At the request of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), the Grand National Assembly of Turkey has passed a law granting Diyanet the authority to “review Qur‘anic translations (meals), take those deemed objectionable to court, and order their destruction.” The stated justification for this move is that some translations contain “elements contrary to the fundamental principles of Islam.”
The Qur’an was originally revealed and written in Arabic. Like other non-Arab nations, Turks often recite the Qur’an in Arabic but do not understand it without translation. In order to comprehend its message, they read translations (meals) or commentaries (tafsir). Given the low reading rates in Turkey, many people prefer shorter translations over lengthy commentaries as they attempt to understand the word of God.
In recent years, distinct religious schools of thought have begun to form around different Qur’anic translations in Turkey. These translations have contributed to the emergence of diverse interpretations of Islam and various lifestyles. It seems that this pluralism has unsettled certain deep-state factions rooted in Diyanet, prompting them to push for the new legislation. Parliament has now codified their demand. If we examine the ideology of those who made this request, we can begin to understand their ultimate intentions.
There has long been a debate unique to Turkey about whether the language of religion should be Turkish rather than Arabic. Since the founding of the Republic, efforts have been underway to create a Turkish and Turkey-specific version of Islam. This process of constructing a nationalized interpretation of Islam continues to this day.
The current approach of Diyanet—both in its religious understanding and operational style—resembles that of the Kadızadeliler, a 17th-century puritanical movement in the Ottoman Empire. Just as Kadızade Mehmet Efendi, one of the early representatives of a Turkish brand of Salafism, fought against the Halveti Sheikh Abdülmecid Sivasi with the backing of the Ottoman sultans, today’s Diyanet, empowered by Erdoğan’s ambitions and resentments, has waged a campaign of destruction against the Gülen movement. Although 350 years have passed, the same play is being performed on the same stage with different actors.
Qur’anic translations authored by members of the Gülen movement have been banned, confiscated, and even burned. Ali Ünal, a translator of the Qur’an, was imprisoned, while Professor Suat Yıldırım, despite his advanced age, was forced into exile. Gülen’s religious writings have been criminalized, and his theological views banned.
Now, it appears that other Islamic thinkers are being targeted. It is becoming clear that the Qur’anic translations by Mustafa Öztürk, İhsan Eliaçık, Mustafa İslamoğlu, Mehmet Okuyan, Edip Yüksel, and Muhammad Asad will be among the next to be banned and destroyed. It is not difficult to predict that Diyanet will not stop here and will take even bolder steps.
In order to realize the vision of “One Nation, One State, One Flag, and One Homeland,” the realization of “One Religion” must come first. With this initiative, Diyanet has taken the first step toward constructing a new national identity aligned with its own ideological vision.
