Religion, Politics and Society in Modern Turkey
1808-2023
Critically re-reads Turkey’s history with a focus on the interactions between religion, politics and society
- Debates the role of religion in state identity in Turkey including both secularist and Islamic tendencies
- Scrutinises Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (the Presidency of Religious Affairs /‘the Diyanet’), the administrative body in Turkey that regulates issues regarding Islam
- Critiques the differences between de jure and de facto conditions for religious minorities in Turkey throughout history
- Explores gender dimensions of religion, state and society in Turkey
This book is a critical reading of Turkey’s entanglement and struggle with modernity, Islam, diversity, democracy and human rights/liberties over the last two centuries. Its major argument is that the relationship between religion and state forms an important dimension not only of official state ideology, but also of interrelations between different groups in society and in those groups’ relations with the state. The book provides an overarching view of modern Turkey’s religion, politics and society over an extended period and examines the complex relations between society, religion, laicité, state identity and their reflections in state power and daily life. This book’s originality and novelty stems from its examination of religion, politics and society in modern Turkey over an extended period, from the Ottoman era to current times.
Introduction: Navigating the Tapestry of Modernity, Islam and Diversity in Turkey
- Ottoman Modernisation
- A Single-party Regime
- Transition to the Multi-party Regime
- After the Military Coup of 1960 (1960–1980)
- After the Military Coup of 1980 (1980–2002)
- Under the AKP Rule (2002–2023)
Conclusion: What Is Next for Turkey?
References Index
This comprehensive book is about the ever presence of religion in shaping the contours of Turkey's social and political history. İştar Gözaydın meticulously surveys this history in six distinct periods, from the crowning of Sultan Mahmud II in 1808 until today. A must-read for students and scholars of contemporary Turkey and the politics of religion.
İştar Gözaydın is one of Turkey's foremost scholars of religion and politics. Her encyclopaedic knowledge fills the pages of this monumental book. Covering more than 200 years of Turkey's development, the book is a one-stop-shop for anyone interested in Turkey and its religious and political development. I highly recommend.
