If you destroy the secular, you demolish the accomplishments turkey has made thus far. President barack obama referred to turkey as a great muslim democracy. Erdogans turkey and the palestinian issue universiteit leiden. An islamic democracy in iraq will signal to the muslim world that the u. T oday marks the first anniversary of the 15 july coup attempt in turkey. Turkey, a year after the attempted coup, is defending. In the near future, the populist islamist regime of erdogan may create a reaction in the form of a strong secularist backlash. Providing historical, social, and religious context for this behavior, the essays in democracy, islam, and secularism in turkey examine issues relevant to turkish debates and global concerns, from the states position on religion to its involvement with the european union.
Oct 02, 2016 obama did not understand that turkey could never join the eu before it has fully transformed from being a muslim democracy into a democracy. For turkey to survive its defeat in world war i, the country was set up with a distinct power center in istanbul and a weak, poor periphery in anatolia that was underrepresented. Turkeys democracy is dying but this brutal crackdown cant last. However, while muslims say they admire freedom and an open political system, gallup surveys suggest that they do not believe they must choose between islam and democracy, but rather, that the two can coexist inside one functional government. Islam, secularism, and nationalism in modern turkey. Kadioglu, ayse, civil society, islam and democracy in turkey. Belying assertions of the incompatibility of islam and democracy, many muslim majority countries are now or have been democratic. Democracy, islam, and secularism in turkey on jstor. Secularism and muslim democracy in turkey in 2002 the islamist justice and development party akp swept to power in turkey. A recent indepth gallup survey in 10 predominantly muslim countries. For deliberative democracy to produce better outcomes, decisionmaking needs to be reinforced by opportunities for social learning. This paper proposes a short apprehension of the reflections of one of the most important progressive islamic scholars, the egyptian theologian ali abderraziq.
Introduction urkey has a unique position in the muslim world. It is a delicate ecosystem of checks and balances that needs a free media and a conscious civil society to survive. Muslim democracy explores the relationship between politics and religion in fortyseven muslim majority countries, focusing especially on those with democratic experience, such as indonesia and turkey, and drawing comparisons with their regional, nonislamic counterparts. Islam and democracy in the context of the arab spring. Religion, secularism and the veil in daily life pdf. But in reality, the president of the united states was suggesting to europes rich club of nations that it must admit as full member not a democracy but a muslim democracy. In turkey, the choice of secularism cannot simply be summed up as a confrontation between authoritarian secularists bullying democracy and islamists using democracy to undermine secularism. While a number of military coups aimed among other things to control religion, turkish political islam showed remarkable resilience and adaptability. Feb 19, 2009 secularism and muslim democracy in turkey book. Implications for the world, muslims and secular democracy murat somer 1 third world quarterly 28 7, pp.
Obama did not understand that turkey could never join the eu before it has fully transformed from being a muslim democracy into a democracy. This is a relatively long experience, particularly when compared to those states comprising the socalled third. Introduction turkey has more than fifty years experience of democracy since its first free elections were held in 1950. Whats the difference between an islamic state and secular. A great muslim democracy is an oxymoron and certainly none exists in the middle east. In france, even though debates about islam sometimes risk bordering racism, religious minorities are aware that secularism remains their best protection. Today, it occupies an equally important position as a true muslim democracy on europes frontier with the islamic world. Some modern islamic thinkers, whose ideas were particularly popular in the 1970s and 1980s, rejected the notion of democracy as a foreign idea incompatible with islam.
Democracy, islam, and secularism in turkey book description. The foundations for its secularism were laid in the first decade following the establishment of the turkish republic in 1923. Sep 30, 2012 prime minister tayyip erdogan trumpeted turkey s credentials as a rising democratic power on sunday, saying his islamistrooted ruling party had become an example to the muslim world after a. This democratic model faces strong opposition from those in the middle east who want. Civil society, islam and democracy in turkeythe muslim.
