From Islamism to Civil Religion

Erdoğan's Shift to Secularism

Bibliographic Data

ID3343255
AuthorsAli Çaksu (0000-0001-7678-0638, Balıkesir University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume16
Issue4
Pages436
Publication date2025-03-28
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel16040436
OpenAlexW4408928683
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited13

In 2002, the Justice and Development Party came to power in Turkey, while Recep Tayyip Erdoğan became its leader in 2003, and both have remained in power until today. Initially, Erdoğan had a predominantly Islamist discourse, and in that period, Islam became gradually more visible in public space and foreign relations. However, that Islamist discourse later increasingly gave way to realpolitik due to domestic requirements and international economic and political changes. This article deals with this transition from Islamism to civil religion and secularism during Erdoğan's power and explores its nature and characteristics as well as the impact on politics. I suggest that while still sometimes making use of an Islamist rhetoric, Erdoğan's focus in recent years has been more on various secular-sacred items of civil religion, like homeland, nation (as a chosen people), national flag, (sacralized) state, and, additionally, national development. I examine the civil religion Erdoğan advocates by analyzing his official and casual speeches, interviews he gave, and some of the slogans he used. I also suggest that Erdoğan's transition to civil religion also represents a shift to secularism, as modern civil religions undermine and subordinate established religions to a great extent and also create their own secular sacredness

Political science · Politics · Secularism · Balkans: History, Politics, Society · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Law · Philosophy · Religious studies · Turkey's Politics and Society

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