Politics and Religion· 2018Q1
Diyanet as a Turkish Foreign Policy Tool: Evidence from the Netherlands and Bulgaria
- 122citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2018year
Short summary
Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) functions as a foreign policy tool, particularly in countries with significant Turkish-Muslim minorities, and its activities can destabilize secularization efforts.
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Key points
- Diyanet is utilized as a key foreign policy instrument by Turkey.
- This instrumentalization is most evident in countries with significant Turkish-Muslim minorities.
- Diyanet's activities contribute to the destabilization of secularization projects.
- The engagement strategies of Diyanet vary based on the specific country context and the nature of the Muslim minority.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract How does Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) act as an instrument of foreign policy (FP)? What are the factors that allow such an instrumentalization of Islam in Turkish FP? In addressing these questions, this paper uses semi-structured expert interviews from Bulgaria and the Netherlands. Although both countries host a sizeable Muslim minority, these populations differ in their characteristics and historical ties with Turkey. ComparingDiyanet’s role in the Netherlands with its recent Turkish-Muslim diaspora, and in Bulgaria with its centuries-old Muslim minority allows us to reveal variation in the practical engagement strategies that Diyanet adopts in different country contexts. Thus, this paper advances two main claims; first,Diyanetserves as a primary FP tool of Turkey in countries with a significant Turkish-Muslim minority. Secondly, this instrumentalization destabilizes secularization projects both at home and abroad.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Politics and Religion, 2018 · DOI ↗
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Field: Political Science and International Relations
Political Science and International RelationsSocial Sciences