JSPS Grant-in-Aid “Politicisation of Religion and Sectarianization of Politics in the Middle East”, co-sponsored by Regular Research Project by Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia in the University of Tokyo “Social Change and Intellectual Movements in the Modern Middle East”, will invite Professor M. Hakan Yavuz from the University of Utah and hold a public lecture titled “The Political Crisis in Turkey and its Impact on Foreign Policy” and a book talk on Turkey's July 15th Coup: What happened and why?, slated to be published in March 2018.

【Date & Time】Wednesday, February 14, 2018 13:00-15:30

【Venue】Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo, 3rd floor http://www.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/eng/access/index.html

【Language】in English

【Summary】
“The political crisis in Turkey and its impact on foreign policy” M. Hakan Yavuz, The University of Utah Turkey is facing a number of social and political challenges. The most pressing issue is the clash between Islamic and secular actors and the ongoing erosion of the institutions and the rule of law.The lecture will start a brief overview of the historical context of the relationship between state and society in the Ottoman Empire, with an emphasis on the concepts of cemaat (community) and cemaatcilik (communalism). Discussion continues by examining the politicization of Islam seen as a resistance movement to the modernizing reforms of the Kemalist state. The complex interplay of these factors culminated in the construction of a secular cemaat in Turkey.The second part of the lecture will focus on the triangulated relationship among state, society, and religion, targeting the alliance and political struggles between the AK Party and the Gülen Movement, which ended up with the July 15th coup against the democratic government. The lecture concludes that after a decade-long experiment with Islamic movements in power, Turkey is experiencing the most serious constitutional crisis in its history as a modern republic. The final section will examine the impact of this crisis on Turkey’s foreign policy in regard to the European Union, Russia and the Middle East.

【Program】
 13:00 Opening Remarks
 13:10 M. Hakan Yavuz : “The Political Crisis in Turkey and its Impact on Foreign Policy”
 14:00 Discussion
 14:30 Break
 14:45 Book Talk : Turkey's July 15th Coup: What happened and why?
 15:25 Closing Remarks
 16:00 Reception

Please contact the contact person if you would like to participate in this event by 8 February.

【Organizer】JSPS Grant-in-Aid “Politicisation of Religion and Sectarianization of Politics in the Middle East” (Project Leader: Keiko Sakai, Chiba University)

【Co-organizer】Regular Research Project by Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia in the University of Tokyo “Social Change and Intellectual Movements in the Modern Middle East”

【Contact Person】Aya Kokaki, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Chiba University
          E-mail: koukaki[at]chiba-u.jp