THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ETHNIC MEMBERSHIP AND POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR: AN ANALYSIS ON THE FIRST KURDISH ORIGIN IDEALISTS OF MUŞ

Political behaviour consists of sociological, psychological and economic factors. Individuals may be affected by one or more of these factors while forming their political behaviour. Therefore, it is assumed that individuals’ political or ideological preferences have an explainable underlying structure. It is known that the ethnic origin of individuals, as a sociological factor, greatly affects their ideological stance and political preferences. However, ethnic affiliation, which is considered to be a sociological factor, may not always have the expected effect and give usual results. Due to both the stance of the cadres that shaped the ideological foundations of idealism and the ideals they embraced, idealism in our country is known as a political stance exclusive to those of Turkish origin. However, studies have revealed that individuals from different ethnic backgrounds have also embraced this political stance. The Kurdish-origin idealists living in the province of Muş constitute a significant example in this regard. In the current study, it can be observed that the group referred to as the Kurdish-origin idealists of Muş prioritizes national interests and religious sensitivities over ethnic identity. As a result, it can be argued that they exhibit behaviours contrary to expectations when shaping their political preferences.