Reforms
72-640: Kemalism The Turkish History Thesis ( Türk Tarih Tezi ) is a Turkish ultranationalist , pseudohistoric thesis which posited the belief that the Turks moved from their ancestral homeland in Central Asia and migrated to China , India , the Balkans , the Middle East , and Northern Africa in several waves, populating the areas which they had moved to and bringing civilization to their native inhabitants. The theory
144-475: A call for the state control of the Turkish Muslim religious establishment . For some Kemalists , this means that the state must be at the helm of religious affairs, and all religious activities are under the supervision of the state. This, in turn, drew criticism from the religious conservatives. Religious conservatives were vocal in rejecting this idea, saying that to have a secular state, the state can't control
216-628: A citizen, soldier, and revolutionary in the last days of the Ottoman Empire . Various reforms to avoid the imminent collapse of the Empire , began chiefly in the 19th-century Tanzimat reforms. The mid-century Young Ottomans attempted to create the ideology of Ottoman nationalism, or Ottomanism , to quell the rising ethnic nationalism in the Empire and introduce limited democracy for the first time while maintaining Islamist influences. With their demise under Sultan Abdul Hamid II 's absolutist reign, in
288-578: A common and general title and establishing a strong state by keeping these various groups of elements under the same law and conditions is a bright and attractive political view; but it is deceptive. In fact, it is an impossible goal to unite all the Turks in the world into a state, without any borders. This is a truth that centuries and people who have lived for centuries brought about through very painful and bloody events. It cannot be seen in history that panislamism and panturanism were successful and were practiced in
360-723: A danger to the separation of church and state to warrant an outright ban. But the Constitution was amended in 1982, following the 1980 coup by the Kemalist-leaning military, to prohibit women's use of Islamic coverings such as the hijab at higher education institutions. Joost Lagendijk , a member of the European Parliament and chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee with Turkey, has publicly criticized these clothing restrictions for Muslim women, whereas
432-678: A household, reading or writing among others. In April 1930, the Committee for the Study of Turkish History (TOTTTH) was established as an additional department of the Turkish Hearths. Its first task was to publish a book "General Themes of Turkish History" ( Türk Tarihinin Ana Hatlari) which influenced the development of the Turkish History Thesis . In 1927, the Turkish Hearths' building for
504-632: A kind of Jacobinism , defined by Atatürk himself as a method of employing political despotism to break down the social despotism prevalent among the traditionally-minded Turkish-Muslim population, caused by, he believed, the bigotry of the ulema . Republicanism ( Turkish : cumhuriyetçilik ) in the Kemalist framework replaced the monarchy of the Ottoman dynasty with the rule of law , popular sovereignty and civic virtue , including an emphasis on liberty practiced by citizens. Kemalist republicanism defines
576-466: A limited term, a prime minister appointed by the president, and other ministers appointed by parliament. The president does not have direct executive powers, but has limited veto powers, and the right to contest with referendum. The day-to-day operation of government is the responsibility of the Council of Ministers formed by the prime minister and the other ministers. There is a separation of powers between
648-634: A military campaign against the Allies' planned partition of Anatolia and Eastern Thrace known as the Turkish War of Independence . This conflict being simultaneously a revolution, by 1923 his counter government based in Ankara abolished the Ottoman monarchy and proclaimed a Republic . In Atatürk's 15 years as president, many sweeping reforms were introduced that advanced a secular , republican , and unitary agenda for
720-478: A mixture of Turkic tribes and Anatolian natives; however, unlike the Turkish History Thesis, these two admixtures do not originate from the same ethnicity, race, or identity. Kemalism Reforms Kemalism Kemalism ( Turkish : Kemalizm , also archaically Kamâlizm ) or Atatürkism ( Turkish : Atatürkçülük ) is a political ideology based on the ideas of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ,
792-478: A single unit, with one constitutionally created legislature . On some issues, the political power of government is transferred to lower levels, to local elected assemblies represented by mayors, but the central government retains the principal governing role. Populism ( Turkish : halkçılık ) is defined as a social revolution aimed to transfer the political power to citizenship . Kemalist populism intends not only to establish popular sovereignty but also
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#1732844826557864-407: A spurious intellectual foundation by claiming that the Turks had a Hittite ancestry which was of Central Asian Aryan origin. The thesis insisted that all Turkic peoples had a common racial origin and it also insisted that they had created a great civilization in their Central Asian homeland in prehistoric times and have preserved their language and racial characteristics ever since. According to
