In the contemporary global world, corporate governance is one of the most frequently referred business term. This study examines the corporate governance compliance reports submitted to Capital Markets Board (CMB) by the publicly traded companies on Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE). In the analysis, relation among corporate governance compliance and size and ownership structure is investigated. Corporate governance compliance scores of the companies are obtained from Corporate Governance Index constructed based on CMB&rsquo / s Corporate Governance Principles. The results indicate that size for the entire sample of companies has positive effect on total corporate governance score and all sub index scores / in addition, under different sector categories, size affects total and sub index scores positively except service sector. The public ownership percentage singly measures ownership concentration and it affects corporate governance scores positively except stakeholders and board of directors sub indices scores for all companies. For sector categories, ownership concentration has positive effect on only general corporate governance compliance and shareholders sub index scores for finance companies. Foreign ownership percentage has positive effect on shareholders sub index score derived for all and manufacturing sector companies while its effect is negative for all other scores measured. The findings of this study contribute to the relevant literature and welcome new research initiatives within the same area in Turkey.

The enclosed and semi-enclosed seas are the most severely degraded and fragile ecosystems which necessitates immediate political responses. The problems encountered in relation to biological decline and habitat loss requires a special attention due to their unique value for the whole marine and coastal systems. The main purpose of this thesis is to analyze the contribution of the Mediterranean Environmental Programme to the protection and the preservation of the natural resources and biodiversity with a special focus on Turkey. The Mediterranean Environmental Programme which was launched in 1975 with an Action Plan and conducted through an umbrella convention which addresses this issue through the SPA/BD Protocol. In line with the SPA/BD Protocol over 750 areas are designated as specially protected areas and 25 areas as SPAMIs throughout the Mediterranean. Turkey as a Contacting Party to the 1995 Barcelona Convention and the SPA/BD Protocol, declared specially environmental protected areas which amount to 12.842,46 km2 . This thesis argues that the Mediterranean Environmental Programme provides a dynamic and flexible tool for the Mediterranean countries to address marine related problems including the biodiversity and protected areas. Whereas the ultimate success of the cooperation lies in effective implementation at national level which depends on the will of the decision makers, practitioners and the various other stakeholders / the responsive characteristics of the legislative and administrative processes.

This study aimed to explore the relationship among self-esteem, problem solving ability, ways of coping, social support and suicidal ideation of patients with schizophrenia and the differences between these variables according to the existence of suicide attempt of the patients with schizophrenia. In order to analyse the relationship and find out the differences among patients who did and did not attempt suicide, Rosenberg&#039 / s Self Esteem Scale, Problem Solving Inventory, Turkish Ways of Coping Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and Suicidal Ideation Scale were conducted to 90 patients with schizophrenia. The results of the study indicated that there was not a significant main effect for suicide attempt on self-esteem, problem solving,problem focused coping, emotion focused coping, indirect coping, social support and suicidal ideation of patients with schizophrenia. The only variable that significantly predict suicidal ideation found to be self-esteem. The results of the study evaluated and implications of the study were discussed. Finally, limitations of the study and recommendations for future research were explained.

Europeanization has been the subject of various studies in the last decades. It has been operationalized as a historical process, as a cultural diffusion of European values, as a process of institutional adaptation of institutions and lastly as the adaptation of policies. Taking the last approach, this thesis aims to examine the nature and the extent of the impact of the European Union&rsquo / s poverty and social exclusion strategy on Turkish poverty and social exclusion regime in the EU accession process. It takes up a bottom-up research design by employing the domestic change as the dependent and the possible impact of the EU as the independent variable and questions whether and to what extent the EU accession process has an impact on the degree, nature and direction of domestic change in the field of poverty and social exclusion in Turkey in the last decade. It concludes that there has been a change in poverty and social exclusion policies in the last decade to varying degrees with respect to objectives, principles, procedures and instruments / however, the impact of the EU has been limited to policy learning.

ABSTRACT THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN GEORGIAN DEMOCRATIZATION Karadag, Yelda M.S., Department of Eurasian Studies Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ay&ccedil / a Ergun &Ouml / zbolat December 2011,181 Pages This thesis analyzes the development of the multi-party system and the role of political parties in the process of democratization in Georgia during both pre-independence and post-independence periods. The conditions shaping both the multi-party system and democratization are analyzed in the light of findings obtained through in-depth interviews with the representatives of political parties, civil society organizations and academicians in Georgia. In accordance with the post-Soviet political system, the nature of the relationship between the ruling party and the opposition is crucial. The diversification among the elite groups and the lack of pact formation among the political elite is the main reason which hinders the process of democratization. Hence, despite the Georgian political party system has numerous political parties / it is shaped in accordance with the dominant political party system.

