Secularism and State Religion in Modern Turkey: Law, policy-making and the Diyanet, by Emir Kaya. Religious Politics in Turkey: from the birth of the Republic to the AKP, Ceren Lord. (original) (raw)

This book review critically assesses two significant works on the interconnections between religion and state in modern Turkey: Emir Kaya's "Secularism and State Religion in Modern Turkey" and Ceren Lord's "Religious Politics in Turkey: from the Birth of the Republic to the AKP". It highlights Kaya's examination of the Diyanet and its role in mediating between secularism and religiosity, while also addressing the limitations in Lord's analysis, particularly her focus on domestic factors in the rise of religious political parties without adequately considering external influences. The review underscores the necessity for a deeper exploration of historical contingencies and the role of political Islamism to fully understand Turkey's state-religion dynamics.