Neo-conservatism, Sovereign Power and Bio-power: Female Subjectivity in Contemporary Turkey

This Paper is an attempt to understand the attacks directed at the efforts for the promotion of gender equality in the last years in Turkey. By reviewing some of the policy regulations, civil society and the media discourses on issues of gender in Turkey the paper suggests to understand the ongoing undermining of efforts and demands of gender equality within the framework of neoconservatism. Neoconservatism as a political rationality provides a specific content to the governing mentalities, has a particular impact on sovereign form of power and biopower regulating social and political life, gender and power relations in contemporary societies and poses formidable challenges to politics, claims for equality and rights and particularly to gender equality goals and women’s freedom. The Paper tries to elaborate on the aspects of such challenges, on the effects of the functioning of neoconservative sovereign and biopower and would like to discuss the possibility of resistance in times of darkness.