Effects of Neoliberal Islamist Conservative Policies on Urban Space: Mosques in Istanbul
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EFFECTS OF NEOLIBERAL ISLAMIST CONSERVATIVE POLICIES ON URBAN SPACE: MOSQUES IN ISTANBUL A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY ELİF SİMAY DAĞ IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF URBAN POLICY PLANNING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OCTOBER 2019 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Yaşar Kondakçı Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Prof. Dr. Tarık Şengül Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Prof. Dr. Melih Ersoy Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. M. Adnan Barlas (METU, CRP) Prof. Dr. Melih Ersoy (METU, CRP) Prof. Dr. F. Nihan Özdemir Sönmez (Ankara Üni., GGY) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name : Elif Simay Dağ Signature : iii ABSTRACT EFFECTS OF NEOLIBERAL ISLAMIST CONSERVATIVE POLICIES ON URBAN SPACE: MOSQUES IN ISTANBUL Dağ, Elif Simay M.S., Department of Urban Policy Planning and Local Governments Supervisor : Prof. Dr. Melih Ersoy October 2019, 190 pages This thesis tries to demonstrate that the dense mosqueization in the cities of Turkey depends on the neoliberal and Islamist conservative policies and urban space is densely used as a tool to consolidate Islamist conservatism. In this direction, the concepts of neoliberalism and conservatism are discussed and the New Right arising from the combination of these two concepts is examined. Since (social) space is a (social) product, the dialectical relationship of spatial organization with social structure and the effects of the modes of production on the production of space are discussed. Also, neoliberal and Islamist conservative aspects of urbanization in Turkey were examined and the mosque, which is also the most important spatial element of Islam, came forward as an important structure of urbanization of Turkey during the last 20 years. Mosques are built as large and imposing structures in the most visible points of the cities and in the areas of great importance in social memory, regardless of the need. In this context, due to its historical importance, Istanbul stands out as a city where urban iv identity is desired to be moved to an Islamist conservative point and interventions in this character are quite high on urban space. Within the scope of the study, Istanbul urban area was examined and the quantitative and spatial data of public institutions were used for case study analysis. When the Islamist conservative city and society imagination supported by neoliberal urban policies is examined through Istanbul, it can be seen that the regulations made in the zoning legislation to increase the mosqueization are completely away from the principles of urbanism, scientificness and rationality, and Islamist conservative policies are completely contrary to the definition of secular and democratic social law state in the Constitution. Keywords: Islamist conservation, neoliberalism, urban space, Istanbul v ÖZ NEOLİBERAL İSLAMCI MUHAFAZAKAR POLİTİKALARIN KENTSEL MEKANA ETKİSİ: İSTANBUL’DA CAMİLER Dağ, Elif Simay Yüksek Lisans, Kentsel Politika Planlaması ve Yerel Yönetimler Ana Bilim Dalı Tez Yöneticisi : Prof. Dr. Melih Ersoy Ekim 2019, 190 sayfa Bu tez çalışması kapsamında Türkiye kentlerinde son yıllarda yaşanan yoğun camileşmenin neoliberal ve İslamcı muhafazakar karakterde politikalara bağlı olduğu ve kentsel alanın İslamcı muhafazakar ideolojinin pekiştirilmesinin bir aracı olarak kullanıldığı ispatlanmaya çalışılmıştır. Bu doğrultuda neoliberalizm ve muhafazakarlık kavramları ele alınmış, bu iki kavramın birlikteliğinden ortaya çıkan Yeni Sağ irdelenmiştir. Mekan aynı zamanda toplumsal bir ürün olduğu için mekânsal organizasyonun toplumsal yapıyla olan diyalektik ilişkisine ve üretim biçimlerinin mekan üretimi üzerindeki etkilerine değinilmiştir. Ayrıca Türkiye kentleşmesinin neoliberal ve İslamcı muhafazakar boyutları incelenmiş, İslamcı muhafazakarlığın en temel mekânsal öğesi olan camilerin son 20 yılda Türkiye kentleşmesinde de önemli bir role sahip olduğu görülmüştür. Camiler, ihtiyaçtan bağımsız olarak, toplumsal hafızada büyük öneme sahip alanlarda ve kentlerin en görünür noktalarında büyük ve heybetli yapılar şeklinde inşa edilmektedir. Bu bağlamda İstanbul, sahip olduğu vi tarihsel önemi sebebiyle, kentsel kimliği İslamcı muhafazakar bir noktaya taşınmak istenen ve kentsel mekanda bu nitelikte müdahalelerin oldukça fazla olduğu bir kent olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Çalışma kapsamında İstanbul kentsel alanı bu doğrultuda incelenmiş