CIAO DATE: 02/2013
Volume: 7, Issue: 2
December 2012
The Anatomy of Turkish Laicism as a Model of an Oppressive Secularism (PDF)
Mustafa Kemal Şan
Turkey is a unique country in Muslim world with the practice of laicism it has implemented. However, the practices of laicism institutionalized in Turkey do not seem to be much likely those in Western societies where can be seen as the native land of these practices. The most essential point that makes Turkish laicism an exception is its preference as a goal to eliminate religion from social life entirely, indeed, a mission which does not have to be undertaken by a laic state. While making it, Turkey has been in various contradictory situations. On the one hand, while with the Treaty of Lausanne having defined the identity of country by religion, Turkey experienced a foundation period in which religion is near the determining factor and operated official religious organization that kept the institution of religion under control at the hands of the state, on the other hand the influence of religion among society was tried to be damped with a series of revolutions that had continued up to 1937. In Turkey, in spite of all oppressive practices of laicism of the state, an eclectic practice of laicism has always been effective in which state has had the authority to limit and orient religion without a thought to relinquish over religious issues wholly. In this paper, while it is focused on some principal elements that make Turkish Laicism, in its processes of development, an exception relative to all other examples in the world, it will be attempted to make a deconstruction of Turkish Laicism doctrine.
Restructuring State-Society Relations under the Rule of the AKP through Diplomacy (PDF)
Shaimaa Magued
Unlike his predecessors, the AKP refused to be at the crossroads between Secularism and Islamism as two ideological antonyms by restructuring the State-society relations. The efforts of conciliation on the national scene are not enough in integrating politics and alleviating polarization between these two antagonistic tendencies. The simultaneous recourse to a balanced diplomacy is then considered as an effective means in ensuring stability, transcending the establishment resistance and normalizing the Turkish politics through the reformulation of the centre and the acceptation of the marginalized groups as legitimate actors both on the domestic and the external levels.
Guided Opposition on the Basis of Secularism Contract: Free Rebublic Party (PDF)
Mahmut Hakkı Akın
Three months of 1930, Free Republic Party event has been accepted as one of the most important democracy experience in Turkish political life. That experience has got an important role during the institutionalization of secularism in Turkey. Owners of the power had seen that during that process the general public could not accept radical transformations of the republic. In addition, this event showed that the issue of secularism was the issue of power in Turkey. Depending on the situation, power elite developed a rhetoric that opposition movements were dangerous and reactionarist. The conflict around this rhetoric has got a meaning and could be accepted as an insuperable separation in the history of Turkish democracy. In this article, it will be discussed that how rhetoric of reaction was used and the importance of it for institutionalization of secularism in new regime.
Process and Debates on Laicism Related Articles in Costitution of 1961 (PDF)
Ensar Yılmaz
The introduction of a new constitution soon after Coup D’état of May 27, 1960, was considered as most crucial matter that should be handled immediately. Istanbul Commission and Ankara Commission have introduced separate draft constitutions. Two-house Constituent Assembly was established and articles of the new constitution were discussed by House of Representatives and by National Unity Committee that established as the other house of Constituent Assembly. Upon negotiation conducted in Constituent Assembly, the Constitution was finalized and ready to hold referendum. The provisions on the secularity in the Constitution of 1961 were directly provided under 2nd and 19th articles. 2nd article provided the provisions in regard to political principles as basic assets of the Republic, whereas 19th article introduced social principles within the context of human rights and freedoms. Most intensive discussions were held in the Constitution Assembly. The discussions were focused on the constraints and supervision to be introduced onto the social dimension of the religion as provided under provisions on the secularity.
