Research Article

Electoral Consolidation Through Islamic Populism and Religious Grievance: The Case of Transformation of Hagia Sophia in Turkey

Volume: 7 Number: 2 July 30, 2023
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Electoral Consolidation Through Islamic Populism and Religious Grievance: The Case of Transformation of Hagia Sophia in Turkey

Abstract

The transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque in 2020 has been one of the major topics of public debate in Turkey. Based on the literature on populism and the role of emotions in politics, this paper analyzes the case of Hagia Sophia by suggesting a split from economy-based explanations of populism. It is argued that the case of the transformation of Hagia Sophia as a populist maneuver can be analyzed through historical context that shapes and affects the emotion of religious grievance in contemporary Turkey. This paper discusses how the AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan operationalize the case of the transformation of Hagia Sophia through religious grievances as a populist discourse to establish electoral consolidation in the wake of two large-scale crises.

Keywords

populism , Islamic populism , religious grievance , emotional opportunity structure , Hagia Sophia

References

  1. Aykaç, P. (2018). “Contesting the Byzantine Past: Four Hagia Sophias as Ideological Battlegrounds of Architectural Conservation in Turkey.” Heritage & Society, 18(2), 151-178.
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  8. Öztaş, B. (2020). “Islamic Populism: Promises and Limitations.” The Journal for Interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies. 6(2), 103-129.
  9. PolitPro (2021). Latest election polls for Turkey - Development of the electoral trend. Retrieved from https://politpro.eu/en/turkey
  10. Presidency of the Republic of Turkey (2020a). With its new status, Hagia Sophia, the shared heritage of humanity, will continue to embrace all. Retrieved from https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/120584/-with-its-new-status-hagia-sophia-the-shared-heritage-of-humanity-will-continue-to-embrace-all-

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Political Science , Sociology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Early Pub Date

July 30, 2023

Publication Date

July 30, 2023

Submission Date

January 19, 2023

Acceptance Date

March 9, 2023

Published in Issue

Year 2023 Volume: 7 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.47478/lectio.1239602

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA93ZA45SN

Cite

RIS / Bibtex
APA
Konakçı, M. (2023). Electoral Consolidation Through Islamic Populism and Religious Grievance: The Case of Transformation of Hagia Sophia in Turkey. Lectio Socialis, 7(2), 47-56. https://doi.org/10.47478/lectio.1239602

Cited By

The emotional logic of populist communication: a systematic review

Information, Communication & Society

https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2026.2639567

‘Hagia Sophia’s reconversion: Turkey’s de-Europeanization through Lefebvre’s spatial triad’

Mediterranean Politics

https://doi.org/10.1080/13629395.2025.2609311

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