Gender in Political Sex Scandals in Contemporary Turkey: Women's Agency and the Public Sphere

Abstract

Sex scandals in politics lead to intense public debates about fundamental issues, such as morality, publicity, and privacy, rendering gender inequalities more visible than ever. This article aims to reveal the complex gendered dynamics of the political culture by looking at sex scandals in contemporary Turkey. The ways in which these scandals have been narrated, negotiated, and resolved among the public and political actors provide grounds for analysis about the nature of patriarchal dynamics regarding women's agency and public credibility communicated through their sexuality in contemporary Turkey.