Islam and the Kurdish Peace Process in Turkey (2013–2015)

Abstract

This chapter seeks to analyze the role of religion in the peace-building efforts in Turkey related to the so-called “Kurdish Opening” (2013–2015). It asks the question whether Islam has been a constituent of peace-building given its unique place in the Turkish polity, both paradoxically incorporated in the governance of a legally secular state through the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and spanning a vast horizontal system of networks through numerous Islamic schools, civil society organizations, and various tariqas. Since the majority of the Turks and Kurds belong to the dominant Sunni Islam which has enjoyed unprecedented material and ideological support in the last decade by the governing Justice and Development Party, the chapter seeks to establish to what extent the Islamic leaders and actors have utilized their resources to diversify the top-down approach to the Kurdish–Turkish peace process and to bring the two divided communities closer together, while also reaching out to the smaller ethnoreligious groups. Drawing on original ethnographic research, the author argues that Islam was infrequently and selectively employed as a mobilizing force in the cause of peace, and its employment differed significantly between the Diyanet and the Kurdish Islamic actors. As for the minority religions, they saw little opportunity for participation in the peace process, even though they had certain expectations from it. The chapter contends that the peace process in Turkey needs to be pursued in a holistic way that goes beyond the solution of the “Kurdish issue” alone and guarantees equal rights and inclusive citizenship for all. While the “Kurdish Opening” remains central in efforts to bring stability and peace to the polarized society in Turkey, it also needs to address the problems of other minority groups.