Islam, Modernity, and Democracy in Contemporary Turkey: The Case of Recep Tayyip Erdogan

What is it about?

This article adresses the following crucial questions: Has Erdoğan been a radical Islamist who sympathizes with political Islam? Has he changed over the years? If he has changed, has that change been such that he would not find it difficult to function within a liberal-democratic political regime?

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Why is it important?

In Turkey, military accepts the fact that the final authority constitutionally belongs to civilian government, but, on the other hand, it intervenes in politics if in its opinion the country faces a threat of political Islam. We think the Erdoğan case may show whether or not Turkey is on the way of adapting its Islam to the requirements of a liberal democracy, which it is also trying to institutionalize.