Turkey and Political Islam (rebroadcast)

Over the past fifty years, increased religious consciousness in Turkey has been fostered through state policies that encourage religious observance and Islamic education. Sufism has also contributed to the revitalization of religion and the rise of political Islam in Turkey. In the November 2002 elections, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has deep roots in political Islam, won a landslide victory, raising concerns over the growing support for political Islam in the country.

On this week's show, Professor Sencer Ayata, Chair of the Department of Sociology at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, spoke on "Will Turkey Become More Islamic: The AKP Party in Power?" Sencer Ayata is the author of several books and has published articles on a wide range of issues, including Sufism, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the politicization of Islam, security problems, sociological aspects of globalization, civil society, employment, and social democracy in Turkey.