Coexistence of Islam and democracy in Turkey implications for public policy making

Islam has certainly become a main issue in today's global politics. As the world works towards achieving better governance, the ability of Islam to promote a democracy of its own among its adherents has been in question. There has been an ongoing debate about the compatibility of Islam and democracy, with some scholars arguing that Islam and democracy are incompatible while others assert that they can coexist. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a critical overview of the arguments about the compatibility of Islam and democracy, and how the Turkish model of democracy, especially under the Justice and Development Party (AKP), has evolved. To create a common basis for proponents and opponents of this debate, this thesis will answer the following questions: What are the determinants of coexistence between Islam and democracy? Why is the case of Turkey representative of this coexistence? What does the Turkish experience mean for the Arab World?

In order to investigate the research questions, a qualitative methodology that is based on a content analysis and is supported by a case study of the state of democracy in Turkey is applied. The thesis introduces a brief analysis of the determinants that show the validity of the hypothesis which emphasizes the coexistence between Islam and democracy. This proposal is strengthened by a detailed analysis of how Turkey has successfully transformed into a democratic state with an Islamic tone. The ideology adopted by the AKP leadership shows that a conservative attitude in the social arena and a liberal attitude towards the market has been employed to primarily improve people's lives. The thesis makes it clear that AKP leaders have created an image that significantly reveals their understanding of the relationship between Islam and the state. The thesis concludes that, Islam is not an obstacle in establishing democracy in the Muslim world and that the Turkish model is reproducible in countries where Islam is the dominant religion.