Political islam in turkey ceps working document no. A study of three islamic nongovernmental organizations ay 1 e kad. Oct 25, 2014 a great muslim democracy is an oxymoron and certainly none exists in the middle east. A turkish view article pdf available in the middle east journal 6 june 2007 with 70 reads how we measure reads. Turkey views its neighbors as security threats when they shelter its nonmuslim and muslim groups. Turkey was once an example of a possible democratic muslim country. The rise to power in 2002 of the rightleaning islamic justice and development party ignited fears in the west that turkey could no longer be relied upon to provide a buffer against the growth of islamic fundamentalism in the middle east. Different faces of turkish islamic nationalism the. While turkey has grown as a world power, promoting the image of a progressive and stable nation, several choices in policy have strained its relationship with the east and the west. Jul 19, 2017 turkeys democracy is dying but this brutal crackdown cant last. Turkey is a muslim country that was modernized by secularism. In surveying muslim populations, gallup solicited answers that shed. Turkey has a democratic government and a strong tradition of secularism. In the first part of the article, the historical conditions of the formation of the dualist.
For example, stronger legalinstitutional measures may be necessary to protect secular and non muslim rights and freedoms, in addition to string checks and balances between secular and islamic political actors. New muslim pluralism and secular democracy in turkey and. Turkey as a model of muslim democracy is in shambles a big loss for erdogans ak party in upcoming local elections next sunday could lay the way for a course correction from the. Jul 15, 2003 an islamic democracy in iraq will signal to the muslim world that the u.
With an emphasis on carefully locating the lived experience of muslims in the diverse historical, social and cultural contexts of the western world, it avoids a major pitfall of many books on islam by not essentializing the. Jul 19, 2016 for turkey to survive its defeat in world war i, the country was set up with a distinct power center in istanbul and a weak, poor periphery in anatolia that was underrepresented. This is a relatively long experience, particularly when compared to those states comprising the socalled third wave of democratization beginning in the mid1970s. Linzs terminology, in turkey democracy has become the only game in town. In a 2010 interview with the italian daily, corriere della sera, u. The great expectation about turkey becoming a model muslim democracy has entirely failed. As that rift heals and as the turkish nation binds itself together, turkey will become more sure of. Turkeys democracy is dying but this brutal crackdown cant. Opinion secularism and democracy in turkey the new york times. Today, it occupies an equally important position as a true muslim democracy on europes frontier with. Indeed, bringing democracy to the islamic countries of the middle. Turkey would remain a flawed democracy and failed economic miracle at best, and a case of democratic reversal and a semideveloped economy at worst. Oct 08, 2016 is the united states a democracy or a christian democracy. The ottoman empre emerged out of the medieval ages as a religion state unlike those countriesempires who had the advantage of renaissance and associated reformations on churchstate balance.
All major turkish groups, the akp, the gulen movement, and the kemalists have shared responsibility in this failure. Belying assertions of the incompatibility of islam and democracy, many muslimmajority countries are now or have been democratic. T he issue of islam and democracy has become, once again, a hot topic since the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001. The new turkey under akp rule has missed a historic opportunity to prove that liberal democracy could work in a muslim country. This caused democracy to be gradually picked up by the disaffected islamist segments of the society marginalized by the kemalist practice of secularism, which then tried to reformulate a new answer to the islamdemocracy debate on constructing islamic expression from the viewpoint of. In the 1990s, that situation repeated itself, when syria provided refuge to the terrorist kurdistan workers party pkk. It is difficult to draw an ethnic map of turkey, for at least two reasons. Implications for the world, muslims and secular democracy. Written by experts in a range of disciplines, the chapters explore the. The blurry line between religion and secularism in turkey. Secularism and muslim democracy in turkey cambridge middle. New muslim pluralism and secular democracy in turkey and the eu. Although christianity has a long tradition in turkey, islam is the largest current religion in. It is the only secular democracy among muslim majority countries.
Secularism and muslim democracy in turkey cambridge middle east studies m. There exist a number of perspectives on the relationship of islam and democracy among islamic political theorists, the general muslim public, and western authors. Hakan yavuz, a premier scholar of turkey, negotiates this ambiva. Turkey in maps a collection of current and historical maps of turkey. Map of islamic countries theme maps in 57 countries.
