A Subjective Discussion on the Turkish Model

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.

The Turkish model and Erdogan's experience, is it a successful experience that indicates the correctness of Muslim political participation in existing systems? This word, my brothers, is not for the emotional ones who came to see if I hate Erdogan or love him, but rather a subjective discussion of the methodology of the Turkish Justice and Development Party, which some see as a model for those who want to reform the situation of the nation. And we will make our discussion in the form of points.

Is the Turkish Experience Successful?

First: Is the Turkish experience successful? Before answering, we say: What does the questioner mean by success?

Economic Welfare

If he means raising the level of economic living, then there is no doubt that this has been achieved under Erdogan and his party. And it has also been achieved in Japan, China, and Germany under Buddhist, non-religious, and Christian leadership. Therefore, economic welfare is not a proof of the correctness of the methodology. At the same time, we should not force ourselves to deny this welfare to prove the flaw in the methodology, as there is no necessary connection between them.

Restoration of Some Religious Rights and Freedoms

If the talk is about restoring some rights to their owners, such as public money and the right of the Muslim woman to wear the hijab, then yes, Erdogan and his party have achieved that. And Christian and non-religious leaders in Europe have also achieved this. Al-Andalus, which lived through decades of the Inquisition, now has Muslims practicing their rituals openly. Therefore, the provision of some religious freedoms is not a proof of the correctness of the methodology. At the same time, it is not our right to deny the benefit of these freedoms and diminish their value to prove the flaw in the methodology, nor are we obliged to do so nor are we forced to do so in the first place.

Reasons for the Achievements of Erdogan's Government

Secondly, my brothers: These achievements that the Erdogan government has accomplished are partly the result of factors that Allah has made the causes of the rise of any Islamic or non-Islamic project, whether Muslims or non-Muslims take these causes. Among them are skill in earthly sciences that people need, administration and planning, hard work, and personal leadership qualities such as integrity, sincerity, tolerance, firmness, clean hands, and others.

Therefore, our saying that political participation in these systems is forbidden does not mean that we deny the existence of these good factors mentioned in the Turkish experience. At the same time, it is not appropriate to attribute all the achievements of the Turkish experience to political participation, meaning that our conclusion should not be as follows: The reason for the success of Erdogan's party is their adoption of democracy. Rather, this party that adopted democracy took causes beneficial to any project, so the Islamic project should take them in response to Allah the Almighty who commanded to take the causes.

Definition of Success in Islam

Thirdly, my brothers: We Muslims believe that we are in this earth for a mission, so we do not know success as those who do not believe in our faith know it, but as Allah the Almighty has defined it when He said: {The only statement of the believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, "We hear and we obey." And it is those who are the successful.} [An-Nur: 51], and {And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and is righteous - it is those who are the successful.} [An-Nur: 52]. Success and victory are only achieved through complete reference and absolute obedience to Allah and His Messenger in a way that includes the method of change, reform, and the rise of the nation. Therefore, in order to know whether the Turkish experience is successful or not, we need to see if these conditions have been achieved or not.

Secularism of the Turkish State

The Justice and Development Party has entered the system of governance in Turkey and has provided guarantees to maintain the secularity of the state, or more accurately, the secularization of the state. The Turkish state was not secular under the rule of the military, but it was hostile to Islam in particular and prevented Muslims from practicing their personal religious rituals such as the hijab. The Erdogan government came to treat Islam like other religions in Turkey, and to transform secularism in its original concept from separating religion from the state without preventing personal acts of worship except what contradicts the laws of the state. There was some relief for the Muslims in this, but this situation, my brothers, is not Islamic nor is it close to Islamic, but it is a purely secular situation, a form of abstaining from making the matter entirely for Allah.

Erdogan's Promotion of Secularism

Erdogan consolidates this illegal situation, which is less severe than the rule of the military, adopts it, and promotes it, encouraging peoples to see it as an ultimate ideal goal. He stated this in his speech in Cairo after the events of January when he said: "Turkey is a state of rights and secularism and democracy, and it applies the principle of secularism and stands on an equal footing with all religions." He urged those in charge of writing the constitution in Egypt to make the Egyptian constitution stand at an equal distance from all religions, meaning making the matter of Allah and His true religion like the matter of humans and their corrupt false religions. He also stated the same in the Islamic Common Market Conference with his statement that any project based on a religious, sectarian, or ethnic basis is a project doomed to failure.

He promotes real secularism voluntarily without coercion, and he and his party adopt fundamentally false, polytheistic principles for the sake of partial benefits, participating in a rule that makes legislation for humans without Allah, a rule that rejects the basis {The only statement of the believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, "We hear and we obey." And it is those who are the successful.}

Erdogan's Scope of Change

Erdogan's scope of change is behavioral, not value-based. He does not touch the main secular values of the state. It is known that values are the deepest aspect of political systems, and changing them is the true meaning of changing the system. However, Erdogan has not adopted Sharia as a comprehensive value system that leads to changing the form of the system in Turkey and thus influencing the interests of the international system. This is well understood by American strategic planning centers. The RAND Corporation, in a study supported by the US Department of Defense titled "The Rise of Political Islam in Turkey," stated that the Justice and Development Party does not attempt to establish Sharia in Turkey. This explains the West's acceptance of this model in an influential state like Turkey, at a time when the West does not tolerate any model that seeks to escape the rules of the international game, even if it is in a poor state at the ends of Africa or Asia, but rather seeks to undermine it quickly, as happened in Mali, Somalia, and Afghanistan.

