The process of democratization in the successor states of the former Soviet Union has been widely studied by political scientists, sociologist and experts in area studies. Academic literature mainly focuses on the factors which would facilitate and/or hinder the process of democratization in the post-Soviet era. These include economic development, political culture, the nature of previous regime type, structural factors and the role of elite. This thesis analyzes the process of democratization in Georgia while focusing on the elite choices and initiatives. It mainly focuses on democratic achievements as well as the failures in democratization under the rule of three post-Soviet presidents of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Eduard Shevardnadze and Mikheil Saakashvili. While doing so, it compares and contrasts the practices, priorities and policies of three leaders and evaluates on the impact of different leadership patterns on the process of democratization. This thesis argues that democratization in post-Soviet countries in general and in Georgia in particular is mainly an elite-led process. The success and failure of this process depends on the elite choices and initiatives and the power relations between and within the elite groups.

The prime objective of this thesis is to grasp the terms of continuity and discontinuity between classical fascism and the contemporary extreme right in Western Europe. With respect to a hypothetical ideal type of fascism, the study will exclusively focus on French Front National case and try to unveil its historical and ideological linkages to the fascist rules in Italy and Germany during the inter-war years. While doing this, the transformation (if any) which certain elements of the extreme right rhetoric went through, will also be examined.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the role of the religion and language, Islam Kurdish, in the process of Kurdish identity formation in Northern Iraq and to find out the most imperative factor/s in the existing identification of Kurdish identity by relying on the field research conducted in Erbil. The current discussions in the literature generally either emphasized the role of religion by focusing on the tariqat relations, and/or the role of feudal structure of the Kurdish society by focusing on the tribal relations, and/or the role of the culture by specifically focusing on the language as way of identification. In this study, the results of the field research conducted in Erbil are being compared to the arguments in the existing literature that explain the Kurdish identity in relation to the religion and the language. The study aims to discuss whether there is a shift from the religion, which had a significant role in history regarding the Kurdish identification, to the language, as a marker of modern Kurdish identity formation in Erbil. The research that conducted for this thesis has indicated that while the role of religion lost its historical role, the Kurdish language became the indicator of the identity of the Kurds in Erbil. In addition, this study will examine, in historical context, how the Kurdish language became the core issue of the Kurdish identity. The findings of the field research have been analyzed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software program.

The third-person effect is the tendency of individuals to believe that others are more susceptible to media influence than themselves and this perception causes them to act accordingly. This study aimed to reveal the relationship between the third-person effect and voting intentions. After reading one of the two versions of a vignette about a media discussion of possible election results, both of which claimed only two major parties could pass the election threshold, Turkish university students (N=285) first evaluated the impact of the message on self and on others and then reported whether they would vote for the same party they supported or they would choose another one. Results supported the perceptual component of the third-person effect, indicating that participants believed they were less influenced by the message compared to the others. Although it was predicted that this perception would increase when the message was assumed as negative, findings did not support this hypothesis. Furthermore, the hypothesis suggesting that the third-person effect would cause behavioral consequences (change in voting intentions) was not supported. However, content analysis made a valuable contribution to interpret the findings. Possible explanations for the findings and directions for future studies about the third-person effect on voting intentions were discussed.

ABSTRACT THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG ATTACHMENT STYLE, AFFECT REGULATION, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND MENTAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE RELATIONAL WORLD Ruganci, Ruhsar Neslihan PhD., Department of Psychology Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tulin Gen&ccedil / &ouml / z February 2008, 271 pages In this study interpersonal world of the individual was tried to be conceived with its cognitive and affective domain. Two Studies were carried out. In the first study, adaptation of the Difficulty of Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) developed by Gratz &amp / Roemer (2004), into Turkish was carried out. Additionally, the relation of secure (Ss), dismissing (Ds), preoccupied (Ps), fearful (Fs) and mixed insecure attachment styles with emotion regulation, and the mediator role of the emotion regulation in the association between each attachment style and psychological distress were analyzed, the results of which were also expected to serve for the strength of the validity of Turkish version . As a result of Study I, Turkish version of DERS was established with considerable reliability regarding alpha coefficient, test-retest and split-half reliabilities. Aapproximately similar factor structure with the original version indicating Construct Validity , as an indication of Concurrent Validity DERS and its subscales displayed significant relation with psychological symptoms, and DERS differentiated high and low distress level regarding Criterion Validity. Additionally, Ss were displayed significantly better emotion regulation in general compared to three insecure categories (i.e., except Ds but including Ps, Fs, Mixed insecures), and Ss significantly differed from total insecures in terms of every strategy of emotion regulation as well . Furthermore, psychological distress and Ss, Ps, Fs, (but not Ds) relationship were mediated by emotion regulation. These results were providing additional support for the validity of the Turkish version of DERS. In the second study, possible Clinical and Control Group differences were investigated through comparing the secure, insecure attachment styles of the participants in relation to emotion regulation, psychological distress and their personal construct system regarding the internal representation of self and significant others. Again, mediation of emotion regulation in the association between attachment style and psychological distress were examined both in Clinical and Control Group. Results revealed that Clinical Group had more difficulty to regulate their emotions, except awareness skill and had more psychological distress compared to Control Group. The strength of Ss was displayed with better emotion regulation and less psychological distress even in Clinical Group compared to insecure attachment styles. Effective emotion regulation, as a mediator was associated to low level of psychological distress for Ss, while problem in emotion regulation as a mediator was associated to high level of psychological distress for insecure attachment style both in Clinical and Control Group. Additionally, Ss seemed to integrate the &amp / #8216 / positives&amp / #8217 / and &amp / #8216 / negatives&amp / #8217 / into &amp / #8216 / self&amp / #8217 / and &amp / #8216 / others&amp / #8217 / rather than splitting and have better cognitive complexity or multi-dimensional view besides more integrated system compared to insecure attachment styles. Results were discussed considering the promising efficiency of instruments that can be used in Clinical Psychology research and considering the implications regarding the prevention and intervention in Clinical practice.

