Necmettin Erbakan's economic discourse and practice

Necmettin Erbakan, who impressed the Turkish near history with his economic and political discourse, created an alternative economic discourse. Islam and its moderate commentary Nakşibendilik has a major impact on Erbakan's personalities and he transferred into practise his economic and political discourses with Milli Görüş (national vision) Movement. The aim of this study is to analyse the foundation of Erbakan's economic discourses and how he could represent them at the real world. For this purpose, the main reasons were mentioned, which prompted Erbakan to this discourses. First of all, Milli Görüş, which is political, economic and ideal practise of Erbakan, has been analysed. After that, his alternative economic suggests has been discussed by criticism of Erbakan for socialism and capitalism. Erbakan strongly suggest the Islamic framework in the economy. The involvement to political life with Independent Movement (Bağımsızlar Hareketi), Erbakan economic discourse was mainly about the heavy industry due to five-year development plans and import-substitution industrialization, both of which were implemented between 1960 and 1980 at the Turkish Economy. Furthermore, Erbakan's development thought was based on heavy industry, ufki devletçilik (eye-opening state) and regional development companies. Erbakan's development arguments are utilization the national resources and protectivism. Erbakan's development policy has similarities with the theories of Infant Industry Argument, Import Substitution Industrialization Strategy, Endogenous Development, Late development and Big Push. Ufki Devletçilik also reflects the same opinion with the state in Islamic economy. The Regional Development Companies are based on the interest free system and the profit partnership. Erbakan's economic discourse was directed into Adil Düzen (Just Order) with application of neoliberal economy policies in the Turkish Economy after 1980. Adil Düzen is a broad system with the parts of political, religious, social and economic. It is analysed the economic side of Adil Düzen in the study and it is entitled as Adil Ekonomik Düzen-AED (just economic order). AED is based on production and profit-sharing and compatible generally with the principle of Islam. AED, which prepared with Islamic sensitivities, is Erbakan's alternative economic theory against to both capitalism and socialism. In addition, AED resembles with the framework of the Supply-Side Economics in terms of giving importance to production and single tax principle. Erbakan won the many municipalities at 1994 local election by favour of the Just Economic Order and formed 54th cabinet with True Path Party. However, He did not used to discourse of Just Economic Order at 54th cabinet, but he used the discourse of the real economy. Erbakan tried to increase real production and enhanced the macro economic indicators.