Circuits of Security: Debating the Political Rationality of Neoliberal Governmentality in Contemporary Turkey

Spheres of life incorporated within the orbit of security have been multiplying rapidly for the last two decades, marking a global trend. Turkey is no exception. In between multiple layers of the governmental structure, more and more areas are looped into matters of security. This article tries to make sense of this process by looking into the short video clips (or “public spots”) produced by the ministries, made allegedly to inform and educate the public on a variety of issues. Analyzing these clips, Güvenç-Salgırlı and Aykan observe the spread of security having a centrifugal expansion, without any preplanned direction. In so doing it is not only incorporating fields previously unimagined under its domain, but also it produces circuits, which are made up of elements and events that form an environment (milieu) where individuals are expected to govern through their capacities as self-entrepreneurs.