devletleri

Devletleri is the Turkish plural form referring to more than one state. In Turkish, the word devlet means a political organization with sovereignty over a defined territory and a population, governed by institutions and laws. The term devletleri appears in scholarly and political texts when discussing multiple states. The word derives from the Arabic dawla and entered Turkish through historical layers of Ottoman and later Turkish political vocabulary.

In international law, a state (devlet) is typically defined by four elements: a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. This framework, associated with the Montevideo Convention, underpins contemporary understandings of statehood. States possess sovereignty, enabling them to enact laws, collect taxes, maintain security, conduct diplomacy, and participate in international organizations. Recognition by other states can influence a state’s diplomatic and legal rights, although it is not the sole determinant of statehood.

States vary in structure. They can be unitary or federal, and they may be fully sovereign or exist in contested or transitional forms. The state as an institution is distinct from the government of the day (hükümet), which is the current administration that exercises the state’s powers. Scholarly discussions may refer to several states collectively as a group (devletleri) when analyzing comparative politics, diplomacy, or regional history.

Historically, the concept has evolved from ancient empires and city-states to modern nation-states, shaping legal systems, administration, and foreign policy worldwide. See also sovereignty, nation-state, state formation, governance.