MAKING OF NEW ISLAMISM IN TURKEY TRANSFORMATION OF THE ISLAMIST DISCOURSE FROM OPPOSITION TO COMPLIANCE A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY BURAK ÖZÇETĐN IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FEBRUARY 2011 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Meliha Altunışık Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prof. Dr. A. Raşit Kaya 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 Doctor of Philosophy. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Ayata Supervisor Examining Committee Members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cem Deveci (METU, ADM) Prof. Dr. Ayşe Ayata (METU, ADM) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fahriye Üstüner (METU, ADM) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Şen (METU, SOC) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fethi Açıkel (AU, SBF) 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: Burak Özçetin Signature : iii ABSTRACT MAKING OF NEW ISLAMISM IN TURKEY TRANSFORMATION OF THE ISLAMIST DISCOURSE FROM OPPOSITION TO COMPLIANCE Özçetin, Burak Ph.D., Department of Political Science and PuBlic Administration Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ayşe Güneş Ayata FeBruary 2011, 388 pages This thesis analyzes the transformation of Islamism from an anti-systemic and oppositional force to a compliant and suBmissive political ideology. The thesis locates the approach towards estaBlished political and economic relations at its centre. The thesis argues that the transformation, which led to formation of the Justice and Development Party, has Begun in the late 1980s and early 1990s. To give the contours of this transformation, the thesis presents a detailed analysis of anti-systemic and systemic phases of Islamism in Turkey. The thesis tries to demonstrate this transformation through focusing on the major deBates within the Islamist intellectual circles. The study suggests thinking the transformation of Islamism together with themes such as neoliBeral gloBalization, postmodernism and multiculturalism. The thesis points out that, Islamism of the 1970s and 1980s, which can Be considered as a form of Third Worldist populism has Been gradually transformed into an ordinary, conservative ideology. Keywords: new-Islamism, Islamist intellectuals, AKP, neoliBeralism, postmodernism iv ÖZ TÜRKĐYE’DE YENĐ ĐSLAMCILIĞIN OLUUMU ĐSLAMCI SÖYLEMĐN MUHALEFETTEN UYUMA DÖNÜÜMÜ Özçetin, Burak Doktora, Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Prof. Dr. Ayşe Güneş Ayata ŞuBat 2011, 388 sayfa Bu tez Türkiye’de Đslamcılığın sistem karşıtı ve muhalif Bir güçten uyumcu ve itaatkâr Bir siyasal ideolojiye dönüşümünü incelemektedir. Tez yerleşik siyasal ve ekonomik ilişkilere tavrı merkezine oturtmaktadır. Tezin iddiası, Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi’nin kuruluşuna yol açan söz konusu dönüşümün 1980’lerin sonu ve 1990’ların Başında Başladığıdır. Bu dönüşümün hatlarını çizeBilmek için tez Đslamcılığın sistem karşıtı ve sistemik dönemlerinin ayrıntılı Bir analizini sunmaktadır. Tez, söz konusu dönüşümü dönemin Đslamcı entelektüel çevrelerindeki temel tartışmalara yoğunlaşarak göstermektedir. Çalışma Đslamcılığın yaşadığı dönüşümü neoliBeral küreselleşme, postmodernizm ve çokkültürlülük temaları ile Birlikte düşünmeyi önermektedir. Tez, Bir tür Üçüncü Dünyacı popülizm olarak ele alınaBilecek 1970’lerin ve 1980’lerin Đslamcılığının adım adım sıradan, muhafazakâr bir ideolojiye dönüştüğünü iddia etmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: yeni-Đslamcılık, Đslamcı entelektüeller, AKP, neoliBeralizm, postmodernizm v Üç Kızkardeş Gürşen, Güzin ve Hülya’ya vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Prof. Dr. Ayşe Güneş-Ayata for her guidance, continuous support and detailed criticisms. I would also thank to the examining committee memBers for their constructive criticisms which had great contriButions in the final version of the dissertation. For many years I have worked at the Department of Political Science and PuBlic Administration (METU) as a research assistant. I would like to express my gratitude to the academic and administrative staff of “my Beloved department” for their support and friendship. Hacer Fidan, Nuran Sepetçi and Hülya Erkan, the pillars of our department, deserve a special praise. I would like to thank the FulBright Program and Turkish FulBright Association for their generous supports during my doctoral education. In writing this thesis I wrote and my wife Deniz cooked, cleaned, read my manuscripts and corrected them, and did everything to ease my pains. I cannot thank her enough, But at least try to do the same while she is writing her dissertation. I would like to thank my family and friends; whom I mostly neglected throughout the writing process. I dedicate this thesis to three amazing women who have an ineffaBle place in my life. My mother Gürşen Özçetin, and my aunts Hülya Söke and Güzin Özdemir. Every piece of scientific work is a product of a collective activity. I, of course, remain solely responsiBle for any inconsistencies, errors of fact and interpretation. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM...................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................... iv ÖZ.......................................................................................................................... v DEDICATION...................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................................................... vii TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 1 1.1. Setting the ProBlem.................................................................................. 1 1.2. Methodology............................................................................................ 6 1.3. Some Preliminary Remarks on ‘Islamism’............................................... 9 1.4. Organization of the Chapters.................................................................... 13 2. ISLAMISM(S) IN TURKEY........................................................................ 17 2.1. Islamism(s) in Turkey I: Periods of Turkish Islamism............................ 19 2.1.1. The Modernist Islam......................................................................... 21 2.1.2. The Period of Forced Withdrawal and Retreat................................. 23 2.1.3. The Period of IncuBation.................................................................. 26 2.1.4. The Period of Confrontation and Challenge..................................... 28 2.1.5. The Period of Compliance and Accommodation............................. 29 2.2. Islamism(s) in Turkey II: Islamist Groups............................................... 30 2.2.1. Islamist Political Organizations: Political Parties of the National Outlook Movement....................... 31 2.2.1.1. From the MNP to the MSP......................................................... 31 2.2.1.2. The Welfare Party....................................................................... 39 2.2.1.3. ‘28 FeBruary’ Process, the Birth of the FP and Transformation of Islamism................................................ 45 2.2.1.4. The Justice and Development Party........................................... 50 2.2.1.5. Power, Party Politics and Taming of Islamism.......................... 55 2.2.2. Religious Orders and Communities................................................. 57 2.2.2.1. The NakşiBendi Order............................................................... 60 2.2.2.2. The Gülen Movement................................................................. 66 2.2.3. Islamic NGOs.............................................................................. 73 2.2.4. Militant Islamism: Armed Islamist Groups...................................... 78 2.3. Conclusion................................................................................................ 84 viii 3. THE FORMATION OF ISLAMIST DISCOURSE OF OPPOSITION.. 86 3.1. Sources: The Pioneers of the Islamic Revival.......................................... 87 3.1.1. Sayyid QutB: An Islamist Critique of Capitalism............................ 92 3.1.2. The Struggle between Abel and Cain: Ali Shariati.......................... 103 3.2. Islamic Revival in Turkey: the Formation of the Islamist Discourse of Opposition....................................................... 107 3.2.1. On Islamist Intellectuals and Methodology...................................... 107 3.2.2. Four Challenges of the Islamist Intellectuals................................... 115 3.2.2.1. The Challenge against Inferiority Complex and Eclecticism..... 117 3.2.2.2. The Challenge against the Western Science and