Originality Problem of Turkish Modernization: The Case of Domestic Law (PDF)
Aydın Aktay
The last shape of the Turkish Civil Code, formalized by the alterations to which it exposed, requires to make a comparative commentary between the ancient religious argument-centered form and the new secular, western originated form. This comparison has also an importance to be a source of inspiration for a debate issue that will come up with important results of a socio-political comparison between both Ottoman Empire with Republic of Turkey and Western with Eastern civilizations and cultures. As generally known; with the pointed alterations done by many reforms as a result of the proclamation of the Republic, many applications and legal arguments, which are questionable to be convenient to Turkish social structure and ethics or not, are actualized. At that point of view it has been obligatory to question the sociological realities of Turkish society according to the relations of civil code that is shaped by the quotations of Western codes and start out with some legislation studies on Turkish domestic law to screen out the appropriacy. At this study in line with this purpose, a sociological evaluation is going to be tried to be presented by the help of some legislation studies of civil code concerned with the family and the comparation of Turkish Domestic Law and Ottoman’s Domestic Law. Here it is also obligatory to evaluate the parameters of Turkish modernization and also some philosophical, social and political properties of the Republic founder decree.
A. Vedat Koçal
Laicism is among the most emphasized concepts in the intellectual history of Turkey, that is, it is one of the most, perhaps the first, intensive topics of intellectual discussions and academic studies that retain actuality. The primary reason of this situation is that laicism includes one of the main elements that determine the ideological identity and policies of the state, and that is why literature related with laicism has a considerable rooted and rich accumulation. Based upon this property of the issue, this study is not a theoretical-conceptual and historical research trial related with laicism. In the study, socio-economic identity, functions and results of the practice of laicism in Turkey, which were often observed to be underscored in the literature, were emphasized.
Coming of Post-secularism: Sociology of Secularism in 21th Century (PDF)
Mesut Hazır
In this study, secularity and post-secularity is analyzed. Within history, dualist structure of modern thought has substituted for traditional thought’s monist structure; secularism has invented a non-religious religion by substituting mundane holiness for ex beliefs and clash of those two understandings has brought a pluralist, postmodern and post secular society. In this study, social indications of secularity and post-secularity and the parallel structure of secularity with modernism and post-secularity with postmodernism has been revealed. Secularity is defined as the great disembedding and post-secularity is defined as the great chaos in this study and they are explained with examples. Secularity challenged the religious and the religion as an antithesis and declared its own sanctus and began to build a new mundane and earthly religion after the great disembedding. Post-secularity or post-secularism came as a new era after secularism’s great challenge and tried to repair that disembedding. This has only been a struggle and has to be a chaos with ambiguity. In this study, that big chaos is analyzed.
Burcu Kurt
The governorship of Suleyman Nazif Bey, who has been worked as a governor in both three vilayats of Iraq during the second constitutional period, is of great importance in many aspects. As an illustration to analyze the Committee of Union and Progress`s policy towards Arab periphery, this period also forms a good example for the typology of governors appointed by the CUP governments. Suleyman Nazif built an image of a capable governor by his policy towards socio-economic, political problems and public works of Basra. Nevertheless he has sent so many petitions to Sublime Porte as a consequence of his polemics both with the notables and local officials. However it is worth saying that; Suleyman Nazif Bey was one of the most efficient among the governors ruled in Basra province during the second constitutional period.
Arab Spring with Its Reflections in Turkish Foreign Policy (PDF)
Hasan Duran, Çağatay Özdemir
Civil Commotions, unsettling the creeds with their regional and global effects in the Middle East region, had great impacts not only on neighboring countries but also on internationally powerful actors. Countries, which turned towards different tactics and strategies by reviewing their region oriented policies, have got into the act in order to make the movements in compliance with the new conjuncture in the Middle East whose position is like a chess board. While many neighbors, regarding the enhanced policies aimed at this newly situation, come up with some explanations such as filling the deficiency of power resulting from the alteration in the Middle East and benefiting from the opportunities of the transition period encountered in the region, what in the practice is that the visits of different countries to the region and rivalries arising during these visits correspondingly signalize that a strategic power struggle area has been formed. With all of these affairs and strategic conflicts in the background, the fact that Turkish foreign policy that was improved against Arab Spring, has created reactions internationally and in the rhetoric region. So, what we will try to do in this article is to evaluate the role of Turkey in this region in the transition period by discussing the Turkish foreign policy over against Arab Spring.
