Islamist Political Thought in Turkey

Islamism is a powerful political force in contemporary Turkey. But what are the roots of this ideology? This book provides an intellectual history of Islamism in Turkey, tracing the thought of key figures from the late Ottoman Empire to the contemporary period. Examining the works of Namik Kemal, Said Halim Pasa, Said Nursi, Ali Bulac and others, the book puts these figures and their works in historical context, showing the origins of their ideas and how they changed as Turkey moved from a constitutional to an authoritarian and then more democratic political system, with democratic backsliding and rising authoritarianism today. Covering also the rise of Islamism as a political movement in the late 20th century, it provides important insight into the intellectual background of Islamism in contemporary Turkey under the rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP.

Review: Michelangelo Guida's book is the first comprehensive overview of the political thought of influential Islamist intellectuals in Turkey over three generations from the 1870s to the present. Guida has a unique ability to introduce the key texts and debates of Turkish Islamist thought in light of the domestic and international context, allowing the readers to make sense of the innovations and continuities in the evolution of Islamic political imagination. The book offers not only the most original commentary on Islamist political thought from late Ottoman era through the Republican period, but also provides a productive reframing of our understanding of the contestations that Islamism represents in today's world both within Turkey and beyond. * Cemil Aydin, Professor, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA *
This new work on Islamist thought in Turkey presents a wealth of information and analysis on a fascinating and under-studied subject. Michelangelo Guida, in full command of his subject, has helpfully organised Islamist thinkers into three generations. He analyses them in depth and with great insight, bringing the story up to the AKP period. * Katerina Dalacoura, Associate Professor, LSE, UK *