The thesis aims to examine the fear responses of 8 to 13 years old children to content of TV-news. To reach this aim, study investigated / a) relationship between mothers&rsquo / and children&rsquo / s responses about children&rsquo / s TV-news induced fears, b) nature of TV-news induced fears among 8-13 years old girls and boys, c) most common fearful coverages of TV-news, d) threatful parts of TV-news, and e) behaviors of children shown as reactions to TV-news. To examine the nature and severity of TV-news induced fears of children, Television Induced Fright Scale (TIFS-Valkenburg, Cantor &amp / Peeters, 2000) was adapted into Turkish. TIFS was administered to 186 (95-girls, 91-boys), 8 to 13 year olds and their mothers. In addition, &ldquo / mother survey&rdquo / examined the threatful parts of TV-news, and behavioral manifestations of children, and a demographic information form were administrated to mothers. According to findings, differences were found between children&rsquo / s responses and mothers&rsquo / opinions. TV-news coverages about &ldquo / children who get hurt&rdquo / , &ldquo / children who are kidnapped&rdquo / , &ldquo / starving children in poor countries&rdquo / , and &ldquo / animals who get hurt&rdquo / were found as the most fearful for children. In all coverages of TV-news, girls got higher fear scores than boys. According to results, the images, and sounds of human beings and animals were the most threatful parts of TV-news for children. As reaction to fearful TV-news, girls mostly experienced difficulty sleeping, whereas boys behaved irritably. Both girls and boys also experienced obsessive thoughts about events in TV-news. The results of the present theses are expected to shed light on understanding the relationship between fears of children and TV-news.

This thesis analyzes tourism and tourism policy in Russia from Tsarist to post-Soviet period. In this respect the main focus will be on the post-Soviet period. The collapse of the Soviet Union negatively affected tourism and tourism industry in the country. Tourism and tourism industry found itself in an uncertain environment during the transition period. With the establishment of Russian Federal Agency for Tourism in 2004, tourism policies became more effective in the Russian Federation. This study discusses the implementation of tourism policies and efforts of the Russian government for transforming the country into a well known touristic destination of the world.

This study examines the problems which are created by assisted reproductive techniques on the individuals and their decisions about the reproduction. In the study, the data of a field study which was conducted in 2010 is used in order to make the examination deeper and to give a qualitative and quantitative dimension to the theoretical framework. Through the sociological analysis of both controversial issues occurred by pre-natal reproductive technologies such as sex selection, abortion, PGD, IVF babies, disability, etc. and personal decisions which are impossible to be given independent from the social environment, providing a contribution to the development of sociology of reproduction is desired. In this study it is claimed that assisted reproductive techniques are power which will possibly get ahead of natural reproduction and reduce and even erase the biodiversity and coincidental characteristics of human reproduction, and increase the inequalities in the society. Thus this power may courage the reproduction of &lsquo / desirables&rsquo / and prevent &lsquo / undesirable&rsquo / ones from living and even insemination anymore. Another argumentation which is under discussion is the illusion of all these activities and problems were taking their sources from the own decisions of prospective parents. Reproductive biotechnology commerce hopes to people through its economy, cuts across all boundaries through the bounties of its technical abilities and by doing so it does not see a drawback in making people &lsquo / victims&rsquo / of their choices that regarded as &lsquo / rational and free&rsquo / which in fact mere &lsquo / irrational&rsquo / preferences. Thus in this thesis, the theoretical foundations and social results of this technology which extending up to the pre-natal processes are discussed to contribute a more democratic policies

The CE mark confirms that all applicable provisions are fulfilled with regard to conformity assessment within the scope of &ldquo / New Approach&rdquo / directives. The CE mark is a mandatory conformity mark for products placed on the market in the European Union. As a candidate country Turkey is obliged to achieve constitutional modifications in the quality infrastructure institutions to succeed European Union harmonization. The aim of this thesis is to research the harmonization problems in Turkish quality infrastructure system and analyze the challenges and complexities in legal approximation and implementation. Turkey has harmonization problems in standardization, conformity assessment and accreditation / proceed from inability of implementing operating methods and lack of specialized knowledge. These problems disorganize the quality infrastructure system and create disadvantage against Turkish manufacturer and consumer.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the process of nation-building in the Republic of Belarus from 1991 till the present time. The focus is made on two main projects of nation-building presented by the official authorities and the political opposition. The main concern of this thesis is to make a comparative analysis of these two projects of Belarussian national identity. Also, the thesis examines the views of the official authorities and the political opposition on the history of Belarus, which is used as a tool of national identity construction in their projects of nation-building. Concepts of ethnic and civic nationalisms are discussed aiming at understanding the nature of nationalism in Belarus together with different theoretical approaches to ethnicity.