In the vision of secularism theories understanding of secularism in the 1938-1950 period of Turkey

From of old, ?state? and ?religion? have been the most effective institutions on human?slife. So it is very important to understand the relations of each other. Since the establishmentof Republic of Turkey, among the basic princeples of the state, ?secularism? has been themost controversial principle. Whether the origin of this concept is France or the variablemeanings of this concept according to different regions and eras cause the multiplying ofarguments. By the reason of that, the necessity of analysing this principle has been increasingday by day.The subjects and rules that are in this desirtation, are not only dealed with in an abstractperspective; but also they are concretized by various statesmen?s and politicians? speechs,pozitive law norms such as constitution, law, regulation and circular, different administrativeand judicial practices and opinions for or against them. Besides them, by the help ofcomparative method, the process in our country is compared with the situation in othercountries. No doubt, it helps to find the similarities and differences.In the first part of this study, the historical account of laicism and phases of laicism indifferent countries and different conditions are discussed and also the position of this principlein theoritical and practical perspectives is examined. In the second part, firstly, premisses ofsecularism which occured in the dissolution period of the Ottoman Empire and Kemalistsecularization dashes in the first fifteen years? period of Republic of Turkey are bothinvestigated; after that, the period of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and İsmet İnönü are comparedfrom the continuity point of view; and finally, perception and practising way of secularism bypolitical power in İsmet İnönü?s presidency term (1938-1950) is observed and hereby, varietyand characteristics of secularism model that the official ideology established are detaillyexposed.Key Words:Laicism, secularism, İnönü, CHP, Atatürk, religion, Kemalism.