Turkish Islamism in the Post-gezi Park Era

Abstract

The Gezi Park protests have stirred serious controversy both inside and outside Turkey on the JDP’s ruling style and ideology. By drawing on el-Affendi’s distinction between the Medina and Damascus models, I discuss the Islamist opposition to Erdoğan during the Gezi events. I argue that notwithstanding his recent Islamization policies, Erdoğan’s JDP is a conservative party that caters to Muslim nationalism while a new Islamism as an ethico-political ideal has been in the making by the praxis of the new Islamist youth.