Stavroula Koskina

Contact: stkoskina(at)gmail.com

Ph.D. Candidate; Research Assistant, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Stavroula Koskina is a research assistant currently engaged in the POPREU project. Born and raised in Thessaloniki, Stavroula is a PhD candidate in Political Sciences at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. She holds a Master’s Degree in Political Theory and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and is also an undergraduate student in Islamic Studies at the same institution. Stavroula has further enriched her research experience as a research assistant at Kadir Has University in Istanbul, Turkey. Her primary research interests include the intersection of religion and politics, with a focus on the MENA region.

Religion, Populism, and Polarization: The Case of the Turkish Opposition

This paper examines the role of religion and populism in shaping political polarization within the Turkish opposition, focusing on parties in the Nation Alliance (CHP, İYİ, SP, DEVA, GP, DP) before the 2023 presidential elections. While the literature often highlights the ruling AKP’s use of religious and populist discourse, little attention has been given to how the opposition employs these elements to unify its ideologically diverse coalition. Using discourse analysis grounded in Laclau and Mouffe’s theory of hegemony, this study analyzes digital content from the official websites of Nation Alliance parties to identify how they construct identity and appeal to voters through religious and populist narratives. The findings reveal that the opposition strategically mobilizes religious sentiments and populist rhetoric, positioning itself both as an alternative to the AKP and as a guardian of religious and cultural values, thus contributing to Turkey’s political polarization. This paper demonstrates how secular and religious discourses are balanced within the Nation Alliance, exposing the tensions and unifying strategies that shape the opposition’s approach to Turkey’s complex political landscape.