| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Parliamentary debates on the 2001 Turkish civil code amendments have been analysed within the framework of the Islamism-secularism dichotomy. This article re-examines the debates and shows that the discussions on the amendments go beyond this dichotomy. Conservative opposition to the amendments reflected a desire to prevent state and court intervention in the customary practices and to preserve traditional family relationships rather than an Islamist attempt to expand the realm of religion. Women's rights were not simply another instrument for the Islamist-secularist competition as previously argued; the debates were ultimately about whether those rights should be defined according to traditional customs or the norms accepted by international agreements.
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