Party Change in the Post-Secular Age: The Case of Republican People’s Party in Turkey

İlkim Özdikmenli Çelikoğlu

Makale detayları

Party Change in the Post-Secular Age: The Case of Republican People’s Party in Turkey

Yazarlar:

İlkim Özdikmenli Çelikoğlu

Yayıncı:

Manisa Celal Bayar University

Ana Başlıklar:

Türk Siyasal Hayatı

Dergi:

Yönetim ve Ekonomi Dergisi , pp.107-125

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2023

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305157

pISSN:

1302-0064

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 The Republican Peoples Party RPP of Turkey is currently the main opposition party against the ruling Justice and Development Party JDP. While the RPP has usually been identified with a rigid understanding of secularism, the party has been experiencing a process of ideational change for more than a decade under the leadership of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. This study aims to describe and explain the partys shift to a softer version of secularism. Under the light of party change literature, one internal and two external factors are identified. The impact of leadership change, the internal factor, is examined with reference to major strategic and ideational changes initiated by Kılıçdaroğlu. The first major external stimulus is the global and local hegemony of post-secularism, which refers to the idea and practice of a new balance between citizenship and difference, allowing a greater space for religious arguments and images in the public sphere. The second is the transition to presidential system in Turkey, which both forced and facilitated the RPPs search for electoral alliances with conservative parties in a personalized winner-takes-all game. It is claimed that these factors have made the RPP reassess the effectiveness of its commitment to classical secularism in meeting the renewed party goal of vote maximization. Reverse pressures on the party will also be examined in the article, with an aim of foreseeing the RPPs leaning in the near future. Key Words: Republican Peoples Party, Secularism, Post-Secular Society, Party Change JEL Classification: Z1, D72, Y80.

 The Republican Peoples Party RPP of Turkey is currently the main opposition party against the ruling Justice and Development Party JDP. While the RPP has usually been identified with a rigid understanding of secularism, the party has been experiencing a process of ideational change for more than a decade under the leadership of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. This study aims to describe and explain the partys shift to a softer version of secularism. Under the light of party change literature, one internal and two external factors are identified. The impact of leadership change, the internal factor, is examined with reference to major strategic and ideational changes initiated by Kılıçdaroğlu. The first major external stimulus is the global and local hegemony of post-secularism, which refers to the idea and practice of a new balance between citizenship and difference, allowing a greater space for religious arguments and images in the public sphere. The second is the transition to presidential system in Turkey, which both forced and facilitated the RPPs search for electoral alliances with conservative parties in a personalized winner-takes-all game. It is claimed that these factors have made the RPP reassess the effectiveness of its commitment to classical secularism in meeting the renewed party goal of vote maximization. Reverse pressures on the party will also be examined in the article, with an aim of foreseeing the RPPs leaning in the near future. Key Words: Republican Peoples Party, Secularism, Post-Secular Society, Party Change JEL Classification: Z1, D72, Y80.

 The Republican Peoples Party RPP of Turkey is currently the main opposition party against the ruling Justice and Development Party JDP. While the RPP has usually been identified with a rigid understanding of secularism, the party has been experiencing a process of ideational change for more than a decade under the leadership of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. This study aims to describe and explain the partys shift to a softer version of secularism. Under the light of party change literature, one internal and two external factors are identified. The impact of leadership change, the internal factor, is examined with reference to major strategic and ideational changes initiated by Kılıçdaroğlu. The first major external stimulus is the global and local hegemony of post-secularism, which refers to the idea and practice of a new balance between citizenship and difference, allowing a greater space for religious arguments and images in the public sphere. The second is the transition to presidential system in Turkey, which both forced and facilitated the RPPs search for electoral alliances with conservative parties in a personalized winner-takes-all game. It is claimed that these factors have made the RPP reassess the effectiveness of its commitment to classical secularism in meeting the renewed party goal of vote maximization. Reverse pressures on the party will also be examined in the article, with an aim of foreseeing the RPPs leaning in the near future. Key Words: Republican Peoples Party, Secularism, Post-Secular Society, Party Change JEL Classification: Z1, D72, Y80.

 Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi CHP günümüzde hükümet partisi Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi AKP karşısında Türkiyenin ana muhalefet partisi konumundadır. CHP genellikle katı bir laiklik anlayışıyla özdeşleştirilmekle birlikte parti yaklaşık son on yılda Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu liderliğinde bir düşünsel değişim sürecinden geçmiştir. Bu çalışma, CHPnin daha yumuşak bir laiklik anlayışına geçişini tasvir etmeyi ve açıklamayı amaçlamaktadır. Parti değişimi literatürünün önermeleri ışığında, bir iç ve iki dış faktör üzerinde durulmaktadır. İç faktör olan lider değişikliğinin etkisi, Kılıçdaroğlu tarafından başlatılan büyük stratejik ve düşünsel değişikliklere atıfla incelenmektedir. Dışsal faktörlerin ilki, yurttaşlık ve farklılıklar arasında yeni bir denge kurulması düşüncesi ve pratiğine işaret eden, dinsel savların ve imajların kamusal alanda daha fazla yer almasına izin veren post-sekülarizmin küresel ve yerel hegemonyasıdır. İkinci olarak, Türkiyede başkanlık sistemine geçiş, CHPnin kişiselleştirilmiş bir kazanan her şeyi alır oyununda muhafazakar partilerle seçim ittifakı kurma arayışına girmesine neden olmuş ve onu kolaylaştırmıştır. Bu faktörlerin CHPyi klasik laiklik modeline bağlılığın yenilenmiş parti hedefi olan oy maksimizasyonunu gerçekleştirmedeki etkililiğini gözden geçirmeye ittiği öne sürülmektedir. Çalışmada ayrıca parti üzerindeki tersine basınç da ele alınacak ve partinin yakın gelecekteki eğilimleri öngörülmeye çalışılacaktır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, Laiklik, Post-Seküler Toplum, Parti Değişimi JEL Sınıflandırması: Z1, D72, Y80.

Makale detayları

Party Change in the Post-Secular Age: The Case of Republican People’s Party in Turkey

Yazarlar:

İlkim Özdikmenli Çelikoğlu

Yayıncı:

Manisa Celal Bayar University

Ana Başlıklar:

Türk Siyasal Hayatı

Dergi:

Yönetim ve Ekonomi Dergisi , pp.107-125

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2023

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305157

pISSN:

1302-0064

Republican People’s Party

Secularism

Post-Secular Society

Party ChangeCumhuriyet Halk Partisi

Laiklik

Post-Seküler Toplum

Parti Değişimi

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: İlkim Özdikmenli Çelikoğlu

Yayıncı: Manisa Celal Bayar University

Ana Başlıklar: Türk Siyasal Hayatı

Dergi: Yönetim ve Ekonomi Dergisi , pp.107-125

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 12/2023

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001305157

pISSN: 1302-0064

Sayı

Yazarlar:

İlkim Özdikmenli Çelikoğlu

Yayıncı:

Manisa Celal Bayar University

Ana Başlıklar:

Türk Siyasal Hayatı

Dergi:

Yönetim ve Ekonomi Dergisi , pp.107-125

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

12/2023

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001305157

pISSN:

1302-0064