Secularism And Muslim Democracy In Turkey

Description:
In 2002 the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) swept to power in Turkey. Since then it has shied away from a hard-line ideological stance in favour of a more conservative and democratic approach. M. Hakan Yavuz negotiates this ambivalence asking whether it is possible for a political party with a deeply religious ideology to liberalise and entertain democracy or whether, as he contends, radical religious groups moderate their practices and ideologies when forced to negotiate a competitive and rule-based political system. The author explores the thesis through an analysis of the rise and evolution of the AKP and its more recent 2007 election victory. The book, which tackles a number of important issues including political participation, economics and internal security, provides a masterful survey of modern Turkish and Islamic politics, which will be of interest to a broad range of readers from students to professionals and policymakers.

Review:
'This book is an important contribution to the debate over whether 'Islamist' movements can democratise, join in mainstream politics and govern Muslim states.' Middle East International

Table of Contents:
Introduction: what is an Islamic and non-Islamic party?; 1. The socio-political context; 2. Political origins of the AKP; 3. Ideology, organization and parliamentary group of the AKP; 4. The two queen bees: Erdo an and Gul; 5. Modes of secularism; 6. The AKP and the Kurdish question; 7. Foreign policy - EU/Cyprus and USA/Iraq; 8. The crisis and the 2007 elections.

Author Biography:
M. Hakan Yavuz is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Center for Middle East Studies at The University of Utah. His recent publications include The Emergence of a New Turkey: Democracy and AK Parti (2006) and Islamic Political Identity in Turkey (2005).