Turkish Islam, Islams from Turkey: Players and Networks in Europe
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Ever since the accession of Turkey to the European Union has become an increasingly concrete possibility, one of the most discussed subjects in Europe but also in Turkey is the Moslem identity of the great majority of the Turkish population. This article aims to give an outline of the different components of this plural Islam, focusing on European Turks and their politico-religious memberships. The article also discusses the concepts of official and oppositional Islam in the Turkish context and questions the relevance of this dichotomy. Finally, the paternalistic attitude of the Turkish State with respect to the European Turks is analyzed, in particular as it applies to the religious field. Samim Akgönül is Historian and Political Expert, Researcher in the 'Société, droit et religion en Europe' laboratory at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) and Junior Lecturer at the Marc Bloch University in Strasbourg.