936-436: A strategy to achieve a modern society. The core of the reform, in the Kemalist sense, was an accomplished fact. In a Kemalist sense, there is no possibility of return to the old systems because they were deemed backward. The principle of reformism went beyond the recognition of the reforms made during Atatürk's lifetime. Atatürk's reforms in the social and political spheres are accepted as irreversible. Atatürk never entertained
1008-437: A surname and were not allowed to perform the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca ). The Kemalist form of separation of state and religion sought the reform of a complete set of institutions, interest groups (such as political parties , unions, and lobbies), the relationships between those institutions, and the political norms and rules that governed their functions (constitution, election law). The biggest change in this perspective
1080-483: A type of constitutional republic, in which representatives of the people are elected, and must govern in accordance with existing constitutional law limiting governmental power over citizens. The head of state and other officials are chosen by election rather than inheriting their positions, and their decisions are subject to judicial review. In defending the change from the Ottoman State, Kemalism asserts that all laws of
1152-458: A unit under the title of "Greater Turkic history and Civilization". The book also gave detailed information about empires which are Turkic such as Göktürks or "claimed to be Turkic" such as Scythians , Xiongnu , and so on. With the supports of newly founded Turkish Republic, Pan-Turkist organization known as " Turkish Hearths ", re-established in Atatürk's era to get Turkists' support during
1224-685: Is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Turkey . It was founded in 1912, during the last years of the Ottoman Empire , in a period when almost all non-Turkish elements had their own national committees, and Turkish Hearths was founded as a Turkish national committee. Following a meeting of the Young Turks , the Turkish nationalists, on 3 July 1911, the NGO was officially founded in Istanbul on 25 March 1912. According to
1296-576: Is located in Central Asia. According to her, they left after the "inner sea" dried up due to climate change and from there, they spread out and disseminated civilization to other cultures, including the cultures which existed in China, India, Egypt and Greece. The internal contradictions of the Turkish History Thesis became more pronounced in later decades as Colonel Kurtcebe sought to raise the modern Turkish people's awareness of its connection to Central Asia and
1368-540: The mejelle and shari'ah law codes were abandoned in favor of an adapted Swiss Civil Code and a penal code modeled on the German and Italian codes. Other religious practices were done away with, resulting in the dissolution of Sufi orders and the penalization of wearing a fez , which was viewed by Atatürk as a tie to the Ottoman past. Atatürk was profoundly influenced by the triumph of laïcité in France. Atatürk perceived
1440-504: The European Court of Human Rights has ruled in numerous cases that such restrictions in public buildings and educational institutions do not constitute a violation of human rights. Reformism ( Turkish : inkılapçılık ) is a principle which calls for the country to replace the traditional institutions and concepts with modern institutions and concepts. This principle advocated the need for fundamental social change through reform as
1512-790: The Mongols . He believed that an emphasis on Western-style historical education had caused the Turks to be uninterested in Mongolian history . The thesis was influenced by the book Türk Tarihinin Ana Hatları (The Mainlines of Turkish History) published by the Committee for the Study of the Turkish History (TOTTTH) of the Turkish Hearths and became a "state dogma" which was included in school textbooks. During Atatürk's government, scholars like Hasan Reşit Tankut and Rıfat Osman Bey were encouraged that
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#17328448265571584-584: The Russian revolution in 1917 the president of the Turkish Hearths, Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıöver , also welcomed refugees of Turkic origin. During the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923), Turkish Hearths supported the meetings held in Istanbul against the occupation of Istanbul . Some members of the organization were arrested by the Allies of World War I , and the activities of the Turkish Hearths were suspended. After
1656-531: The Stone Age 7000 years before the Europeans and then dispersed westwards as the first people to have brought civilization to the humans. Afet İnan , an adoptive daughter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and member of the Turkish history committee of the Turkish Hearths , pushed the view that the Turks were what was racially called "brachycephalic" and they have established a developed civilization around an "inner sea" which
1728-599: The Turkic peoples , and wanted to unite all of the Turkic peoples. Kemalism wants an equal footing (based on respect) and does not aim to unite the people of Turkey with all the other Turkic nations. Most Kemalists were not interested in Pan-Turkism and from 1923 to 1950 (the single state period) reacted with particular firmness. Further more, Atatürk opposed Pan-Turkism in his speech ( Nutuk ) as following: Gathering various nations under
