Civil Society’s History: New Constructions of Ottoman Heritage by the Justice and Development Party in Turkey
This article examines the impact of JDP’s (Justice and Development Party) neo-Ottomanist heritage politics upon state-civil society relations in Turkey. Instead of treating Ottoman heritage as a fixed essence, this essay illustrates how shifting interpretations of the Ottoman past serve to construct...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Association pour la Recherche sur le Moyen-Orient
2014-12-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Turkish Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/5076 |
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| _version_ | 1846134549410480128 |
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| author | Gizem Zencirci |
| author_facet | Gizem Zencirci |
| author_sort | Gizem Zencirci |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article examines the impact of JDP’s (Justice and Development Party) neo-Ottomanist heritage politics upon state-civil society relations in Turkey. Instead of treating Ottoman heritage as a fixed essence, this essay illustrates how shifting interpretations of the Ottoman past serve to construct alternative understandings of civil society. Although during the 1990s the Islamist movement largely depicted Ottoman “civil society” as a democratic force, I argue that this earlier understanding has been abandoned in favour of a depoliticized notion of state-civil society relations after JDP come to power in 2002. The ongoing selective portrayal of Ottoman heritage represents religious endowments [vakıfs] as state-supportive civil society organizations. Consequently, many contemporary civil society organizations are expected to conform to these newly conceived ideas about Ottoman heritage. Most importantly, this new mode of heritage production emphasizes a collaborative model of state-civil society relations instead of one that tolerates political opposition. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e2bb79f534cc4ac1bd3f96caa0505be7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1773-0546 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | Association pour la Recherche sur le Moyen-Orient |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Turkish Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-e2bb79f534cc4ac1bd3f96caa0505be72024-12-09T13:09:23ZengAssociation pour la Recherche sur le Moyen-OrientEuropean Journal of Turkish Studies1773-05462014-12-011910.4000/ejts.5076Civil Society’s History: New Constructions of Ottoman Heritage by the Justice and Development Party in TurkeyGizem ZencirciThis article examines the impact of JDP’s (Justice and Development Party) neo-Ottomanist heritage politics upon state-civil society relations in Turkey. Instead of treating Ottoman heritage as a fixed essence, this essay illustrates how shifting interpretations of the Ottoman past serve to construct alternative understandings of civil society. Although during the 1990s the Islamist movement largely depicted Ottoman “civil society” as a democratic force, I argue that this earlier understanding has been abandoned in favour of a depoliticized notion of state-civil society relations after JDP come to power in 2002. The ongoing selective portrayal of Ottoman heritage represents religious endowments [vakıfs] as state-supportive civil society organizations. Consequently, many contemporary civil society organizations are expected to conform to these newly conceived ideas about Ottoman heritage. Most importantly, this new mode of heritage production emphasizes a collaborative model of state-civil society relations instead of one that tolerates political opposition.https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/5076TurkeyHeritageIslamismCivil SocietyNeo-Ottomanism |
| spellingShingle | Gizem Zencirci Civil Society’s History: New Constructions of Ottoman Heritage by the Justice and Development Party in Turkey European Journal of Turkish Studies Turkey Heritage Islamism Civil Society Neo-Ottomanism |
| title | Civil Society’s History: New Constructions of Ottoman Heritage by the Justice and Development Party in Turkey |
| title_full | Civil Society’s History: New Constructions of Ottoman Heritage by the Justice and Development Party in Turkey |
| title_fullStr | Civil Society’s History: New Constructions of Ottoman Heritage by the Justice and Development Party in Turkey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Civil Society’s History: New Constructions of Ottoman Heritage by the Justice and Development Party in Turkey |
| title_short | Civil Society’s History: New Constructions of Ottoman Heritage by the Justice and Development Party in Turkey |
| title_sort | civil society s history new constructions of ottoman heritage by the justice and development party in turkey |
| topic | Turkey Heritage Islamism Civil Society Neo-Ottomanism |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/5076 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gizemzencirci civilsocietyshistorynewconstructionsofottomanheritagebythejusticeanddevelopmentpartyinturkey |