Turkey’s secularism is not a separation of church and state, but state control.

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In Turkey, secularism—or laiklik—does not mean the state ignores religion. Instead, the government actively manages it. Through the Diyanet, the state appoints imams, supervises mosques, and regulates religious ethics. It is a system of active neutrality where the state maintains strict authority over the entire religious sphere.

The Turkish model of secularism, established by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, differs significantly from Western concepts of separation. Rather than distancing the state from religion, Kemalist secularism sought to modernize the nation by removing religious influence from public life, education, and jurisprudence. This approach was codified in the 1937 constitution, cementing a system where the state exerts direct control over religious affairs to prevent dogma from dominating society.

Central to this mechanism is the Presidency of Religious Affairs, or Diyanet. While its original purpose was to limit the religious sphere, critics argue its role has shifted under the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Today, the Diyanet manages Sunni religious practices, trains imams as civil servants, and issues fatawa on daily life, from pet ownership to holiday celebrations. This creates a paradox: a secular state that micromanages religious life, often favoring conservative Sunni interpretations while excluding other groups like the Alevi from state support.

This system remains a profound source of tension. While the 1982 Constitution maintains secularism as an entrenched principle, recent decades have seen intense debate over its application. From the 2007 Republic Protests to ongoing constitutional discussions, the definition of Turkish secularism is constantly contested. Despite political shifts, polls consistently show that a vast majority of the Turkish public supports the continuation of a secular state, even as the government navigates the complex balance between its secular foundations and the religious identity of its citizens.

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