Abstract

Analysis of the Turkish state in the 20th century both draws upon and supports Gramsci's definition of the state as "dictatorship + hegemony." Both the form of the capitalist state and its activities rest upon the hegemony of the dominant class. The importance of society and class conflicts in understanding the capitalist state suggests a critical position vis-à-vis the state autonomy tradition. The history of the Turkish state provides support for the argument that the dominant class must have established hegemony in the state in the first place, since without this there is no guarantee of successful use of the coercive power of the state on behalf of the sectional interests of the dominant class.