Islamic Political Identity in Turkey

notes to pages 166–179 303Erzurum, Eskisehir, Istanbul, and Konya in 1994–2001 and 18 dershanes inGermany and Holland in August 2001.47. From my notes of a visit to a Nurcu dershane, February 20, 1994.48. From my notes of my visit of February 20, 1994.49. Nilüfer Göle, a prominent Turkish sociologist, was instrumental instressing the connection between privately formed practices and their utilization inthe public sphere. She was the Wrst scholar to unpack the “oYcial Turkish publicsphere” and stress the positive role of religion in the strengthening of civil society.My understanding of the counter- and “oYcial” publics is very much informed bythe Turkish experience and also by participating in discussion groups organized byGöle in Germany that examined the role of Islam in the public sphere, Essen(Germany), May 13–14, 2000.50. Jürgen Habermas, “The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article,” in Mediaand Cultural Studies: Keyworks, ed. Meenakshi Gigi Durham and Douglas M. Kellner(Oxford: Blackwell, 2001), 102–107.51. Yasin Aktay, “Body, Text, Identity: The Islamic Discourse of Authenticity inModern Turkey” (Ph.D diss., Middle East Technical University, Ankara, 1997), 195.52. 8slam Dünyasìnda Kimlik Problemi ve Bediüzzaman Said Nursi (Istanbul:Yeni Asya, 1992).53. 8ttihat was Wrst published on October 24, 1967, and 186 issues werepublished, until 1971. Its circulation varied between 20,000 and 21,000.54. My interviews with Toplayìcì, Istanbul, March 15, 1995, and August 2, 2001.55. This group of Nurcu became successful bankers in the 1980s and 1990s.See Ru7en Çakìr, “Demirel’in Kozu Nurcular,” Nokta, May 3, 1987, 12–23.56. M. Gündüz Sevilgen, MSP’de Dört Yìl (1973–1977) (Ankara: 8stiklalMatbaasì, 1979). This book examines the reasons that the Nurcu group split fromthe MSP.57. Berk published several books to defend the connection between nationalismand Islam: see Hakkìn Zaferi 8çin (Istanbul: Yeni Asya, 1972); Zafer Bizimdir(Istanbul: Yeni Asya,1971); 8thamlarì Reddediyorum (Istanbul: Yeni Asya,1972); andTürkiye’de Nurculuk Davasì (Istanbul: Yeni Asya, 1971).58. Malmisanij, Said Nursi ve Kürt Sorunu (Istanbul: Doz, 1991); and theresponse to this book, Latif Saliho:lu, Bediüzzaman’dan Tesbitlerle Türk-KürtKarde7li:i (Istanbul: Gençlik, 1994).59. Hizbullah, a radical Kurdish-Islamist organization, killed 8zzettin Yìldìrìmalong with a group of Nurcu businessmen in 2000; for coverage of the killing, seeMilliyet, January 20–23, 2000. Hizbullah was a mainly urban phenomenon andtargeted Kurds who had a history of being harassed and ill treated by the Turkishpolice. There is enough evidence to suggest that Hizbullah was used by the Turkishstate against Kurdish nationalists; see Human Rights Watch, “What Is Turkey’sHizbullah?” February 16, 2000 (New York).60. My interviews with Mehmet Metiner, May 18, 1994.61. My interview with 8hsan Atasoy, Istanbul, March 16, 1995, and July 27,2001.8. the neo-nur movement of fethullah gülen1. The early Gülen was a devoted Nurcu, a follower of Nursi. After the mid-1970s, the gradual diVerentiation of Gülen and the movement from the traditional