1800-674: The University . Kemalism provided an important position to Hittites and Hittite symbolism in constructing Turkish identity and nationhood. Kemalist researchers, such as Ahmet Ağaoğlu (who was an advisor to Atatürk and a politician who played an important role in creating the Turkish Constitution of 1924 ), believed that the nation must portray Hittites as a world-domineering Turkish race with firm roots in Anatolia. Modern genetic researches on Turkish samples show that Anatolian Turks are
1872-463: The University of Istanbul (then known as Dârülfünûn), of which some would be dismissed after the congress. 196 Turkish high school teachers were also mentioned in the protocol of the congress. The opening speech belonged to Mahmut Esat Bozkurt , during which he criticized the western scholars for their interpretation of the Turkish history. He claimed that the Central Asian Turks have departed
1944-458: The civic nationalist principles advocated by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and his Social Contract . The Kemalist perception of social contract was facilitated by the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire , which was perceived as a product of failure of the Ottoman " Millet " system and the ineffective Ottomanism policy. Atatürk's nationalism, after experiencing the Ottoman Empire's breakup, defined
2016-464: The revolutions . Atatürk was frequently giving speeches on Turkish Hearths after important events occurred in Turkey. Also reopening of Turkish magazine " Türk Yurdu " which was an organ of Turkish Hearts, was supported. Later, in 1931, Turkish Hearts were closed by Atatürk after they lost their non-political stance, because of their Pan-Turkist views and movements; and with all of its premises, it merged to
2088-412: The "people ( halk ) who established the Turkish republic". Further, "the natural and historical facts which effected the establishment ( teessüs ) of the Turkish nation" were "(a) unity in political existence, (b) unity in language, (c) unity in homeland, (d) unity in race and origin ( menşe ), (e) to be historically related and (f) to be morally related". Membership is usually gained through birth within
2160-834: The French model as the authentic form of secularism. Kemalism strove to control religion and transform it into a private affair rather than an institution interfering with politics, as well as scientific and social progress. It is more than merely creating a separation between state and religion. Atatürk has been described as working as if he were Leo the Isaurian , Martin Luther , the Baron d'Holbach , Ludwig Büchner , Émile Combes , and Jules Ferry rolled into one in creating Kemalist secularism. Kemalist secularism does not imply nor advocate agnosticism or nihilism ; it means freedom of thought and independence of
2232-483: The Republic of Turkey should be inspired by actual needs here on Earth as a basic tenet of national life. Kemalism advocates a republican system as the best representative of the wishes of the people. Among the many types of republic , the Kemalist republic is representative , liberal and parliamentary with a parliament chosen in general elections, a president as head of state elected by parliament and serving for
Turkish History Thesis - Misplaced Pages Continue
2304-483: The Republic of Turkey. The identity of Kurds in Turkey was denied for decades with Kurds described as " Mountain Turks ". Atatürk stated in 1930: Within the political and social unity of today's Turkish nation, there are citizens and co-nationals who have been incited to think of themselves as Kurds , Circassians , Laz or Bosnians . But these erroneous appellations - the product of past periods of tyranny - have brought nothing but sorrow to individual members of
2376-542: The Republic of Turkey. His doctrine was implanted into the Constitution as state ideology in 1937. Atatürk refrained from being dogmatic and described his ideology to be based on science and reason. There are six principles ( ilke ) of the ideology: Republicanism ( Turkish : cumhuriyetçilik ), Populism ( Turkish : halkçılık ), Nationalism ( Turkish : milliyetçilik ), Laicism ( Turkish : laiklik ), Statism ( Turkish : devletçilik ), and Reformism ( Turkish : inkılapçılık ). Together, they represent
2448-417: The Turkish state and the power of the people to bring in that new unity. Kemalist populism is an extension of the Kemalist modernization movement, aiming to make Islam compatible with the modern nation-state. This included state supervision of religious schools and organizations. Mustafa Kemal himself said "everyone needs a place to learn religion and faith; that place is a mektep , not a madrasa . " This
2520-429: The Turkish traits and patterns of these reforms takes generations of cultural and social experience, which results in the collective memory of the Turkish nation. Nationalism ( Turkish : milliyetçilik ): The Kemalist revolution aimed to create a nation state from the remnants of the multi-religious and multi-ethnic Ottoman Empire. Atatürk's nationalism originates from the social contract theories, especially from
2592-521: The War of Independence, the Turkish Hearths resumed its former activities with the support of the newly founded Turkish Republic. They were re-established in 1924, and the number of its branch offices increased from 135 in 1925 to 255 in 1930. These branches provided Mustafa Kemal Atatürk with locations for his speeches when he was on tour in the country. The hearths became a social institution, founded libraries and organized seminars on foreign languages, keeping
