Social Determinants of Modernization of Political Economy in Turkey: The Effects of Islamic Culture

Abstract

The problem of underdevelopment in the Muslim world is often associated with their weak economy and lack of a capitalist system. Turkey, as a Muslim dominated but secular state, aims to integrate itself into the Western world and capitalist economy as well. Since Weber claimed that modern capitalism first emerged in Western societies because of a Protestant work ethic, many scholars from various areas have examined whether the capitalist system is compatible with Islamic culture. Analyzing the transformation of Islamic culture, and Turkey’s Islamic-Ottoman heritage and top-down modernization process may help better understand the relationship between Modern Islamic culture and economy. Building upon previous research on Islam and capitalism, this article analyses the interaction between religious culture and other social factors and assesses transforming Islamic culture as one of the important determinants to explain the development of the modern capitalist economy and its sociopolitical consequences in Turkey.