Cultural Policy of the Justice and Development Party in the Context of Cultural Policies in Turkey

Abstract

Republican period in Turkey, conflicts in the cultural sphere are usually an extension of conflicts in the political sphere. Trying to understand the nature of this kind of relationship between culture and politics in Turkey and also, to contribute to the current discussion of the concept of "cultural power”, it is important to examine the relationship between politics and culture in the context of current and concrete developments. The study was limited to the period when the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was in power. Since 2002, Turkey has been governed by the AKP. This party is distinctly different from the previous governments in its political tradition, ideological tendency and policies. This qualitative difference of the AKP government also directly reflects in his relationship with existing cultural sphere in Turkey. Therefore, in this study, the relationship between politics and culture during the AKP rule will be evaluated in the context of the AKP government's cultural policies. In addition, the historical and sociological reasons of the tension between the established cultural order and the cultural policies of the AKP government in this period will also be taken into consideration.