Abstract

This study, entitled “Legitimacy and the Representation of Islam within Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs and the Challenges Facing Turkey’s Alevis,” addresses the fundamental question of why Alevism–Bektashism, despite its historical significance, has been excluded from the formal structure of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and remains without institutional representation. Unlike previous studies, this research adopts an interdisciplinary approach and, drawing on the theory of “state secularism,” employs documentary analysis to examine the issue. The key finding of the study is that the centralized and state-dependent structure of the Directorate of Religious Affairs is incapable of adequately representing Turkey’s religious diversity, while incorporating Alevis into this structure without a fundamental redefinition would undermine their cultural autonomy. This crisis of representation reveals the inherent contradiction within Turkey’s model of state secularism. In contrast to previous studies that have primarily regarded this crisis as an administrative issue or an intra-community dispute, this research demonstrates that its resolution lies not in partial reforms but in a fundamental rethinking of the logic underlying state secularism. The significance of this finding lies in the fact that the sustainable management of religious diversity requires a transition from a centralized model toward participatory and pluralistic approaches. Such a transition could provide a basis for reconsidering Turkey’s religious policies and offer a model for other religiously plural societies.