This book explores state–religion relations under a populist authoritarian ruling party in Turkey. In doing so, it investigates how the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) instrumentalizes state-controlled religion to further, defend, legitimatize and propagate its authoritarian populist political agenda in a constitutionally secular nation-state. To exemplify this, the authors examine the Friday sermons delivered weekly in every mosque in Turkey by the Turkish State’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). By analyzing all sermons delivered between 2010-2021, the book shows how the Diyanet has enthusiastically adopted AKP’s increasingly Islamist, authoritarian, civilisationist, militarist and pro-violence populism since 2010, and how it has tried to socially engineer beliefs in line with this ideology.
Author(s): Ihsan Yilmaz, Ismail Albayrak
Series: Palgrave Studies in Populisms
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 339
City: Singapore
Contents
1 From Pro-Kemalist to the Populist and Pro-Violence Diyanet
Erdoğanism and Its Politics: A Zero-Sum-Game Between Friends and Enemies
Religious Populist and Pro-Violence Narratives of Erdoğanism
Friday Sermons
Methodology
Chapters of the Book
References
2 The Evolution of the Kemalists’ Diyanet
Introduction
Kemalists’ Diyanet
Building a Sunni Muslim Turkish Nation by the Kemalists
Diyanet Islam: State’s Manufacturing of Turkish Islam
Diyanet’s Competition with Non-state Islamic Groups
Conclusion
References
3 Redefining Diyanet in the AKP Era
Introduction
AKP 1.0 (2001–2008): Emergence and Rule of Muslim Democrats
AKP 2.0 (2008–May 2013): Authoritarian Drift
AKP 3.0 (2016–Present): Erdoğanist Authoritarianism
Diyanet’s Role in the Post-coup Erdoğanist State (2016–Present)
Conclusion
References
4 Swinging Between Turkish Nationalism and Global Pan-Islamism
Introduction
The Reinterpretation of National Identity
Nationalism in Diyanet Sermons Post-2015
Diyanet’s Growing Transnational Politicization
The Construction of a Greater Ummah
Imagining and Constructing the Geography of Heart
Conclusion
References
5 Antagonism Towards Christians and Interfaith Dialogue
Introduction
AKP 1.0: The Globalist, Inclusive, and Pro-Interreligious Dialogue
AKP 2.0 and 3.0: Mobilizing the Ummah Against the Crusader West
Conclusion
References
6 Islamist Populist Conspiracy Theories and Victimhood
Introduction
Emergence of Conspiracy Theories in Diyanet Sermons
The Warning of Fitna
The Source of the Fitna
The Trials of the Faithful
Conclusion
References
7 Demonization and De-Humanisation of AKP’s Opponents
Introduction
Gezi Park Protests: Diyanet Defaming ‘the Enemy’
Post-Gezi Protests: Social Media and Diyanet
Diyanet’s Attempts to Defame Gülen Movement via Friday Sermons
Use of Fear to Dehumanize and Demonize the Gülen Movement
Portrayal of Fethullah Gülen as an Adversary
Diyanet: Villainizing the GM Beyond Sermons
Conclusion
References
8 Pro-violence Islamist Populism: Militarism, Glorification of Martyrdom and Jihadism
Introduction
Militarism in Friday Sermons
Beyond the Chivalrous Army
Glorification of Martyrdom in Friday Sermons
Jihadism in Friday Sermons
Covert Pro-violent Practices of AKP-Diyanet Partnership
Conclusion
References
9 The Future of the Mosque–State Relations in Turkey
Appendix A: List of Acronyms
Appendix B: Glossary
Bibliography
Index
