Can Secularism Hinder Democracy? The Turkish Experiment

İkinci Dünya Savaşı sonrasında önemi giderek artmış olan demokrasi kavramı ve din-devlet ilişkileri akademik çevrelerin önemli ölçüde dikkatini çekmektedir. Bilindiği üzere, demokratik niteliğe sahip siyasal sistemlerde, vatandaşların hukuk önünde eşit olması ve fırsat eşitliğine sahip olmaları gibi konular önemli bir yer tutmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, çoğu laik devletin, vatandaşlarının dini tercihlerine karışmaması noktasında demokratik bir karakter taşıdığı ileri sürülebilir. Buna karşın; dinin üstünde devlet denetimi anlamı taşıyan bir laiklik yorumu da mevcuttur. Bu bakımdan, Türkiye, laiklik-demokrasi ilişkisinde devlet kurumunun din üstündeki baskın rolüne ışık tutan bir örneği temsil etmektedir. Bu çalışma, Türkiye bağlamında, devletin laiklik yorumu ve laiklik pratiğinin, demokrasiye olan olumsuz etkilerini ele almaya çalışacaktır.

Can Secularism Hinder Democracy? The Turkish Experiment

The concept of democracy that has gained importance since the end of the SecondWorld War and the relation between state and religion in Turkey have attracted a considerabledegree of interest in various academic circles. It is known that in democratic systems, equalitybefore the law and equality of opportunities for all individuals are regarded as integral elements.In this context, although it may be argued that many states that have a secular system are actually democratic in terms of their non-intervention in the religious choices of its citizens, it is alsoknown that there is another interpretation of secularism in which the state exercises control overreligion. The Turkish case represents a unique example in the study of the relationship betweensecularism and democracy with regard to the dominant role of the state in religious affairs. Thisstudy will attempt to analyze the negative impact of the state’s interpretation of secularism ondemocracy in Turkey.

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