At its peak, this vast muslim caliphate empire of islam had included the middle. This may remind the rise of young turks in reaction to. Turkeys political trajectory shows the world the fragility of democracy. Now, more than ever, western governments, alarmed by this outcome, have raised the perennial question. Since then it has shied away from a hardline ideological stance in favor of a more conservative and democratic approach. Opinion secularism and democracy in turkey the new. As that rift heals and as the turkish nation binds itself together, turkey will become more sure of itself and more powerful in the longterm. The islamisation of politics versus the politicisation of islam. If you attack the muslims, you inflame a religion that, having been aroused, cannot capitulate. Islam and modernity some scholars have argued that christianity and judaism have essentially come to terms with modernity, as represented by western pluralistic societies such as the united states, and dont view modernity as a. Erdogans moves have raised concerns over the direction of turkeys democracy, some in the middle east still see him as a fair and strong muslim leader in a region often ruled by. As i explain in my book the new sultan, turkeys brand of political islam in turkey, championed by erdogan, is first and foremost a nativist movement, which sees only its supporters as the true people of the land. Erdogan, who came to power through his justice and development party akp in 2002, is a prototype for nativist leaders globally.
In early april 2009, president barack obama made a highprofile visit to turkey, where he gave an important, if often overlooked, address to the turkish parliament. Turkeys path under erdogan embodies far more than the megalomania of its neoottoman president. A study of three islamic ngos, the muslim world, 95, january 2005. This caused democracy to be gradually picked up by the disaffected islamist segments of the society marginalized by the kemalist practice of secularism, which then tried to reformulate a new answer to the islam democracy debate on constructing islamic expression from the viewpoint of the individual and of social liberty. By abdullah al andalusi on october 23, 2014 9 in an islamic state, the leader caliph is appointed by the muslim ummah through a process of consultation shura, whether it is direct plebiscite of the people or election by a council of representatives e. Islam and democracy eliane ursula ettmueller abstract. Oxford, ukmuwothe muslim world00274909 2005 hartford seminaryja955nuary 2005 original article civil society, islam and democracy in turkeythe muslim world civil society, islam and democracy in turkey. The book is a pioneering attempt to engage in a comparative study of muslim experiences on both sides of the atlantic. In a nutshell, turkey is the remnant of ottoman empire. Stressing the importance of the development of democratic dialogue in divided societies, kanra tests his claims of a new deliberative framework by analyzing interaction between islamic and secular discourses in the.
Among arabs, diverging views on turkeys erdogan wsj. Muslim democracy explores the relationship between politics and religion in fortyseven muslimmajority countries, focusing especially on those with democratic experience, such as indonesia and turkey, and drawing comparisons with their regional, nonislamic counterparts. Based on these conclusions, islam, secularism and nationalism in. Moderate islam and secularist opposition in turkey. The relationship between islam and democracy in turkey. Any lingering hopes that erdogan would return to the path of. Sunnimuslim nationalism would also alienate the alevi. Civil society, islam and democracy in turkeythe muslim world. The issue has not been confined merely to academic debates. There exist a number of perspectives on the relationship of islam and democracy among islamic political theorists, the general muslim public, and western authors some modern islamic thinkers, whose ideas were particularly popular in the 1970s and 1980s, rejected the notion of democracy as a foreign idea incompatible with islam.
Providing historical, social, and religious context for this behavior, the essays in democracy, islam, and secularism in turkey examine issues relevant to turkish debates and global concerns, from the states. Apr 18, 2017 recep tayyip erdogan, the president of turkey, once said that democracy was like a bus. Transition and globalization in a muslim state, by yildiz atasoy. Exactly one year ago, millions of turkish citizens set aside their political, cultural and ethnic differences to form a.
Turkish democracy is example for muslim world erdogan reuters. President erdogan has killed off democracy in turkey, and it. Paul kubicek draws on the experiences of those countries to explore the relationship between political manifestations of islam and democratic politics. Turkeys democracy is dying but this brutal crackdown. Turkey has become a republic of mutual contempt and distrust. It focuses on his work about islam and the fundamentals of power, published in 1925. For example, stronger legalinstitutional measures may be necessary to protect secular and nonmuslim rights and freedoms, in addition to string checks and balances between secular.