Politics and Sufi Brotherhoods in Turkey: The Case of the Menzil Community

Abstract

The article describes the political viewpoints and the relations with the conservative Turkish political parties of the Menzil community. This religious group is one of the most important Sufi brotherhoods in modern-day Turkey and is renowned for its modest image, its wealth, and its purported links with the AKP, the country’s ruling political party since 2002. The piece gives a brief history of the Menzil community and provides an overview of their social and economic profile. It then goes on to evaluate the electoral statistics of the community’s place of origin. It is argued that these outcomes could be replicated in the rest of the country as well, according to studies on the voting behaviour and political mobilization of smaller religious groups. The statistics and their analysis confirm that the Menzil brotherhood has consistently voted for conservative parties, having supported both the ANAP and the AKP. The popularity of these parties within the Menzil community can be attributed to both the disciples’ support for conservatism, the evolution of their social composition and tactical voting considerations.