In this paper, an answer is sought for the hypothetical question of “what should be the statute and administrative structure of waqfs?” The problems of waqf institutions which represent the millennial social heritage of the Anatolian geography, have been revealed based on the tangible archival documents and administrative practices within the bureaucratic boundaries of the centralist oligarchy for two centuries. Until the westernization and renewal period, waqfs, as in today’s developed countries, were managed independently in accordance with the deeds of trust of their founders, rules of free market economy and decentralized management principles. With the centralized management approach inculcated by external circles, in 1826, the waqfs were gathered under the roof of Ministry of Imperial Waqfs, thus included in the cabinet, in order to take the decentralized governance of waqfs under the control of centralized authority, with the idea of utilizing the economic potentials of waqfs in other sectors of the state, breaking the influence of religious circles and satisfying Western friends. As a result of transferring the revenues of waqfs to other areas of the state, maintenance and repair works of historical premises and artifacts of waqfs could not be made and services performed by nongovernmental organizations were almost at a standstill. In order to eliminate these problems, and to determine the organizational structure that will protect the rights and interests of all parties involved in the waqfs, since the Second Constitutional era, five attempts have been made, one in the Ottoman Empire and four in the Republican period, but the desired result has not been achieved.
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | May 30, 2019 |
Submission Date | March 8, 2019 |
Acceptance Date | July 30, 2019 |
Published in Issue | Year 2019 |
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