Jonas Knoblach holds a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies and History at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. He is currently a PhD student in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Basel. In his dissertation project, he is working on legitimation strategies among Tunisian and Turkish political parties in the 21st Century.

Legitimiationsstrategien tunesischer und türkischer Parteien im 21. Jahrhundert

Over the past two decades, Turkey and Tunisia have been seen as potential role models for the democratisation process in the MENA-region. Due to the authoritarian drift under Erdoğan and Saied, this assessment is hardly convincing anymore. These states functioned as role models not least because of their Islamic parties AKP and Ennahda, who were seen as exemplifying compatibility of a liberal market economy, moderate Islam and democracy. The aim of this research project is to explore the legitimation strategies employed by Turkish and Tunisian parties from different political spectrums in comparative perspective.