Abstract:

This article discuss the problematic relationship between democracy and bureaucracy in Turkey. In this context, primarily historical causes of gained ‘class’ character of bureaucracy in Turkey is examined. Taking advantage of Serif Mardin’s ‘center-periphery’ analysis and Metin Heper’s ‘bureaucratic governance tradition’ conceptualization to reveal peculiar qualities of the bureaucratic background in Turkey. Based on those conceptualizations, the problems of bureaucratic elite’s perception of democracy in Turkey has been pointed out. In Turkey, struggle between secular modernizing bureaucratic elite and liberal conservative political elites correspond to the longest political division is emphasized. In this context, it is claimed that the tutelary political model which is institutionalized by the May 27 regime provides a constitutional-institutional opportunity for the bureaucracy to survive as a political actor. It is seen that the ‘bureaucratic governance tradition’ which has been shaped since the Tanzimat period, still exists in the Republican era. The distinctive characteristic of the bureaucratic governance tradition is that the bureaucracy has a political function. It can be express that bureaucracy in Turkey is not only follow the political decision but also is a device that formulates politics. Bureaucracy in Turkey has an essential/value rationality rather than formal rationality in Weberian sense and undertakes a political mission since the beginning. Essential/value rationality has always been a priority, although the underlying values ​​differentiated. While the Ottoman bureaucracy developed a rationality for the protection of Islamic-religious norms, the Republic bureaucracy tended to preserve a whole set of values ​​rising on the principles of nationalism and secularism.  

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