The presidency of religious affairs, women, and politics in Turkey: 1968 – 2014

Abstract

This study aims to provide an understanding of the evolving role of the Presidency of Religious Affairs (PRA) or Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı and its implications for women. Due to democratization, over the years PRA’s primary role shifted from controlling religion to expanding the realm of religion. I hypothesized there is a relation between shifting sociopolitical context and Diyanet’s discourse on women. A qualitative analysis of the texts published by the PRA between 1968 and 2014 was conducted. The thesis examined the two periodicals Diyanet Aylık and Diyanet Aile, the book of İlmihal, the pronouncements publicized through the PRA’s official website, as well as the statements of the PRA notables. My cross-time comparative analysis found that the PRA has been dominated by a patriarchal discourse that reproduced gender stereotypes, hierarchy between sexes, and gendered division of labor. However, after the 1990s the PRA shifted toward a more gender - sensitive and egalitarian discourse. Dedicated efforts of the feminist movement, as well as the pursuit of EU membership were influential in transforming the state’s agenda, which in turn moderated Diyanet’s interpretation of religious norms concerning gender relations. Yet, within the last decade the PRA has been radically politicized and tilted toward a new and contradictory type of patriarchy. A critical and gender - focused study of the PRA not only makes a unique contribution to the literature on the relations between state, society and religion; but also deconstructs official religious discourse, which eventually affects the prospects of advancing gender equality in Turkey.