Moderate Islam and Democracy in Turkey

In recent past, in the eyes of non-Muslim thinkers Islamists were synonymous with fundamentalists and there was no difference between the two for them but in recent years with coming to power of Islamists in Turkey these two terms have rightly found their distinct meaning. At present, with coming to power of moderate Islamists in Turkey, they have presented themselves as a successful model for Islamists groups and societies. It has also led to the decline of the position of Islamic Fundamentalists and strengthening of democracy in that country. In fact for better understanding of the relations between Islam and democracy one has to pay attention to the dominant interpretation of Islam among the followers. What gives the final verdict or judgment about the relations between democracy and Islam by Islamist groups or societies is the dominant interpretation of Islam by Islamist groups or societies. Thus one cannot give a comprehensive verdict about compatibility or incompatibility of Islam with democracy. The present article wants to examine the impact of a dominant moderate interpretation of Islam in Turkey. The underlying hypothesis is that such interpretation of Islam is not an obstacle on the way of democratization but it has helped the deepening process of democracy and building the necessary institution for democracy.