About Firat Kimya

Fırat Kimya is an Associate Fellow at Al Sharq Strategic Research and a PhD Candidate in the department of Politics at the University of Virginia. His research explores the formation of democratic institutions, particularly political parties, before and after democratic transition processes. Regionally, He is interested in Europe and MENA, utilizing a comparative approach to the study of democratization. His research interests include political parties, corruption and party finance, democratization in the MENA, social movements, European politics, and democratic consolidation.
7 Nov, 2022

Refugees like Us: Ukrainian Refugee Surge demonstrates double standards in refugee treatment

Firat Kimya | 07 November 2022 | TR

The recent influx of Ukrainian refugees into European countries invites a reconsideration of the anti-immigrant position adopted by the European far-right. Unlike immigrants from MENA, Afghanistan, and African countries, Ukrainian refugees received a warm welcome from Europe. Despite the declining number of refugees from developing countries

Refugees like Us: Ukrainian Refugee Surge demonstrates double standards in refugee treatment2023-01-11T10:25:17+03:00
8 Apr, 2022

Syrian Immigration in Turkish Party Politics

Firat Kimya | 08 April 2022 | TR

Syrian immigration to Turkey has become a controversial topic since the first wave of refugees arrived in 2011. While the immigration issue initially largely remained outside of party politics, it began to occupy a more central place in political debates over the second half of the last decade due to the increasing number of Syrians and their prolonged stay

Syrian Immigration in Turkish Party Politics2022-04-12T14:00:29+03:00
16 Nov, 2021

Democracy Promotion No Longer? Autocratic Diffusion and Economic Barriers to Democratic Consolidation in Tunisia

Firat Kimya | 16 November 2021

The crisis of democracy in Tunisia continues, as President Kais Saied declared an indefinite suspension of parliament, which he has depicted as a threat to the state. Amidst this crisis, the indecisive attitude of international democratic actors has disappointed many and created a power vacuum for MENA strongmen to extend their political influence on Tunisia

Democracy Promotion No Longer? Autocratic Diffusion and Economic Barriers to Democratic Consolidation in Tunisia2022-04-07T14:16:38+03:00
16 Aug, 2021

Authoritarian Legacies, Weakness of Political Parties, and Prospects for Tunisian Democracy

Firat Kimya | 16 August 2021

Will the Arab uprisings end where they started? While it is still too early to present a definitive answer, the prospects for Tunisian democracy do not seem promising. On July 25, Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechici, as well as the justice and defense ministers, and suspended parliamentary activities for thirty days which was followed by a curfew to prevent people from going to the streets to protest. Even though Saied used the pretext of the government’s growing inability to address the economic hardships

Authoritarian Legacies, Weakness of Political Parties, and Prospects for Tunisian Democracy2022-04-11T15:06:26+03:00
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