“Protest Publics” in Egypt and Turkey from 2011 Till Present Days: Assessment of Impact on Political Changes

Comparative Politics (Russia). 2016. Vol. 7. No. 2(23). P. 34–47.

Anufriev A., Zaytsev D.

Mass political protests of recent years, starting with the Arab Spring in 2010-2011 when protesters swept the Middle East and North Africa and up to the latest developments in Ukraine, are an important factor of political changes. Once emerged, protests go on and preserve their infl uence on political changes in the United States and Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand and many other countries all over the world. This allows some researchers to talk about the emergence of a new phenomenon – the phenomenon of protest groups of citizens or protest publics.1 These publics can become not only a factor but also an actor of political changes in modern polities. This requires clarifi cation of existing methodological approaches and research tools of political changes, as well as the roles of the different driving forces (actors and factors) in the process.

Keywords: Ближний Восток, Турция, Middle East, Египет, Арабская весна, Turkey, political protests, Egypt, Arab spring, политические изменения, political changes, протест