The Autonomy of Gagauzia and its Uneasy Centre-Autonomy Relations

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The Autonomy of Gagauzia and its Uneasy Centre-Autonomy Relations

Elisabeth ALBER & Elena CUIJUCLU

Almost 30 years ago Gagauzia was granted a special legal status. Gagauzia is a region in southern Moldova that is home to more than 134,000 Christian Orthodox Turkic people (the Gagauz people), with Gagauz and Russian as the main spoken languages. The territorial autonomy of Gagauzia (Gagauz autonomy) is a rare case of non-violent ethnic conflict regulation in the post-Soviet space…

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Democracy and Territorial Autonomy: Recent Insights from Turkey

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Democracy and Territorial Autonomy: Recent Insights from Turkey

Elçin AKTOPRAK

Could any form of territorial or non-territorial autonomy in Turkey provide a solution to the Kurdish question? It is a possibility, but not in the immediate future. So, why am I addressing this topic in a blog symposium? Because discussing any kind of autonomy, both in theory and practice, is closely intertwined with the concept of democracy…

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Territorial Autonomy and the Management of Conflicts in India

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Territorial Autonomy and the Management of Conflicts in India

Kham Khan SUAN HAUSING

Federal systems around the world envisage variegated forms of territorial autonomy to accommodate their territorially mobilized groups. India is not an exception to this. As an inheritor to disparate territories with longstanding semi-sovereign and sovereign political experiences, territorial autonomy has been central to…

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International Dispute Settlement Mechanisms for Territorial Autonomies?

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International Dispute Settlement Mechanisms for Territorial Autonomies?

Sia Spiliopoulou ÅKERMARK

Methods of dispute settlement mechanisms in the relations between central state and territorial autonomy deserve much more attention and require deeper thinking today. Such attention and debate should stretch across the domestic – international divide and explore new avenues of legitimacy and dispute settlement between…

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The Legal Dimension of Territorial Autonomy: Key Features and Implications

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The Legal Dimension of Territorial Autonomy: Key Features and Implications

Sergiu CONSTANTIN

The concept, scope and design of territorial autonomy (TA) remain subjects of debate among constitutional lawyers. Yet, in practice, there are numerous examples of autonomous regions in various countries around the world. A comparative examination of autonomy arrangements reveals that the success or failure of a TA arrangement hinges on…

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Approaches to Researching Territorial Autonomy: Reflections on Methodology and Data 

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Approaches to Researching Territorial Autonomy: Reflections on Methodology and Data 

Felix SCHULTE

Research on territorial autonomy is a dynamic and growing field. Both Google Scholar and the Social Science Citation Index show significant growth rates since the end of the Cold War. Yet, it is essential for us, as an academic community, to recognize that quantity does not equate to quality. In our pursuit of knowledge, self-reflection becomes paramount. We must conscientiously…

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For a Wider Understanding of Territorial Autonomies

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For a Wider Understanding of Territorial Autonomies

Shane Joshua BARTER

This post urges a wider understanding of territorial autonomy, moving beyond Western, liberal democratic cases.  Appreciating a broader universe helps to show that minority self-government is more common than we may think.  Rather than representing some aberration of the nation-state, territorial autonomy has a rich history and…

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Symposium Introduction: The Many Faces of Territorial Autonomy

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Symposium Introduction: The Many Faces of Territorial Autonomy

Sia Spiliopoulou ÅKERMARK & Elisabeth ALBER

This blog symposium brings together a number of experts on territorial autonomy, most of whom participated in a workshop convened in June 2023 by the Åland Islands Peace Institute in cooperation with the Finland Institute in Berlin. The goal was to look at and discuss the…

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