The Capitalist Foundation of the Turkish Economy

Erdoğan has not only abandoned fundamental principles but even his achievements have become a path that deviates from the Sharia. The Turkish economic rise is partly a result of integrity, combating corruption, and good management, as we have presented, but it is fundamentally built on a corrupt capitalist foundation that relies on riba-based debts that the Erdoğan government has taken on, and on un-Islamic contracts that do not adhere to the conditions of companies in Islam nor abstain from any prohibited acts, such as leasing Turkish beaches for nude tourism.

What many do not know is that Turkey has repaid the debts to the International Monetary Fund; otherwise, the total debt on Turkey has now reached $367,343 million according to the "Debt Management Report," which is approximately $367 billion, a multiple of what it was before the Justice and Development Party government. The Turkish economy is now considered successful by capitalist standards because the level of economic growth and national income matches these debts and the riba that comes with them. It is a strong economy, but it is entirely dependent on capitalist foundations and cannot be separated from this definition.

Based on the above and from a Sharia perspective, Erdoğan's and his party's experience is not a successful one, as he sacrifices principles for branches. Judging it as successful would imply that if the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was offered to participate in the Dar al-Nadwa in Mecca and accept the Quraysh as they are in exchange for easing the suffering of his weak followers, he would accept, may Allah forbid.

Our problem is not that there is still corruption that Erdoğan has not eradicated or that he has not fully established the religion as some may understand it, but rather that his methods contradict the most important rules of the religion from the outset. He makes legislation for Allah and disengages from any system that does not adhere to this basis and even seeks to change it. His methods are also committed to the capitalist system that contradicts Islam. And indeed, my brothers, only those who have a great amount of tawhid in their hearts will understand this speech. As for those who are overwhelmed by the allure of economic prosperity and easing the affairs of Muslims in their personal matters, they will see it as a justification for sacrificing the unity of Allah in legislation and referring to Him in all aspects of life, economic and otherwise.

Are Freedoms and Economic Power a Prelude to Establishing the Religion?

Fourthly, it will be said that the freedoms and economic power achieved by the Justice and Development Party are a prelude to establishing the religion of Allah the Almighty. The answer is multifaceted:

The Command is to Obey, Not to Empower Through Forbidden Means

Firstly, we are commanded to obey and follow rightly, not to strive for empowerment, even through forbidden means. Allah the Almighty says: {Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them authority upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security [by saying], "They worship other than Allah, saying, 'We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah' "} [An-Nur: 55]. We are commanded to achieve the first part by being among those who believe and do righteous deeds, including not taking any forbidden means for empowerment. In this case, empowerment is guaranteed by Allah the Almighty.

Real empowerment, not just partial religious freedoms, but empowerment that frees the country from subjugation to the international system, not that Turkey remains hostage to the capitalist economy, a partner in the war on terror, and a part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that occupies Afghanistan, and is considered by Western planning centers as a model of moderate Islam compatible with secularism and democracy that should be encouraged and made an example for Islamic peoples to prevent the rise of extremist Islam as in the mentioned study "The Rise of Political Islam in Turkey." Empowerment that enables Muslims to support the oppressed, as in Syria, with real support, not that the years pass and Muslims are being slaughtered on the other side of the Turkish border. Empowerment that does not include nude beaches in Marmaris and intimate economic relations with what is called the State of Israel, despite media statements.

The Existence of Good Consequences Does Not Indicate the Correctness of the Path

Secondly, even if what Erdoğan has achieved will actually pave the way for empowerment, this is not evidence of the correctness of his democratic method. Abu Talib supported the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and enabled him to spread his message and protect him from the harm of the polytheists. Does this mean that Abu Talib's polytheism was correct? Did the Messenger of Allah call his uncle to remain on his polytheism so that he could be a cover acceptable to the polytheists while they saw him prostrating to idols? Or did he call him to Islam until his last moment of life? And if the Messenger of Allah had known that his uncle's remaining on polytheism was more beneficial to his mission, would he have stopped demanding Islam from him? The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Allah supports this religion with the wicked man and with people who have no morals." This is not a position to describe Erdoğan as wicked or otherwise, nor does it mean equating Abu Talib with Erdoğan, who openly declares his affiliation with Islam, but rather to illustrate the principle that the existence of good consequences in the end is not evidence of the correctness of the path.

Matters We Rejoice in Quantitatively but Do Not Accept Sharia-wise

Thirdly and finally, my brothers: there are matters we rejoice in quantitatively but do not accept Sharia-wise. The Justice and Development Party's rise to power has led to a release of pressure on Muslims and a reduction in the powers of those openly hostile to Islam. These are results we rejoice in quantitatively, and they may play a role in preparing the atmosphere for a pure call and real empowerment in the future. However, this does not mean approving the party's participation in the current political system or aiding them in that. Therefore, there are matters we rejoice in quantitatively but do not accept their causes Sharia-wise.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my brothers: someone may say, "Is not Erdoğan better than the rulers of the Muslims?" We know, of course, that the rulers of the Muslims have combined with Erdoğan's mentioned problems, treachery, blatant servitude, war on religion, corruption, and meanness. However, we are talking about the Turkish model because people have been infatuated with it and their beliefs have been corrupted to the extent that they have accepted in their hearts and tongues his method, which contradicts Islam, considering it a stage to reach Islam. Then, there are those who accept his method, democracy, and secularism as a final alternative goal better for this time than the original Islamic system. We talk about it because it gives them an illusory hope in taking paths for reform that deviate from the command of Allah and the command of His Messenger, peace be upon him. May Allah guide them, Erdoğan, and his party. Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.