2664-451: The activities of religious institutions. Despite their protest, this policy was officially adopted by the 1961 constitution . Kemalist policies aimed to stamp out the religious element within society. After the end of the Turkish War of Independence , all education was under the control of the state in both secular and religious schools. It centralized the education system, with one curriculum in both religious and secular public schools, in
2736-598: The allegiance to the different millets that eventually led to divisiveness in the empire). The motto " Ne mutlu Türküm diyene " (English: How happy is the one who calls themselves a Turk) was promoted against such mottoes as "long live the Sultan," "long live the Sheikh", or "long live the Caliph." Laicism ( Turkish : laiklik ) in Kemalist ideology aims to banish religious interference in government affairs, and vice versa. It differs from
2808-560: The borders of the state and also the principle of jus sanguinis . The Kemalist notion of nationality is integrated into the Article 66 of the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey. Every citizen is recognized as a Turk, regardless of ethnicity, belief, and gender, etc. Turkish nationality law states that he or she can be deprived of his/her nationality only through an act of treason. Kemalists saw non-Muslims as only nominal citizens, and they have often been treated as second-class citizens in
2880-454: The central committee was established in the Çağaloğlu neighborhood of Istanbul and inaugurated by Ismet Inönü , who was a member of the Turkish Hearths since 1917. On the 23 April 1930, a Turkish Historical Commission was established as an additional department of the Turkish Hearths. The central office was moved from Istanbul to Ankara , and a spectacular building, the current building of State Art and Sculpture Museum , as its headquarters
2952-401: The democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law, founded on human rights , and on the tenets laid down in the preamble to the constitution of the Republic of Turkey. Similar to its CUP predecessors, it can be said that Kemalism endorsed social Darwinism in some way by desiring the Turkish youth to be healthy and physically strong. Atatürk defined the Turkish nation as
Turkish History Thesis - Misplaced Pages Continue
3024-527: The early 20th century the Young Turks picked up their legacy. Atatürk's formative years were spent in Hamidian Salonica . During his time in the army, he joined the Committee of Union and Progress , which was agitating for constitutionalism against Hamidian absolutism, and abandoned Ottoman nationalism in favor of Turkish nationalism , while adopting a secular political outlook (see İttihadism ). Atatürk
3096-404: The executive (president and Council of Ministers), the legislative (Parliament) and the judiciary, in which no one branch of government has authority over another—although parliament is charged with the supervision of the Council of Ministers, which can be compelled to resign by a vote of no-confidence. The Kemalist republic is a unitary state in which three organs of state govern the nation as
3168-625: The findings of their studies in history and social sciences be in line with the Turkish Historical Thesis and the Sun Language Theory . The Turkish Historical Thesis is connected with the Sun Language Theory published in 1935 which stipulates that all languages have their origin from the Turkish language. Prominent scholars like Zeki Velidi Togan and Nihal Atsız who challenged the Turkish Historical Thesis lost their jobs at
3240-874: The founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey . Its symbol is the Six Arrows ( Turkish : Altı Ok ). Atatürk's Turkey was defined by sweeping political, social, cultural, and religious reforms designed to separate the Republican state from its Ottoman predecessor and embrace a Western lifestyle, including the establishment of secularism/laicism , state support of the sciences, gender equality , economic statism and more. Most of those policies were first introduced to and implemented in Turkey during Atatürk's presidency through his reforms . Mustafa Kemal Atatürk 's ideas are derived from Enlightenment philosophers , Europe's revolutionary history, and his own experience as
3312-513: The hope this would eliminate or lessen the appeal of religious schools. The laws were meant to abolish the Sufi religious schools or orders ( tarikats ) and their lodges ( tekkes ) . Titles like sheikh and dervish were abolished, and their activities were banned by the government. The day of rest was changed by the government from Friday to Sunday. But the restrictions on personal choice extended to both religious duty and naming. Turks had to adopt
3384-522: The institutions of the state from the dominance of religious thought and religious institutions. The Kemalist principle of laicism is not against moderate and apolitical religion, but against religious forces opposed to and fighting modernization and democracy. According to the Kemalist perception, the Turkish state is to stand at an equal distance from every religion, neither promoting nor condemning any set of religious beliefs. Kemalists, however, have called for not only separation of church and state but also
3456-669: The largely secular politics of the Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire, when even non-religiously affiliated political parties like the Committee of Union and Progress and the Freedom and Accord Party feuded over matters such as the Islamic piety of their candidates in the Ottoman elections of 1912 . Thus, in the Kemalist political perspective, politicians cannot claim to be the protector of any religion or religious sect, and such claims constitute sufficient legal grounds for
