An alternative reading of religion and authoritarianism: the new logic between religion and state in the AKP’s new Turkey

Öztürk, Ahmet Erdi (2019) An alternative reading of religion and authoritarianism: the new logic between religion and state in the AKP’s new Turkey. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 19 (1). pp. 79-98. ISSN 1468-3857

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Abstract / Description

Since roughly 2011, the Turkish state and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have been going through a process of mutual transformation. Some of the historical apprehensions, biases and frustrations exhibited by Turkey as a middle power been absorbed by the relatively reformist AKP. Conversely, the AKP and its undisputed leader Erdoğan have seen their socio-political fears, power based conflicts and ethno-religious desires become dominant in all areas, including religion. As a consequence of this bilateral transformation, Turkey has become both an inclusionary and a hegemonic-authoritarian state, and at the same time a weak one. Within this new identity and structure of the state, Sunni Islam has become one of the regime’s key focal points, with a new logic. This article seeks to explain the transformation of the relations between the AKP’s Turkish state, religion and religious groups, by scrutinising Karrie Koesel’s logic of state-religion interaction in authoritarian regimes.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	religion, authoritarianism, Islam, Turkey, AKP
Subjects:	200 Religion > 290 Other religions 300 Social sciences > 320 Political science
Department:	School of Social Sciences (to June 2021) School of Social Sciences and Professions
Depositing User:	Ahmet Ozturk
Date Deposited:	06 Jan 2020 10:54
Last Modified:	06 Jan 2020 10:54
URI:	https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/id/eprint/5406

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