Attitudes of Muslim women towards women's policies during the AKP era

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of the changing political climate in Turkey on women's policies, whilst also taking into account the development of Islamic feminism both globally and in Turkey. The study aims to analyse these implications through the lens of women's policies implemented during the Justice and Development Party (Ak Party) era. The role of conservative political discourse in the struggle for women's rights, alongside the social tensions arising during this process, constitutes the central problem of the research. A qualitative research method has been adopted throughout this research. Within this scope, in-depth interviews have been conducted with female participants identified during the fieldwork. Conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines and principles of confidentiality, these interwievs have shed light on to the problems women have experienced throughout their lives, their practices of political participation, and their identity formation processes. Based on the participants' accounts, the manifestations of Islamic feminism in Turkey and the extent to which this ideological framework aligns with or diverges from official women's policies have been revealed. In summary, this thesis evaluates the increasingly diverse structure of the women's movement in Turkey and the impact of political discourse on the female subject through the lens of Muslim women's perceptions. The field data obtained demonstrates that women's policies during the AKP era have shifted ideologically towards conservatism and maintain a highly tense relationship with feminism.