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the importance of abnormally low tenders for Turkey, understand the problems created by abnormally low tenders, find reasons of them, develop various methods in reducing abnormally low tender problem and determine the most appropriate method. In this thesis, reasons of abnormally low tenders in Europe and Turkey were investigated. Various recommendations were developed for solving the problem and validity of these solutions was investigated. Different results were obtained due to the different social structure of countries. Besides, abnormally low tender evaluation questionnaire was used to find reasons of abnormally low tenders in Turkey. This questionnaire reached to 430 firms or people and by detailed analysis of questionnaire, reasons of abnormally low tenders were found out and some solution methods were proposed.

This thesis makes a comparative analysis of financial assistances provided to Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) and Turkey by the European Union (EU) prior and pursuant to candidacy. Furthermore, the thesis argues results obtained through comparison of financial assistances provided to CEECs and Turkey by the EU within the framework of integration theories and examines the place of Turkey within the enlargement perspective of the EU by addressing arguments that are dominant in the literature in relation to European integration theories. The major argument of the thesis is that Turkey has not been treated equally with CEECs as regards financial assistance provided by the EU. As a justification for this, it is assumed that ideational factors have an impact on the enlargement perspective of the EU and they are determinant in the stance of EU towards Turkey.

This thesis analyses the role of the International Community in the democratisation in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH). The main theoretical approach adopted is the Critical Theory as represented mainly by Robert Cox. Cox argued that there was an interaction between the organisation of production, the forms of state, and the world orders. The form of state that the International Community aimed at establishing in BiH following the Dayton Agreement is analysed in relation to the transnationalisation of the world order. It is concluded that the aim of the International Community has been the integration of BiH into the transnationalised world order by the establishment of a limited sovereignty and maintenance of a minimum stability. The limited sovereignty of BiH can be observed in the text of the Dayton Agreement, which includes also the constitution of this country, as well as its later implementation. The main obstacle for the International Community&amp / #8217 / s efforts has been the nationalist political parties. Therefore, the main aim of the International Community in the democratisation of BiH has been the eradication of their power. As a result of the failure of the International Community to destroy the power of the nationalist political parties, a form of controlled democracy has been established. The controlled democracy is operated through the OHR that is an ad hoc international organisation in BiH. This signified that BiH has been effectively an international protectorate in which the three constituent nations were politically monopolised by their respective nationalist political parties.

The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral smoking cessation program combined with nicotine patches in a university student sample. Moreover, changes in self-efficacy judgments of both experimental and control group participants were examined. 37 students from various departments of Middle East Technical University participated in the study. Participants in the experimental group received a 6-week group based multicomponent smoking cessation program combined with nicotine patches, whereas those in the control group were provided with self-help booklets. Point prevalence abstinence was used as the main outcome measure, which was verified by CO-measurement in exhaled air both at post-treatment and follow-ups. Separate one-way ANOVAs and repeated measures ANOVAs were used in data analysis. Results showed that there were no significant differences between the experimental and control group in terms of their degree of motivation, readiness and decision to quit smoking, nicotine dependence, depression, self-efficacy, and perceived social support at pre-treatment. Results of the repeated measures ANOVA with CO-values showed that the CO-levels of experimental groups significantly declined from pre-treatment to post-treatment and to follow-ups. Abstinence rates for the experimental group were found to be 66.67%, 55.55% and 45.44% at post-treatment, 1-month follow-up and 2-months follow-up respectively. On the other hand, abstinence rates for the control group were found to be 11.76%, 5.88% and 5.88% at post-treatment, 1-month follow-up and 2-months follow-up respectively. Moreover, it was found that self-efficacy scores of experimental group participants significantly increased at post-treatment, whereas those of control group participants significantly decreased from pre-treatment to post-treatment. The findings were discussed in the light of the relevant literature. After discussing the limitations and implications of the study, directions for future studies were suggested.

Writing a research article is not an easy task for novice researchers, who begin their study as outsiders in the academic community and who must deal with both the apprenticeship in their fields and the challenge of writing in a new genre. Moreover, PhD thesis is a genre which is very frequently &ldquo / recontextualized&rdquo / as a research article by the novice researcher. The aim of this study was to conduct a contrastive analysis of the genre-specific features of introductions in a corpus of theses written in PhD programs in ELT offered by Turkish universities and in a corpus of published research articles in ELT written by expert authors of different nationalities, in order to specify the similarities and differences in the authors&rsquo / use of lexico-grammatical, discoursal and rhetorical features in the two corpora. The analyses included both a hand-tagged and a computerized analysis of the two corpora. Specifically, the vocabulary profiles, the readability statistics, the use of verb tenses and citations, the move-step structures and the author presence markers of the two corpora were subject to contrastive analyses. The analyses revealed that the language of the RA introductions was structurally more academic, lexically dense, and thus, more difficult to read compared to the PhDT introductions. Moreover, although the CARS Model (Swales, 2005), to a large extent described the move-step structure of the RA introductions, it could not account for the move-step structure of the PhDT introductions. With respect to these variations, proposals were made to increase the effectiveness of the target PhD programs in empowering the novice researchers in their access to the discourse community of ELT.