Reluctant capitalists: The rise of neo-Islamic bourgeoisie in Turkey

Abstract

Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP)'nin 2002 yılında iktidar gelmesi `İslam ve Kapitalizm` ile `İslam ve Demokrasi` tartışmalarının seyri açısından Türkiye'de ve İslam dünyasında yeni bir dönemin başlangıcı oldu. Bu ekonomik ve siyasi gelişmelerin en önemli sonuçlarından birisi modern Türkiye'de yeni bir İslami burjuvazinin doğuşu olmuştur. Benim tezimin amacı ortaya çıkan bu yeni İslami burjuvaziyi genel olarak İslam ve Kapitalizm tartışmaları özel olarak ise Türkiye'de son otuz yılda Müslüman aktörlerin siyasi, ekonomik ve entellektüel dönüşümleri bağlamında incelemektir.Yeni burjuvazinin doğuşuna örnek bir vaka olarak, MÜSİAD (Müstakil İşadamları Derneği)'dan ayrılarak kurulan ve bir tür sivil toplum kuruluşu olan İslami iş örgütlerinden İGİAD (iktisadi Girişim ve Iş Ahlakı Derneği)'ın vizyon, misyon ve aktivitelerini inceleyeceğim. İGİAD'ı seçmemin iki sebebi vardır: a) söz konusu dernek şimdiye değin akademik bir bakış açısı ile henüz incelenmedi;ve b) bu dernek İslami ahlak değerleri ile kapitalist iş prensiplerinin uyumunu sağlamak için en fazla bilinçli çaba sarfeden iş örgütüdür.Araştırmalarım neticesinde iddiam şudur ki, yeni İslami burjuvazi son otuz yılın Türkiyenin ekonomi-politik bağlamında Weberyan anlamda kendine yeni `fırsatlar alanı` buldu ve kendi Müslüman kimliği ile kapitalizm arasında devam edegelen pazarlık neticesinde ortaya çıktı. Bu süreçte Müslüman aktörler İslam ve Kapitalizm arasındaki `söylemsel gerilim`i azaltarak, İslamı, kapitalizmi, banka ile çalışmayı, tüketimi ve lüksü öyle bir şekilde yeniden tanımladılar ki İslam ve Kapitalizm birbiri ile uyumlu hale gelecek derecede esnek hale geldi. Süreç sonunda ise yeni burjuvazi `mütereddit kapitalistler` olarak ortaya çıktı.Metodolojik olarak, tezim son dört yıldır Bilkent ve Harvard kütüphanelerinde araştırdığım birincil ve ikincil kaynakların; islami medya (gazete, dergi ve TV kanalları) yayınlarının; ve daha da önemlisi Türkiye'de ortaya çıkan yeni İslami burjuvazinin aktörleri, çoğunlukla da İGİAD üyeleri, ile derinlemesine yaptığım mülakatların analizleri üzerine kurulmuştur.Anahtar Kelimeler:Müslüman burjuvazi, İslam, KapitalizmACKNOWLEDGEMENTA dissertation could not be accomplished without the help of several people and institutions. And mine is not an exception. For that, I would like to thank first and foremost to my main advisor and mentor, Metin Heper, without whose help and guidance, this dissertation could not be completed. His high standards were always coupled with a kind, approachable, wise and humorous manner. I am also very grateful to my examining committee members, Ergun Özbudun, Elisabeth Özdalga, Zeki Sarıgil, and Oktay Özel, without their contributions and constructive criticisms I could put my ideas into a perspective, and start thinking about my future projects.I am very thankful to the president of ÎGÎAD, Şükrü Alkan, who helped me immensely not only through sharing his sincere opinions about Islam and capitalism but also introducing me other ÎGÎAD members during my three year-long research. Likewise two other Muslim businessmen, Ali Vural Ak and Hasan Gültekin, introduced me several other members of the Islamic bourgeoisie from different Islamic circles and cemaats. I would like to thank to all of them and to my interviewees, some of whom understandably wanted to remain anonymous. That's why I was able to give initials of their names only in the following pages.During my research at Bilkent, Harvard and Furman universities and libraries in last five years, I had the good fortune to discuss my project with many great scholars and friends, none of whom hesitated to share their enthusiasm and knowledge. I am particularly thankful to Prof. Cemal Kafadar, Prof. Nur Yalman, Associate Prof. Ali Tekin, Assistant Prof. Cengiz Şişman, Dr. İbrahim Kalın, Prof. İhsan Dağı, Prof. Sabri Orman, Prof. Burhanettin Can, Prof. İsrafil Kuralay, Dr. Nihat Alayoğlu, Erol Yarar, Nejla Koytak, Eyüp Vural Aydın, and Prof. Ersin Nazif Gürdoğan whose thought provoking questions in different stages of my research always provided me with excellent feedback and kept me focused when I found myself wandering too far afield.Lastly I would like to thank to my family and friends (also my cats, Mişka and Bekir) whose unconditional support had always been with me throughout this arduous process.

The rise of the JDP to power in Turkey in 2002 marked a beginning of a new era in Turkey and Islamic world, in terms of enduring debate between Islam and Democracy and that of Islam and Capitalism. One of the significant outcomes of this politico-economic development was emergence of a neo-Islamic bourgeoisie in modern Turkey. The aim of my dissertation is to contextualize rise of this neo- Islamic bourgeoisie class against the backdrop of conflict and cooperation between Islam and Capitalism in general; and political, intellectual and economic transformations of Islamist actors over the last three decades in Turkey, in particular.As a case study, I will examine vision, mission and activities of a non¬governmental Islamic business organization, ÎGÎAD (Financial Business Ethics Foundation/İktisadi Girişim ve İş Ahlakı Derneği), which was an offshoot of MÜSİAD (The Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association/ Müstakil İşadamları Derneği). The reason I chose to work on İGİAD is twofold: a) the organization has never been studied from and academic point of view; and b) it is an Islamic business organization which makes the most self-conscious effort to reconcile capitalist business principles and Islamic ethical values.Based on my research, I argue that neo-Islamic class found an `opportunity space` in a Weberian sense, in the last three decades in the Turkish economy- political context, and emerged as a result of an ongoing negotiation between self- perception of their Islamic identity and capitalism. Overcoming the challenges, and decreasing the 'discursive tension' between Islam and capitalism, in this process, these Islamic actors defined and redefined Islam, secularism, capitalism, investment, banking, consumption, and luxury in such a way that both Islam and capitalism were considered flexible enough to accommodate each other. At the end of the process, they emerged as `reluctant capitalists`.Methodologically speaking, my dissertation will integrate my analysis of secondary and primary sources that I have been examining at Bilkent and Harvard libraries last three years; of Islamic media (newspapers, journals, TV channels) products; and more importantly in-depth interviews with members of neo-Islamic bourgeoisie class in Turkey, mostly with the members ÎGÎAD.Key words: Muslim bourgeoisie, Islam, Capitalism