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Turkish Religion

The institutional secularization of Turkey was the most prominent and most controversial feature of Atatürk's reforms. Under his leadership, the caliphate office of the successors to Muhammad, the supreme politico-religious office of Islam, and symbol of the sultan's claim to world leadership of all Muslims was abolished. The secular power of the religious authorities and functionaries was reduced and eventually eliminated. The religious foundations (evkaf ; sing., vakif ) were nationalized, and religious education was restricted and for a time prohibited. The influential and popular mystical orders of the dervish brotherhoods also were suppressed.

Although Turkey was secularized at the official level, religion remained a strong force at the popular level. After 1950 some political leaders tried to benefit from popular attachment to religion by espousing support for programs and policies that appealed to the religiously inclined. Such efforts were opposed by most of the political elite, who believed that secularism was an essential principle of Kemalism. This disinclination to appreciate religious values and beliefs gradually led to a polarization of society. The polarization became especially evident in the 1980s as a new generation of educated but religiously motivated local leaders emerged to challenge the dominance of the secularized political elite. These new leaders have been assertively proud of Turkey's Islamic heritage and generally have been successful at adapting familiar religious idioms to describe dissatisfaction with various government policies. By their own example of piety, prayer, and political activism, they have helped to spark a revival of Islamic observance in Turkey. By 1994 slogans promising that a return to Islam would cure economic ills and solve the problems of bureaucratic inefficiencies had enough general appeal to enable avowed religious candidates to win mayoral elections in Istanbul and Ankara, the country's two most secularized cities.

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Festivals and Feasts

Religious (dates vary from year to year because they are based on a lunar calendar):

Seker Bayrami, or Festival of Sugar, is a 3-day national festival marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramazan (Ramadan). It is a happy time spent socializing and exchanging gifts of Turkish delight and other sweets.

Kurban Bayrami, the most important religious holiday, commemorates the near sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham. God spared the child, allowing a lamb to be sacrificed instead. Throughout the country, those who can afford it sacrifice an animal in memory of this event and reserve a portion of the meat for the needy. Traditionally, some of the meat is fried in its own fat on a convex griddle.

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Secular Holidays in Turkey

April

The Mesir Macunu (Power Gum) Festival in Manisa commemorates the curative power of a honeyed, many-spiced (41) elixir that restored the health of Ottoman Sultan Suleyman's mother over 400 years ago. (The number 41 holds a mystical significance to the Turks; the successful completion of certain events is commonly marked by saying a special phrase 41 times.) When cured, the Sultan's mother insisted that citizens of Manisa be given this concoction at her expense. Today's festival includes actors in period costumes staging its production. Bottles of the elixir are for sale, and the suggested dosage is 3 spoonfuls a day to eliminate most ailments.

June

Strawberry Festival in Bartin to celebrate the harvesting of the strawberry crop. International Wine Festival in Urgup, the center of a successful wine producing region. Several small wineries in Cappadocia hold this wine tasting event, this is worth a visit for those visiting property in Turkey.

July

Apricot Festival in Malatya, Turkey's apricot capital, to celebrate the harvesting of the crop.

August

Mengen (Bolu) Chef's Festival. Turkish chefs regale local and foreign travel writers and the press with samples of Turkish gastronomical delights.

September

Watermelon Festival in Diyarbakir with prizes going to the biggest.