"Farewell to a Sharia Mind-Set"

Timo Berger asks Ekin Deligöz, a member of the German Bundestag, for her views on development in Turkey, the role of the EU, and a possible model for a modern Islam on the Bosporus

Timo Berger asks Ekin Deligöz, a member of the German Bundestag, for her views on development in Turkey, the role of the EU, and a possible model for a modern Islam on the Bosporus

Ekin Deligöz (photo: private copyright)
Turkey is at one and the same time an Islamic and a secular country. The middle and upper classes have a very open outlook on religion, according to Ekin Deligöz

​​ How much modernization do you believe Turkey is capable of?

Ekin Deligöz: I believe that Turkey is capable of a great deal of modernization by its own efforts if it succeeds in making education accessible to the whole population and in fighting poverty. This entails a massive expansion of the educational system. As well, politicians should lay down their ideological blinkers and instead seek pragmatic solutions.

What role does the EU play?

Deligöz: There are many reservations in Turkey with respect to the EU. The fear is that the EU will interfere in domestic policy. Well, politicians and society at large simply have to understand that a treaty with other states always means that the other parties will want to have a say in decisions. This point has not been made clear enough in Turkey. The attempts made by the government and the bureaucracy have left a bad impression. Small businesses, in particular, fear that they won't be able to afford the investments required by a closer relationship with the EU.

Yet, it is namely these family businesses that create the workplaces and traineeships, which form the basis of a prosperous economy in Turkey. This is the case, even though there is a long tradition of relying on large-scale projects and neglecting small businesses.

What positive effects has the EU produced?

Deligöz: The soft pressure exerted by the EU has strengthened the process of democratization in Turkey. The death penalty has been abolished, the human rights situation has improved, the economy has flourished, and technical progress has been made. The EU, however, shouldn't only promote the economy, but also the development of civil society, research, and cultural exchange.

Where do you currently see a deficit in development?

AKP supporters celebrating the election victory 22 July 2007 (photo: AP)
"The country's greatest weakness is not that the AKP is elected everywhere, but that there are simply no alternatives," says Deligöz

​​ Deligöz: There is still the lack of courage to permit a wide range of political opinion. This is the case in science and academia, but also in arts and culture. Take, for example, the debate about Armenians. Why is this issue so ridden with taboos? Why can't it be talked about openly? Germany and France were at war for more than 700 years. Now, there is a lively exchange between the two countries.

One can criticise the ruling AK party, and I count myself among its critics, but there is also a discernable lack of opposition. The country's greatest weakness is not that the AKP is elected everywhere, but that there are simply no alternatives. Or that the alternatives are very quickly suppressed by the legal system and the traditional political class, while at the same time criticising the lack of alternatives. This, of course, leads to mistrust by the citizens of the political class.

Who is pursuing modernization in Turkey?

Deligöz: It used to be a simple black and white picture – modernization meant politically willed modernization in accordance with Kemalist ideology, which did not include wide sections of the population. This schema is now a thing of the past. Those at universities, as well as many in the business community, have a great interest in a modernization that takes societal inclusion into account.

And there are now countless civil society organizations, women's rights groups, and human rights associations and institutes. Only within the political parties and unions are such developments lacking.

Turks waving flags of the EU and Turkey (photo: AP)
Although many Turks support EU membership for their country, there are also many reservation in Turkey with respect to the EU, says Deligöz

​​ Is Turkey on the way to a modern form of Islam?

Deligöz: Turkey is at one and the same time an Islamic and a secular country. The middle and upper classes have a very open outlook on religion. Yet, there are also examples where religion suddenly veers off into fundamentalism and there is a return to traditional structures, including gender roles.

This is the case where people cannot take part in the decision-making process or where exclusion and segregation are prevalent, namely, on the outskirts of large cities and in the countryside.

The country finds itself in a very fascinating phase. Will Turkey succeed in developing and shaping a modern form of Islam? An Islam that permits equality of the sexes, realizes women's rights, and bids farewell to a Sharia mind-set? The only country in which this can succeed is Turkey. This is why we have to offer our support – and also to provide a signal to other Islamic states.

Interview: Timo Berger

© Zeitschrift für Kulturaustausch 2008 / Qantara.de 2009

Translated from the German by John Bergeron

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