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Millî Görüş (Turkish:[milˈliːɟœˈɾyʃ],lit. 'National Outlook') orErbakanism is a religiopolitical movement and the ideology of a series ofIslamist parties inspired byNecmettin Erbakan. It argues thatTurkey can develop with its own human and economic power by protecting its core Islamic values and combatingimperialism.[1] Multiple political parties in Turkey adopted the ideology, such as theNew Welfare Party,Felicity Party,Virtue Party,Welfare Party,National Salvation Party, andNational Order Party.Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a lieutenant of Erbakan, founded theJustice and Development Party, which has governed Turkey since2002.
It has been called one of "the leading Turkish diaspora organizations in Europe"[2] and also described as the largest Islamic organization operating in the West.[3] Founded in 1969, the movement claimed to have "87,000 members across Europe, including 50,000 in Germany," as of 2005.[4] The term also refers to the "religious vision" of the organization[2] that emphasizes the moral and spiritual strength of Islamic faith (iman) and explains theMuslim world's decline as a result of its ignorance and imitation ofWestern values.[5] The movement is active in nearly all European countries and other countries, such as Australia,[6] Canada, and the United States.
| Name | Short | Leader | Active |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Order Party | MNP | Necmettin Erbakan | 1970–1971 |
| National Salvation Party | MSP | Necmettin Erbakan | 1972–1981 |
| Welfare Party | RP | Necmettin Erbakan | 1983–1998 |
| Virtue Party | FP | Recai Kutan | 1997–2001 |
| Felicity Party | SAADET | Mahmut Arıkan | 2001–present |
| New Welfare Party | YENİDEN REFAH | Fatih Erbakan | 2018–present |
In 1969, theTurkish politicianNecmettin Erbakan published amanifesto that he gave the titleMillî Görüş.[7] It spoke only in the most general terms ofIslamic moral and religious education but devoted much attention toindustrialization,development, andeconomic independence.[citation needed]
It warned against further rapprochement towardsEurope, considering theCommon Market to be aZionist andCatholic project for the assimilation and de-Islamization ofTurkey, and called instead forpan-Islamism. According to author Banu Eligur, Erbakan and the party "used the code wordsnational andculture to refer to Islam, andNational Vision to refer to the project ofPolitical Islam" as "it is illegal" in Turkey "to use religious symbols for political purposes."[8]
The name of Millî Görüş would remain associated with a religio-political movement and a series ofIslamist parties inspired by Erbakan, one succeeding the other as they were banned for violating Turkey’ssecularist legislation.
Following the ban of theVirtue Party (FP), a rift that had been developing in the movement resulted in two parties taking its place, theFelicity Party (SP) representing Erbakan’s old guard, and theJustice and Development Party (AK Party) led by younger and more pragmatic politicians aroundRecep Tayyip Erdoğan, which claims to have renounced a specifically Islamist agenda. The AK Party convincingly won the2002 elections and formed a government with a strong popular mandate, which brought Turkey closer to acceptance for membership in theEuropean Union than any previous government had done.
Among theTurkish immigrants in Western Europe, Milli Görüş became one of the major, if not the major, religious movements, controlling numerousmosques. Like the movement in Turkey, it underwent remarkable changes, not least because the first generation, which was strongly oriented towards what happened in Turkey, is gradually surrendering leadership to a younger generation that grew up inEurope and is concerned with entirely different matters. Milli Görüş's public profile shows considerable differences from one country to the next, suggesting that the nature of the interaction with the 'host' societies may have as much of an impact on its character as a religious movement as the relationship with the 'mother' movement in Turkey.
According to several sources inGermany, the attitude of the German branch towards Turkey has completely changed. After the takeover of Erdogan and the AKP, the organisation is mostly serving the interests of the Turkish government, which now subsidizes the organisation. Diyanet, AKP, and the Turkish government practically control the organisations' public statements and appearances.[9][10][11][12][13]
Following the discoveries of multiple frauds and criminal offences committed by the board of directors, several trials are running against the organisation.[14][15][16]
