Authoritarianism and Kurdish alternative politics: Governmentality, gender and justice

Examines how Kurdish alternative politics and state building result in new forms of governmentality, justice and gender regimes • Based on 202 interviews with Kurdish female and male activists, politicians, mayors, former and active guerrillas, unofficial court representatives and judges, local religious leaders, and representatives from different Turkish and Kurdish political parties, secular groups and women's organisations • Introduces a new theory of alternative governmentality, and explains how this plays an important role for emerging parallel powers and alternative state-making processes • Contributes to and challenges existing debates on authoritarianism and governmentality in the Middle East and Europe • Engages critically with 'radical democracy' and 'democratic federalism' as they are articulated and practised by the Kurdish political movement • Gives insight into the lived experiences and daily lives of Kurdish women and men under authoritarian rule, from the Kurdish cities of Mardin, Kars and Diyarbakir. Latif Tas investigates the triangular relationship between nationalism, justice and gender politics to explore how influencing this dynamic allows authoritarian rulers to stay in power for longer and justify their actions for monopolising power.