ve İstanbul'un kentleşmesine büyük etkisi olan kamu kurumlarının sayısal ve mekansal verileri saha çalışması analizleri için kullanılmıştır. Neoliberal kentsel politikalarla desteklenen İslamcı muhafazakar kent ve toplum tahayyülü İstanbul üzerinden incelendiğinde görülmektedir ki camileşmeyi arttırmak üzere imar mevzuatında yapılan düzenlemeler şehircilik ilkelerinden, bilimsellikten ve akılcılıktan tamamen uzaktır, İslamcı muhafazakar karakterdeki politikalar ise Anayasa’da yer alan laik ve demokratik sosyal hukuk devleti tanımına tamamen ters düşmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: İslamcı muhafazakarlık, neoliberalizm, kentsel mekan, İstanbul vii “Karanlığa teslim olmayacağız!” viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During my study period, I was supported and assisted by many people in different ways. It would be a pleasure to me to have their names at the beginning. I, firstly, would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Prof. Dr. Melih ERSOY for his criticism, guidance, advices and comments throughout this research. It was very precious to me to study with him. I also like to thank the examining committee members, Prof. Dr. F. Nihan ÖZDEMİR SÖNMEZ and Prof. Dr. M. Adnan BARLAS, for their comments and suggestions. Also, I would like to thank Res. Assist. Ufuk POYRAZ. He has always been very helpful and supportive since I started graduate education in UPL. I owe special thanks to the 15th Term Board Members and secretariat of the UCTEA Chamber of City Planners Istanbul Branch for their understanding during the process. I am very grateful to Hatice AŞKIN and Dilek TOMOĞLU, whom I work with each day, for welcoming my busy and tired times, and to Bedel EMRE, for her constructive support and precious contributions to the study besides her understanding. And, every member of my family has a great contribution both in my life and in this process. I am very thankful to my mother, Şevher, for making me feel like we hug each other during every phone call and for always standing by my side with her calming and compassionate heart; to my father, Hasan, for his ever-growing support and trust and for always standing by my side; to my sister, Selin, for being a joyful and sweet person, for making me peaceful and happy and for feeling her hand on my shoulder all the time; to my brother, Kıvanç, for always making me laugh and filled with joy and for his great sense of humor that emerges unexpectedly. The support and love of these four people not only in this process, but always gives me strength. I am also grateful to my friends for easing this process and for their encouraging and motivating attitude. My thanks go to Öncü Irmak SANCAR for building a cozy nest ix together in Ankara which has always been a warm environment to both live and study, and for standing shoulder to shoulder starting from those days even if we fell apart; to Cansu OBA for making me feel her support and care anytime I need and for sharing this academic journey with me from beginning to end; to Cansu DEMİR for sharing “thesis writing days in Istanbul” with me in spite of all difficulties and turning this process into a collective fellowship memory which we will remember constantly; to Deniz TÜRKÖZÜ for his sudden and disproportionate energy and encouragement; to Görkem ÖNDER for his continuing support since we were roommates; to Ela ATALAR, Betül DEMİR, Ezgi DOĞAN and Berçin TOPALOĞLU for their warm hearts and precious friendship felt even from miles away. I have to mention that these friends, whose names I mentioned, and many other friends, have contributed to avoid stressful times much more easily. They were always there as a support team. Members of my home in Istanbul were the main supporters of this period. Haldun ÖZARSLAN deserves the biggest thanks as the sweetest companion who shares all the stress and tiredness experienced during this difficult process with me. He has the ability to increase my energy and motivation, to reverse the dark and depressed times and to add joy and peace to my life. Haldun is as excited and tired as I am, and he is the one who created a peaceful environment both for my study and my life. Also, Sütlaç and Turp, my dear cat friends… So glad I have them in my life and by my side. They gave me peace anytime I need. Finally, I would like to note that I feel so relieved at the end of this long and tiring journey. My constant wishes are for an equal and fair world without exploitation and borders. x TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM ........................................................................................................