transformation of political islam in turkey

8/2/2019 Transformation of Political Islam in Turkey

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Transformation of Political Islam

in Turkey

Hakan Kni


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What is Political Islam?

Rule accoding to Islamic Sharia?

Party ideology secular in politics but supportive of

Islam in social and cultual areas?

Islam

and

Politics

Secular

PoliticsIslam


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Transformation of Political Islam in

Turkey

From NOP, NSP, WP and VP to JDP. From

National View to Conservative Democracy.

Focus: Transformation of party program and

goals.


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Changes in the Party Program and

Goals

Foreign Policy

Nationalism and National Identity

Secularism, Religion and Moral Values Economic Policy

Democratization

Centralization versus Local Government Style of Politics


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Political Islam in Turkey

National Order Party (Milli Nizam Partisi) (1970-1971)(abolished with the 1971 coup)

National Salvation Party SP (Milli Selamet Partisi) (1971-1980) (abolished with the 1980 coup)

Welfare Party (Refah Partisi): (1983-1998) (abolished by theConstitutional Court after the Feb 28th 1997 post-moderncoup)

Virtue Party (Fazilet Partisi) (1998-2001) (abolished by theConstitutional Court)

Felicity Party (Saadet Partisi) (2001- present) Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalknma Partisi)

(2001- present) (Brought to a court case with the allegationof violating secularism)


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Foreign Policy


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National View Parties (NOP, NSP and

WP)

NW:

Opposition

to West,

Orientation

to Middle

East

1. Cultural

Westernization

2. Economic,political,

military and

social

integration with

the West

3. Zionism

4. EU integration5. NATO

6. Globalization

(IMF, WB)

West as:

1. Plotting against

Turkey

2. Crusaders

3. Christian club

4. Imperialist

5. Mother of all evels

1. Social, cultural,

economic, political

integration with

the Muslim World

2. Muslim Common

Market, Curency,NATO, UN

3. Turkish leadership

in the Muslim

world

4. Justice among

nations

5. Great Turkey once

again


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Justice and Development Party (JDP):Multi Dimensional Foreign Policy

NW:

Cultural

FP

JDP:

Pragmatist,

interest-

based,

rational

Anti-western,

anti-

globalization,

anti-Zionist,

1. Active participation in

NATO, UN missions2. Strategic partnetship with

US and dependent

institutions

3. Stong support for

integration with EU and

other global structures

4. Improved relations with

Muslim and Turkism world

on an interest based way

(energy)

5. Abondoning the idea of

Turkish leadership in the

Middle East and CentralAsia

6. Use of socio-cultural

values to maximize

interests

7. Reaction to Israel due to

violations of human rights


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Nationalism and National Identity


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NOP-NSPNOP-NSP:

1. Nation described in

religious terms.2. Promotion of

national unity

around common

goals, history ,

culture and morality.

3. Promotion of the

idea of citizenship

for non-Muslim

citizens.

4. Use of religion

against the spread of

communism.

5. Resistance against

westernization in

cultural and moralarenas.

WP:1. Addition of the

sentence that

party respects

Ataturkist

nationalism.

2. Saves other

features.

VP:1. Emphasis on

common

religious, moral,

cultural values

abandoned

2. More civic

concept of a

citizenship is

adopted rejectingdiscrimination on

the base of

language, religion,

sect, and race.

3. Differences were

recognized and

respected.

JDP:1. Nation described

in civic terms

2. Rejection of

nationalism based

on religion,

ethnicty andregionalism.

3. The idea of

Turkish citizenshipas a cement for

national unity and

integrity.

4. Ethnic, cultural,

linguistic diversity

deemed as a

richness with

respect to theKurdish

population.


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Secularism, Religion and Moral Values


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NOP-NSPNOP-NSP:

1. Secularismunderstood as

freedom of

thought and

conscience

2. Rejection of

secularism as aninstrument of

opression

3. Promotion of

religious

education against

ignorance and forthe practice of

apolitical aspects

of Islam

WP:

1. Agrees with theformer party in all

senses

2. Promotion of

education against

communist

infiltration3. Religious

education to

accompany

massive

industrialization

project4. Promotion of

Islamic morality as

a panacea for

socio-economic

problems

VP:

1. Support forfreedom of

speech, thought,

religion,

conscience.

2. Opposition to

discrimination onthe base of

language, religion,

sect, race

nd the guarantee of

freedom of

conscience


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JDP1. Identification of all people living in Turkey as

equal citizens regardless of their differences

2. Respect for national, religious and universal

values

3. Secularism as a precondition of democracy

and guarantee of freedom of conscience and

belief

4. Opposition to interpretation of secularism

as enmity against religion

5. Support for freedom of conscience also as apart of individual rights and liberties needed

for democratic consolidation and liberal

democracy

6. Freedom of conscience justified in terms of

universal norms, human rights, rule of law and

democracy

7. Termination of the idea that religious

consciousness is a precondition for material

development

8. Promotion of religious education within

constitutional limits

transformation of political islam in turkey

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