From Nationalization of Islam to Privatization of Nationalism: Islam and Turkish National Identity

2010

This article traces the origins of various proposals to nationalize Islam in Turkey. The initial Turkish proposals failed because none of them had a feasible philosophical base to facilitate the co-existence of Islam and secularism. Aside from the previous studies on the nationalization of Islam, this article carries the topic * Ass. Prof. Dr., The University of Texas-Pan Americ an, Edinburg. EMail: tbalci@utpa.edu 1 An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 49 International Studies Association Convention, San Francisco, USA, March 26-29, 2008. From Nationalization of Islam to Privatization of Nationalism... 83

The author after presenting some theoretical definitions of nationalism and the role that religion has played for the formulation and determination of them, is trying to focus on the Turkish case which should be considered a complex occasion in the extent that we are talking about a state that has been theoretically dominated by the principle of laicism and not the religion. At the same time the underestimation of Islam’s role in the formulation of the Turkish nationalism is considered by the author as a big mistake, using in this framework some historical and psychological examples and arguments that adhere his opinion. The role of Islam in the creation of the Turkish state, the co-existence between two apparently contradictory terms in the public sphere, the unseen contribution of Islam in the formulation of the new identity, the main question whether Turks have rejected Islam or not and the emergence of Islam in the Turkish political and financial aspect of life will give us a picture for the “togetherness” between Islam and the Turkish identity.

2022

This thesis explores the relationship between the far-right Turkish nationalism and Islam between 1965, when Alparslan Türkeş entered multiparty politics, and 1980, when the coup d'état which subsequently led to the closing of his political party took place. The main question that drives this work is, how has the far–right Turkish nationalism, which included a significant, if not dominant presence of secular nationalists in 1965, turned into an ideology that championed the Turkish-Islamic synthesis as of 1980? The convergences, divergences and exchanges between nationalism and Islamism are presented within an intellectual history framework. A variety of primary sources, such as nationalist political magazines, memoires, books, and election campaign materials were used. Three overarching arguments are reached by their analysis. First, Islamic themes have been increasingly abundant in nationalist ideology; a significantly Islamized nationalism, especially among the youth has come into existence as the dominant strand in far-right by 1980. Second, the Turkish-Islamic synthesis has had an uneasy nature despite nationalists' attempts to reconcile the two, causing constant tension. Third, Türkeş's approach to religion was an instrumentalist one; the main function of Islam in his ideology was as a source of high morality, which he considered necessary for national development.

The Muslim World, 1999

Middle Eastern Studies

New Perspectives on Turkey, 2012

ÖZET Bu makale Türkiye'de dinin millileştirilmesi ile ilgili farklı projeleri içermektedir. ilk önerilen projeler islam ve laikliğin birarada yaşayabilmesini sağlayabilecek felsefi temelden yoksun oldukları için başarılı olamamışlardır. Dinin millileştirilmesi konusunda daha önce yapılan çalışmalardan farklı olarak bu makale konuyu Soğuk Savaş dönemine taşıyarak Türk-İslam Sentezi'nin dinin millileştirilmesi çabalarının ulaştığı son aşama olduğu tezini vurgulamaktadır. TİS'in Atatürkçülük rejimini değiştirme gibi bir hedefi olmaması ve İslam'ın milliyetçilik, laiklik ve Atatürkçülük ile uyum içinde olduğu görüşlerini savunması TİS'in aranan milli din olmasa bile İslam ve laik devlet arasında bir sistem ayarlaması yapmasını sağlamış ve İslam'ın gayr-i resmi olarak Türklük tanımına dahil olmasını sağlamıştır. ABSTRACT This article traces the origins of various proposals to nationalize Islam in Turkey. The initial Turkish proposals failed because none of them had a feasible philosophical base to facilitate the coexistence of Islam and secularism. Aside from the previous studies on the nationalization of Islam, this article carries the topic to the Cold War by arguing that the Turkish-Islamic Synthesis was the last stage on the nationalization of Islam. Since TIS had no vision to alter the official ideology, Kemalism, and it claimed the compatibility of Islam, nationalism, secularism as well as Kemalism, it fulfilled the need of a national religion the Turkish state envisioned but it created a de facto Turkish national identity that made Islam a prerequisite for Turkishness.