The U.S. Foreign Policy of The Bush Era: An Attempt For Over-Expansionism (PDF)
Muhittin Ataman, Özkan Gökcan
The attacks taken place on September 11, 2001 went down in history as a day that the world changed for the U.S. and the U.S. people. In the wake of these attacks, during which more than three thousand civilians died, the U.S. foreign policy understanding went through a radical change. During this new period, when the principles and priorities of foreign policy changed to a large extent, George W. Bush and his team started to adopt a more aggressive and unilateral orientation. The objective of this study is to make a theoretical analysis of the U.S. foreign policy understanding of the Bush Era, a period of radical change in foreign policy. We will try to carry out this analysis based on the “grand unified theory”, in which Jack Snyder synthesized hypotheses from three grand theories of international relations and over-expansionism. We argue that Snyder’s theory, which he used to explain the foreign policy understanding of Hitler’s Germany, is the most successful theory in explaining the tendency of the U.S. foreign policy restructured after the September 11 attacks.
African Regional and Sub-Regional Organisations' Security Policies: Challenges and Prospects (PDF)
Abdurrahim Siradag
This article will examine peace and security policies and strategies of the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Upholding peace and security has been the first priority for the African organisations following independence. The leaders have recognised that Africa’s security can only be maintained by Africans, not outside actors. In doing so, the African leaders have made efforts to create their own peace and security mechanisms through the regional and sub-regional organisations. In particular, the philosophical principle “without peace and security there is no sustainable social and economic development” plays a major role in developing the African organisations’ peace and security policies. This chapter will explore the challenges facing the African organisations’ peace and security policies, and discuss how African organisations can strengthen its strategic partnership with global actors in the fields of peace and security.
Fatih Akbulut, Fatih Beren
Integrated antiterrorism approach has recently attracted more public attention and became more widely discussed in academic papers. An integrated approach envisages antiterrorism more than just a matter of armed struggle. It proposes an active role for social, political, economic actors/projects. According to this approach, preventive and proactive precautions are as important as military operations. Because, blocking the ways which channel people to terror crimes may prevent people from becoming criminals and other possible damages at the very beginning. These kind of effective anti-terror measures comprises social, political, economic projects targeting risky groups and individuals. The main problematic of this article is: to uncover how these projects are perceived by the people in the region. Within this framework, using Q Methodology technique, it’s studied if there is a difference in perception of terror problem and fight against terror between those individuals who benefit from social project and those who are not.
Flaneur: A Modern Urban Figure (PDF)
Köksal Alver
Flaneur, is one of the important figures in modern city life. A social type that exists with modernity. He is in the midst of modern relationships, urban society and consumer society.He is in the places like avenue, street, boulevard, passage, showcase. He is familiar with the objects and in contact with the people in these creations. He has associated with the crowd, disappeared in the crowd, fed by the crowd. But he is alone on his own; because at the same time, he knits his own individual world. He has the self-confident and is the one whocritizes society. Although he is fed by crowd, he could turn back to it. Flaneur which is one of the most interesting types of modern life, he is a remarkable type of modern urban life to discuss and speak about the urban problems such as, rituals, consumption, leisure, urbanism. In terms of the cultural implications of modern urban life, it is one that must be followed.
Hüseyin Ersoy, Halil İbrahim Balkul
The deep traces left by mechanization in our life made many professions less popular or forced these professions to catch up with technological progress. Also, mechanization caused some professions to get lost in the ashes of history or to be experted in certain areas. With mechanization, new professions broke through and the works which used to be carried out by many people in the past can be accomplished more easily by few machines. Undoubtedly, mechanization brought less man power and energy in various industries. In the existing study, positive and negative effects of technological developments on translation concept and translator profession will be discussed. Therefore, the current paper explores the effects of technological developments on translator-translator communication, translator-commisioner communication, translators’ life style, academic translation education and translators’ income and translators’ legal rights especially in the context of Turkey.
Book Review: Secular and Religious: the Worn Limits (PDF)
Handan Akyiğit
Adem Bölükbaşı
Democracy, Islam and Secularism in Turkey (PDF)
Adem Bölükbaşı