Vortrag im Rahmen von „Geschichte am Mittwoch“
Zeit: 22.11.2017, 18.30–20.00 Uhr
Ort: Institut für Geschichte, Universität Wien, Universitätsring 1, 1010 Wien, Hörsaal 45
- Moderation: Christa Hämmerle
Turkey is an outstanding case among Middle Eastern Muslim societies, having had a history of Westernization and modernization for more than 200 years and having laicism as one of the main pillars of the Turkish Republic, founded in 1923. The type of secularism in Turkey and its authoritarian character, especially in the early Kemalist Republican era, has been a topic of discussion and debate in the political sphere more openly, starting from the introduction of a multi-party democratic system into Turkish politics in 1945. The criticisms about the authoritarian character of the Kemalist regime and its control over the state, the civil society and religious communities have hegemonized not only the political but also the intellectual, academic discourses more so in the last 30 years with the neo-liberalization of the regime, carried on as a project from Turgut Ozal’s policies in the midst of 1980s to the 15 years of rule of the Justice and Development Party, which is currently in power.
In this presentation, Ayse Durakbasa reviews the basic features of the type of secularism in Turkey and the functions given to the Directorate of Religious Affairs (founded in 1924) during Continue reading