HISTORY OF “LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE RIGHT” IN TURKEY

Abstract

It is possible to say that Right wing policy has always had the chance to express itself in every period of politics in Turkey and since the beginning of the practice of democratic principles; it has been almost the sole determinant of political power. Sociologic factors pushing the Right to being the determinant of Turkish politics are doubtlessly a subject of another discussion. Nevertheless, it is useful to make a point, which would not deter the integrity of this study and on the basis of this point, define its effects on today’s Turkish political dynamics. In this context, the first issue that has to be stated is that the conservative themes, whose roots are intertwined with the past and daily practices of Turkish society, make things considerably easy for Right wing politics. In a way, Turkish society, succeeding in synthesizing religion with nationalism, made a stance even only with this aspect of its. Also, society’s expressing its conservative concerns mostly over traditions has opened ways for both giving it a historical meaning and interpreting religion on the context of traditions.