Secularism and Muslim Democracy in Turkey

"In 2002 the Islamist Justice and Development Part (AKP) swept to power in Turkey. Since then it has shied away from a hard-line ideological stance in favor of a more conservative and democratic approach. M. Hakan Yavuz, a premier scholar of Turkey, negotiates this ambivalence, asking whether it is possible for a political party with a deeply religious ideology to liberalize and entertain democracy or whether, as he contends, radical religious groups moderate their practices and ideologies when forced to negotiate a competitive and rule-based political system. While the author explores the thesis through an analysis of the rise and evolution of the AKP and its more recent 2007 election victory, his conclusion - that everyday political realities ultimately override ideology and dogma - can be comparatively applied to other Muslim countries facing similar challenges. The book, which tackles a number of important issues including political participation, economics, internal security, the Kurdish question, and Turkey's bid to enter the European Union, provides a masterful survey of modern Turkish and Islamic politics, which will be of interest to a broad range of readers from students to professionals and policymakers."--Jacket.