Disentangling the Islamist and Secularist Discourses in Turkey - T E Headscarf Question in the Articulation of Hegemonic Formations
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Pia Ranna Disentangling the Islamist and Secularist discourses in Turkey – Turkey in discourses and Secularist Islamist the Ranna Disentangling Pia DDisentanglingisentangling tthehe IIslamistslamist aandnd SSecularistecularist discoursesdiscourses inin TurkeyTurkey – T e hheadscarfeadscarf qquestionuestion iinn tthehe aarticulationrticulation ooff hhegemonicegemonic fformationsormations T e headscarf question in the articaulation of hegemonic formations PPiaia RRannaanna ISBN 978-951-51-4838-4 (paperback) ISBN 978-951-51-4839-1 (PDF) Faculty of Social Sciences University of Helsinki Finland Disentangling the Islamist and Secularist discourses in Turkey - T e headscarf question in the articulation of hegemonic formations Pia Ranna Academic dissertation To be presented, with the permission of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Helsinki, for public examination in Auditorium XIV, the Main Building of the University of Helsinki on 25 January 2019 at 12:00. 1 © 2019 by Pia Irene Ranna. All rights reserved. Cover illustration: Pia Ranna and Tinde Päivärinta Printed by: Hansaprint, Finland ISBN 978-951-51-4838-4 (paperback) ISBN 978-951-51-4839-1 (PDF) Layout: Tinde Päivärinta/PSWFolders Oy 2 To Robert & Frans To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. (Bertrand Russell) 3 Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 7 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... 8 List of tables and pictures ...........................................................................................11 Chapter 1: Deconstructing the headscarf issue in the context of Turkey ..................13 1.1 Problem conceptualization ..........................................................................14 1.2 T eoretical framework and research questions ............................................. 19 1.3 Description of methodology ........................................................................ 23 1.4 On conceptual def nitions ........................................................................... 26 1.5 Outline of the chapters ................................................................................27 Conclusions ...........................................................................................................28 Chapter 2: Construction of collective identity formation .........................................30 2.1 Post-structuralist discourse theory ...............................................................31 2.2 Ontological basis of discourse theory ........................................................... 36 2.3 T eories on polarization and post-structuralist discourse theory of the Essex school .......................................................................................37 2.3.1 Discourse .......................................................................................40 2.3.2 Articulations as practices ................................................................44 2.3.3 Political frontiers ............................................................................45 2.3.4 Creating boundaries, forming antagonisms .................................... 46 2.3.5 Building social identity through logics of equivalence and logics of dif erence ...................................................................................48 2.3.6 Hegemony as a practice of coalition building .................................52 2.4 Summary and discussion ............................................................................. 56 Conclusions ...........................................................................................................60 Chapter 3: Empirical background - Emergence and the visibility of hegemonies ... 61 3.1 Turkey: Between Islam and secularism ......................................................... 62 3.1.1 T e perpetual legacy of the Ottoman past - religion as the basis for identity ......................................................62 3.1.2 Levels of polarization ..................................................................... 66 3.2 Roots of secularism ......................................................................................74 3.2.1 Def nitions..................................................................................... 74 3.2.2 T e emergence of secularism in Turkey .......................................... 77 3.2.3 T e legitimacy crisis of Turkish secularism since 2002 ....................82 3.3 Islam and the beginning of the post-Kemalist era? ....................................... 85 3.3.1 Def nitions..................................................................................... 85 3.3.2 Political Islam in Turkey: Predecessors of the AKP ......................... 85 3.3.3 T e establishment of the AKP ........................................................90 3.3.4 Shortly on Islam and democracy .................................................... 94 3.4 T e development of the headscarf question in Turkey ..................................96 3.4.1 T e legal development of the headscarf question in Turkey ............ 97 3.4.2 Arguments concerning the headscarf ...........................................101 Conclusions .........................................................................................................1034 Chapter 4: Searching for the Great within the Small – Illustrations on the use of the headscarf as a symbol of a bipolar battle ...........................................105 4.1 Linking discourse theory to data (the headscarf cases) and phenomena (polarization) ..........................................................................106 4.2 An overview of the method ........................................................................108 4.3 An overview of the collected data ...............................................................110 4.4 Criteria for the selection and the collection process of the data .................. 113 4.5 Limitations ................................................................................................116 4.6 T e empirical background of the four cases ............................................... 118 4.6.1 Fadime Şahin - T e sheikh’s discreet mistress casts light on the various meanings of the headscarf for the public ............... 118 4.6.2 Merve Kavakci - Turkey’s f rst MP-elect with a headscarf ............. 120 4.6.3 Leyla Şahin - T e headscarf at Turkish universities ....................... 121 4.6.4 Hayrünnisa Gül – T e f rst headscarved First Lady in Turkey ...... 123 Conclusions .........................................................................................................125 Chapter 5: Disentangling the Islamist and Secularist discourses in Turkey - T e headscarf question in the articulation of hegemonic formations .....................127 5.1 Islamist discourse on Fadime Şahin: T e symbol that consolidates the polarization ..........................................................................................128 5.1.1 Articulating Fadime Şahin as a symbol of the February 28th events ......................................................... 129 5.1.2 Giving meanings to religion .........................................................131 5.1.3 Linking Fadime Şahin to other elements ......................................135 5.2 Secularist discourse on Fadime Şahin: In search of an antagonism ............ 139 5.2.1 Political parties or leaders as social antagonism ............................ 140 5.2.2 Giving negative meanings to religious persons and religious sects .142 5.2.3 T e headscarf as a social antagonism ............................................146 5.2.4 Expanding the discussion on religious marriages ..........................147 5.2.5 Symbolic demonstrations .............................................................148 5.3 Islamist discourse on Merve Kavakçı: Constituting political frontiers by def ning the headscarf ................................................................................150 5.3.1 Discourse on def ning Kavakçı’s headscarf ....................................151 5.3.2 T e ECHR as a social antagonism according to Kavakçı .............. 154 5.3.3 Finding logics of equivalence within Merve Kavakçı’s case ........... 155 5.4 Secularist discourse on Merve Kavakçı: When the headscarf is seen as a political symbol .......................................................................................156 5.4.1 Articulations and reactions to Kavakçı’s oath ceremony ................156 5.4.2 Kavakçı’s headscarf as a boundary ................................................ 160 5.4.3 Kavakçı’s headscarf becomes a social antagonism ..........................164 5.4.4 Logics of equivalence - Linking Kavakçı to other events ...............166 5 5.5 Islamist discourse on Leyla Şahin: connecting the headscarf to human rights .........................................................................................167 5.5.1 Articulating the ECHR’s decision as a violation of human rights . 168 5.5.2 Building political frontiers along with the ECHR’s decision ........ 171 5.5.3 T e ECHR becomes a social antagonism ..................................... 173 5.6 Secularist discourse on Leyla Şahin: the headscarf prohibition seen as a necessity for a democratic society .......................................................