Tradition, Secularization, And Religion: Neo-Islamization in the Composition of Turkish Nationalism

This study focuses on the relationship between Turkish nationalism and religion by considering the key role of religion in comprehending the pre-modern foundations of nationalism. The nationalism that emerged in the late Ottoman Empire had an eclectic relationship with Islam and was theoretically and politically religious in nature. With the establishment of the modern state, the relationship between religion and nationalism was interrupted, and Kemalist nationalism with its Western ethno-secular conception of identity represented a new typology within Turkish nationalism. This situation continued until the beginning of the Cold War, and the political, economic, and sociological changes necessitated the reunification of religion and nationalism, which politically reflected upon the establishment and socialization of the Nationalist Movement Party. Today, the understanding of nationalism the Nationalist Movement Party represented has become more Islamized, and the present study uses the theory adaptation approach to analyze this situation through the issues of Palestine and Hagia Sophia. The implications demonstrate the currently increasing Islamization of nationalism to be influenced by Islamic notions within the national identity, pragmatism, changes in the official ideology of the state, and the rising tide of the right worldwide that has led to an increase in the intensity of Turkish-Islamic nationalism.