3528-632: The nation, with the exception of a few brainless reactionaries, who became the enemy's instruments. In 2005, the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal code made it a crime to insult Turkishness ( Turkish : Türklük ), but under pressure of the EU, this was changed in 2008 to protect the "Turkish nation" instead of Turkish ethnicity in 2008, an 'imagined' nationhood of people living within the National Pact ( Turkish : Misak-ı Milli ) borders. Kemalism focused on
3600-399: The nation-state's narrower interests, renouncing the concern for the "Outside Turks". Pan-Turkism was an ethnocentric ideology [to unite all ethnically Turkic nations] while Kemalism is polycentric [united under a "common will"] in character. Kemalism wants to have an equal footing among the mainstream world civilizations. Pan-Turkists have consistently emphasized the special attributes of
3672-453: The passive Anglo-American concept of secularism , but is similar to the concept of laïcité in France. The roots of Kemalist secularism lie in the reform efforts in the late Ottoman Empire, especially the Tanzimat period and the later Second Constitutional Era . The Ottoman Empire was an Islamic state in which the head of the Ottoman state held the position of the Caliph. The social system
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#17328448265573744-615: The permanent banning of political parties. The Ottoman social system was based on religious affiliation. Religious insignia extended to every social function. Clothing identified citizens with their own particular religious grouping; headgear distinguished rank and profession. Turbans , fezes , bonnets , and head-dresses denoted the sex, rank, and profession — both civil and military — of the wearer. Religious insignia outside of worship areas became banned. While Atatürk considered women's religious coverings as antithetical to progress and equality, he also recognized that headscarves were not such
3816-525: The policies of the radical Unionists. However this allowed him to observe the CUP's successes and shortcomings in implementing their programs. During World War I , his military career took off with his defense of Gallipoli , and by the war's end he was a Pasha in charge of three army commands on the Syrian Front . Following the Ottoman Empire's defeat -and the CUP's self-liquidation- by the war's end, Atatürk lead
3888-408: The possibility of a pause or transition phase during the course of the progressive unfolding or implementation of the reform. The current understanding of this concept can be described as "active modification". Turkey and its society, taking over institutions from Western Europe, must add Turkish traits and patterns to them and adapt them to Turkish culture, according to Kemalism. The implementation of
3960-603: The reason for the 31 March Incident by Islamists and absolute monarchists. The secular policies of the Ottoman parliament also factored in the Arab Revolt during World War I. When secularism was implemented in the fledgling Turkish state, it was initiated by the abolition of the centuries-old caliphate in March 1924. The office of Shaykh al-Islām was replaced with the Presidency of Religious Affairs ( Turkish : Diyanet ). In 1926,
4032-548: The ruling party CHP . Kemalism had a narrower definition of language, which sought to remove ( purify ) the Persian, Arabic, Greek, Latin, etc. words from the Turkish language and replace them with either Turkic originated words or derive new words with Turkic roots. Kemalism gave an important place to Hittites and the Hittite symbolism to construct the Turkish identity and nationhood. Kemalist researchers, such as Ahmet Ağaoğlu (who
4104-493: The social contract as its "highest ideal". In the administration and defense of the Turkish Nation; national unity, national awareness and national culture are the highest ideals that we fix our eyes upon. Kemalist ideology defines the "Turkish Nation" ( Turkish : Türk Ulusu ) as a nation of Turkish people who always love and seek to exalt their family, country and nation, who know their duties and responsibilities towards
4176-500: The statute of Turkish Hearths, the activities were mostly concentrated on culture and education, raising the social, economic and intellectual level of the Turkish people for the perfection of the Turkish language and race. It published books and magazines, offered courses to raise the Turkish nationalist heritage, founded clubs and organized literary and artistic performances. It also supported students with lodging and health care. After
4248-506: The thesis, the Turks had originally migrated from Central Asia to China and from China, they migrated to India , where they founded the civilizations of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa , and from India, they migrated to other parts of the world. The Thesis was made known to the public during the First Turkish Historical Congress, which was held between 2 and 11 July 1932. The congress was attended by eighteen professors of
4320-403: The transfer of the social-economic transformation to realize a true populist state. However, Kemalists reject class conflict and collectivism . Kemalist populism believes national identity is above all else. Kemalist populism envisions a sociality that emphasizes class collaboration and national unity like solidarism . Populism in Turkey is to create a unifying force that brings a sense of
