Democracy (For Me): Religious and Secular Beliefs and Social and Political Pluralism in Turkey
Somer, Democracy (for me): Religious and Secular Beliefs and Social and Political Pluralism in Turkey DEMOCRACY (FOR ME): RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR BELIEFS AND SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PLURALISM IN TURKEY Paper presented at the Fourth Sakip Sabanci International Research Award Workshop, Sabanci University, Istanbul, May 27, 2009 Murat Somer, Koç University, Istanbul 1 Somer, Democracy (for me): Religious and Secular Beliefs and Social and Political Pluralism in Turkey INTRODUCTION This essay examines whether or not, why, and on which issues religious and secular actors’ beliefs and values change in contemporary Turkey with respect to questions of pluralism and democracy. Empirically, the essay mainly draws on a systematic and comparative content analysis of four religious and two secular newspapers covering their issues between 1996 and 2004. The findings from the content analysis are supplemented by comparisons to other studies and interviews with social actors. The main puzzle motivating the study is a set of questions that seem to be critical for Turkey’s democratization in its current stage. Why do the major social and political actors seem to have trouble recognizing the legitimacy, and even desirability, of social and political freedoms not only for themselves, but also for others they see as different, competing, or threatening? While criticizing each other for disregarding the importance of their freedoms, why do they seem unwilling to tolerate more pluralism within their own constituencies? Are there any partial changes in actors’ considerations that may portend future changes in actions? One way to pursue this question is by examining the state and the legal and political institutions, including the political party system that undermines the emergence of a pluralistic, consensus-based democracy, and civil-military relations.
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