated manufacturer experience significant higher level of rivalry. Further on this paper also concludes how these factors not are affected by any substitute products, much due to the broad scope of the study. In respect to these factors a general strategy used by apparel manufactures has been identified as they try to affect the balance of these competitive forces through e.g. differentiation and vertical integration.

ABSTRACT IMPACTS OF URBAN RENEWAL POLICIES: THE CASE OF TARLABASI/ISTANBUL Sakizlioglu, Nur Bahar M.S., Department of Sociology Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Helga Rittersberger-Tili&ccedil / May, 2007, 296 pages Istanbul of 2000s has experienced a shift in urban policy approach from leading and maneuvering uneven, excessive and speculative urban growth, towards managing &lsquo / urban transformation&rsquo / that has been put implementation with urban (re)development / renewal / regeneration / revitalization initiatives. To examine the rise of these new policies for &lsquo / urban transformation&rsquo / in Istanbul of the 2000s for the entire restructuring of the city is the first and comprehensive aim of this study. In this respect, the political economic, social, dynamics that lied beneath the policy shift toward urban transformation and the associated alterations in the institutional and legislative configurations are discussed. Besides, a categorization of the extant &lsquo / urban transformation&rsquo / projects in Istanbul with different scopes and aims is provided and lastly the main elements and impacts of the urban transformation projects in the city are evaluated. The second and main aim of the study is to investigate the underlying features and intents, impacts of the new urban policies designed to renew the historical neighborhoods of Istanbul with a specific focus on the role of the municipal government as the key actor in the process. Attached to this, it is specifically targeted to examine the relationship between these new urban renewal policies, strategies and gentrification in inner city historical neighborhoods. To this end, the case of TarlabaSi renewal process, a deprived neighborhood in the old commercial and cultural center of Beyoglu-Istanbul, is analyzed giving detailed accounts on the renewal approach and the municipality&rsquo / s attitudes towards different stakeholders in the process, the initial impacts of the project in the neighborhood and lastly on the relation between renewal initiative and gentrification. Embracing a qualitative methodology, the study makes use of variety of data collection techniques, namely semi-structured in-depth interviews, document analyses, media analyses, participant and direct observations. Based on the analysis, the study firstly evaluates that the rise of the new policies, programs for urban transformation/ renewal in Istanbul of the 2000s refers to a new phase in the unplanned and highly uneven urbanization experience of Istanbul, which has been shaped by the neoliberal policies for more than twenty years. It also suggests that this new urbanization phase has been shaping with an approach, which sidelines the social aspects of urban transformation on behalf of the rent-oriented project implementations, plans that would make the urban redevelopment sector attractive for inter/national investments and which paves the way to the rewriting of the uneven urban development that would potentially result in the accentuation of the polarizations between the winners and the losers in the redistribution of the urban rents created as the result of these projects. Based on the analysis regarding the TarlabaSi renewal process, it is suggested in the study that renewal process in the neighborhood initiated by the municipality with a cultural and tourism based renewal strategy has been shaping with rent- oriented approach which excludes the social aspects of urban renewal. Leading the process, municipality has embraced an entrepreneurial attitude towards the investors and a selectively inclusive, encouraging one towards the property owners. However, the tenants, the groups with no legal tenancy status and the marginal groups, all of which constitute the majority of the neighborhood population have been the social groups that the municipality has not taken as the addressees but rather excluded within the renewal process. The initial implications of the renewal proposal at the neighborhood level have been speculative increases in the real estate prices, heightened interest of the big capital groups for renewal investments in TarlabaSi and an emerging appeal and interest of the middle classes for a living in TarlabaSi etc. Once these impacts are evaluated in relation to gentrification, the study argues that the renewal process that has been experiencing in TarlabaSi is preparing the infrastructure for gentrification in the neighborhood as the result of the municipal initiative. Urban renewal plans shaped by the municipality do not include any social mechanisms, measures and programs to prevent the displacement of the low-income and marginal groups living in TarlabaSi in this process, rather encourage a radical change in the socio-cultural profiles of the residents to create a &lsquo / new&rsquo / TarlabaSi as a prestigious cultural center in the city. In this sense, the study argues that this deprived, sociospatially stigmatized neighborhood in the historical city center is being created as a gentrifiable one with the municipal intervention in this renewal process. While such a trajectory of neighborhood change pinpoints the potential reproduction of the uneven development process that has carried TarlabaSi to the thresholds of renewal through this new renewal policy, it leaves the low-income disadvantaged groups living in TarlabaSi to face the very tangible problem of displacement.

This thesis analyzes the Turkish press coverage of the bombings in Istanbul on November 15 and 20, 2003. The general tendencies of the Turkish press in presenting the events are analyzed and comparisons between the coverage by a number of selected Turkish dailies that are known to be affiliated with different political views are made. The specific presentations of the Istanbul bombings by different dailies is analyzed in the context of the political debates in Turkey as these are reflected by papers of varying political views. Moreover, the analysis of the press was used to interpret Turkish politics on such issues as anti-Americanism, attitudes towards the AKP government and Islamism with reference to the specific positioning of the different political camps in Turkey, on the issue of the November 2003 Istanbul bombings.

The new international division of labour has transformed the economic structure of Turkey from an import-substituted to an export-oriented economy. Starting from the early 90s, many Moldovan migrants began to come to Turkey in order to work temporarily in the informal economy. They worked in clothing and shoe ateliers until the beginning of this century. Nowadays many Moldovan migrants work in clothing shops as Russian-speaking sales assistants and in the cargo firms as carriers. Based on this historical context, this study explores the changing labour market position and workplace interactions of irregular Moldovan migrants, who are working in the textile/clothing sector in Istanbul, Turkey. I firstly try to understand the mechanisms of the changing labour market positions of irregular migrants by focusing on the factors and agents behind these dynamic processes. Secondly, I intend to analyze the labour process control regimes and resistance in the workplaces where migrants work. With this aim in view, I conducted field research in Istanbul consisting of 35 in depth and informal interviews with Moldovan migrants, Turkish employers and Turkish employees. As a result of the analyses of my findings, I first observed that although foreign workers cannot change the exploitative working conditions, they can find ways of escaping from exploitative working conditions in a context. Secondly, the level of exploitation in informal working conditions are not only determined by the necessities of capitalist accumulation regimes and the migration policies of the state but also by the preferences of employers based on economic and cultural motives but also.

Since evolution of &ldquo / global cities&rdquo / is based on private financial actors forming the global economic network, these cities are confronting not only lifestyle changes, but also architectural and urban transformations. An important urban element produced by cities in the global economic network is the new central business district, which house vertical building forms with high demographic density. As a complex urban element serving for national and international arena as service center of liberal economy and an urban prestige symbol of the city, design and planning process of new central business districts is gaining priority to solve complexity of its structure considering public use. The aim of this study is to explore the physical public space due to be created in the new central business district in Istanbul, which has been developing along the B&uuml / y&uuml / kdere Avenue. Critically concentrating on its design and the planning process and future strategies in a comparative study with other global city examples of Paris, Berlin and Singapore, which have been giving specialized priority to the planning phase and future strategies for their new central business district developments, it is aimed to develop a substantial basis for the conceptualization of how the new central business district can be implemented in Istanbul.