Transnational Advocacy Networks and Domestic Environmental Activism.

Transnational spaces are intensively employed by feminist movements (Moghadam, 2000), environmental activists (Wapner, 1995) and human rights advocates (Sikkink, 1993). This paper focuses on transnational networks and their impact on local social movements, government policy and stateâ€"society relations in Turkey. Three cases will be examined in order to outline the emergence, development and the extensity, intensity, pattern and impact of the ties between the different nodes of advocacy networks. The first case is that of Bergama which entails a struggle to prevent an Australian gold-mining company from using the cyanide leaching method for gold recovery. The anti-cyanide network around the Bergama movement was active for over a decade. Second case is the anti-nuclear network, which was formed against the plans to build a nuclear power plant in Turkey. The third case is that of the controversy around the construction of the Ilisu Dam in the southeast of Turkey and the transnational advocacy network that was formed in order to pressure international and national actors. The main argument is that environmentalism supported by transnational networks has provided a significant push for generating public debate and challenging the heavy-handed and centralized decision-making of the state.Moghadam, V. M. (2000), ‘Transnational Feminist Networks: Collective Action in an Era of Globalisation’, in Saïd Amir Arjomad (ed.) International Sociology, Vol. 15(1), pp. 57-85. Sikkink, K. (1993), ‘Human Rights, Principled Issue-Networks and Sovereignty in Latin America’ International Organization.Wapner, P. (1995), ‘Politics Beyond the State. Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics’ World Politics. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]