Political Culture in Unrecognized States

This project examines the similarities in political practices among unrecognized states. These are entities that perform governmental functions while remaining unrecognized and “illegal” in the international arena. This liminal status gives them the trappings of a state without formal recognition. Hatay’s research explores how this liminality affects political culture and governance in such states. The project particularly examines the relationships between unrecognized states and their “patrons” – Turkey in the case of northern Cyprus, Russia in the cases of Abkhazia and Transnistria – and how dependence on a patron state influences domestic politics.