Negotiating National Identity: Islam, Secularism, and the Six Modalities of Turkishness

The paper departs from the observation that the debates on the cultural boundaries of Turkish identity, from the late Ottoman period to the present time, have centred on the question of what Islam represents for Turkishness. It argues that the various ways in which this relationship has been conceptualized have led to the development of multiple definitions of Turkish identity. To thisend, itintroduces a sixfold conceptual typology that categorizes these definitions of Turkish identity in relation to Islam. This typology not only categorizes diverse interpretations of Turkishness, from secular to religious forms, but also clarifies how the relationship between Islam and Turkish identity has remained the central axis of contestation.