4392-403: The unity of the Turkish state. Kemalist social theory (populism) does not accept any adjectives placed before the definition of a nation [a nation of ...] Sovereignty must belong solely to people without any term, condition, etc.: Ḥâkimiyet bilâ ḳaydü şarṭ Milletiñdir Egemenlik kayıtsız şartsız Milletindir Sovereignty belongs to the nation unrestrictedly and unconditionally Populism
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#17328448265574464-408: The value of Turkish citizenship. A sense of pride associated with this citizenship would give the needed psychological spur for people to work harder and achieve a sense of unity and national identity. Active participation, or the "will of the people", was established with the republican regime and Turkishness replacing the other forms of affiliations that had been promoted in the Ottoman Empire (such as
4536-494: The world. Though, the results of the ambitions for the establishment of a state, covering all humanity, regardless of race, are written in history. However, Atatürk owned the idea of taking Turkicness as one of the identities of Turkish nation. Turkish History Thesis started under Atatürk's order and administration, which contained ethno-racial ideas based on Turkish origins coming from Central Asia . Also Atatürk era high school books contained education of Orkhon alphabet and
4608-473: The yellow race" and were a " secondaire " people. In the aftermath of World War I , the Turks strove to prove that they were the equals of the Western nations, an attempt which bore historical and racial connotations. The Turkish History Thesis created a third alternative to existing narratives claiming that Greece or Mesopotamia , or both, were the "cradles" of Western civilization . The thesis itself rested on
4680-557: Was an advisor to Atatürk and a politician who played an important role on creating Turkey's constitution of 1924 ), believed in that the nation has to portray Hittites as a world-domineering Turkish race with firm roots in Anatolia. Modern genetic researches on Turkish samples show that Anatolian Turks are mixage of Turkic tribes and Anatolian natives, however, unlike Kemalist thoughts , these two admixtures are not originated from same ethnicity, race, or identity. Turkish Hearths Turkish Hearths ( Turkish : Türk Ocakları )
4752-479: Was built by using non-governmental funds. However, in the 1930s, the organization lost its non-political character, and on 10 April 1931 it merged into the Republican People's Party (CHP), the ruling party of Turkey at that time. Its head office was handed over to Peoples' Houses , a state sponsored enlightenment project. On 10 May 1949, the organization was reestablished with non-political character. Although
4824-459: Was developed within the context of pre- Nazi scientific racism , classifying the Turks as an " Alpine subgroup " of the Caucasian race . The intent of the theory was a rejection of Western European assertions that the Turks belonged to the "yellow or mongol" race. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk took a personal interest in the subject after he was shown a French language book that claimed Turks "belonged to
4896-414: Was intended to combat the "corruption" of Islam by the ulema . Kemal believed that during the Ottoman period, the ulema had come to exploit the power of their office and manipulate religious practices to their own benefit. It was also feared that, were education not brought under state control, unsupervised madrasa s could exacerbate the rising problem of tarikat insularity that threatened to undermine
4968-568: Was not in a position to play a major role in the Young Turk Revolution of 1908, which reinstated the constitution, though he was a key player in the deposition of Abdul Hamid during the 31 March Incident . During the Second Constitutional Era personal rivalries with İsmail Enver and Ahmed Cemal meant that he was kept at arms-length from power: the Central Committee of the CUP . It also didn't help that Atatürk mostly disagreed with
5040-630: Was organized according to various systems, including the religiously organized Millet system and Shari'ah law , allowing religious ideology to be incorporated into the Ottoman administrative, economic, and political system. In the Second Constitutional Era, the Ottoman Parliament pursued largely secular policies, although techniques of religious populism and attacks on other candidates' piety still occurred between Ottoman political parties during elections . These policies were stated as
5112-404: Was the abolishment of the Ottoman caliphate on March 3, 1924, followed by the removal of its political mechanisms. The article stating that "the established religion of Turkey is Islam" was removed from the constitution on April 10, 1928. From a political perspective, Kemalism is anti-clerical, in that it seeks to prevent religious influence on the democratic process, which was a problem even in
5184-470: Was used against the political domination of sheikhs, tribal leaders, and the Islamic political system of the Ottoman Empire. Atatürk's nationalism aimed to shift the political legitimacy from royal autocracy (by the Ottoman dynasty ), theocracy (based in the Ottoman caliphate ), and feudalism (tribal leaders) to the active participation of its citizenry, the Turks. Kemalist social theory wanted to establish
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