Üç Nesil, Üç Perspektif: Türkiye’deki İslamcıların “İslam Medeniyeti” Üzerine Tartışmaları

Abstract

This article examines the use of “Islamic civilization” by Muslim thinkers, undoubtedly, one of the most controversial concept for contemporary Islamic Thought in Türkiye. The main argument of the article is that the Islamic civilization discourse has evolved from an eclectic/defensive perception of civilization to an otherizing/exclusionist position, and from an otherizing political style to ontological awareness, over three generations of Muslim intellectuals in Türkiye. This process of change can be observed in the writings of first-generation Muslim intellectuals such as Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Şehbenderzade Filibeli Ahmet Hilmi; second-generation such as Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Nurettin Topçu, and especially Sezai Karakoç, and third-generation intellectuals such as İsmet Özel and Ali Bulaç. Thesis aims to make a small contribution to the roadmap of the concept of "Islamic civilization" in Türkiye, based on the writings of the abovementioned thinkers.