Erenköy Group of Naqshbandi Order in the Republic of Turkey

An Analysis of the Journal Altınoluk

Abstract

   The Turkish Republic has forbidden the activity of Sufi orders (tarikat) since the early years of its founding. However, a certain number of them have continued their activity in the form of cultural organizations or philanthropic foundations, but avoiding identifying themselves as Sufi orders in public. This article aims to show how Sufi orders could survive under these circumstances, by taking the example of the Erenköy group of the Naqshbandi order, one of the most influential Sufi groups in today’s Turkey. To do so, it analyzed the journal of the group, Altınoluk.

   The Erenköy group started publishing its monthly journal in 1986 and still continues to do so. For the members of the group, subscribing to the journal is considered to be part of their practice of Sufism, and the journal plays an important role in connecting them with the leader of the group. The journal articles cover both religious and non-religious topics. My analysis revealed that in the late 1990s the journal changed its coverage of non-religious topics. This change coincided with "the 1997 Military Memorandum," the de facto coup against the ruling Islamic party that had come into power the year before. Before 1997, Altınoluk carried numerous articles that criticized current politics. However, after the former Islamic party was banned from politics in 1998, the journal suddenly stopped carrying articles related to politics. Instead, articles related to social services, women, and individual lives started to appear. Especially, since 2000, articles about the social services of its own foundations have been very important for Altınoluk. These changes correspond well with the tendencies in Turkish society, and it seems that the Erenköy group is changing itself along the direction of these social changes.