Necmettin Erbakan's approach to Siyonism and the discourse of racist imperialism as a political actor in Turkish politics

One of the most important actors in Turkish political life, Necmettin Erbakan, is known for his opposition to Zionism. Erbakan and the National Vision movement have managed to exempt themselves from systemic pressures by positioning Zionism as the main source of all problems without directly opposing other political actors and the regime. Erbakan's stance against Zionism has had wide repercussions in the Islamic world and has formed the theoretical basis for criticisms and resistance movements against Zionism in Islamic societies. According to Erbakan, Zionism is not an ideology limited to the establishment and expansion of the State of Israel, but is part of the quest for global economic, political and cultural dominance, and with this discourse, it has assumed an intellectual leadership role in the Islamic world and has established a wide sphere of influence. The discourse of racist imperialism is one of the basic concepts Erbakan uses in his criticism of Zionism. Erbakan argued that the Zionist movement is not only a structure that defends the superiority of Jews, but also aims to control the global economic order. In this context, he defined Zionism as a system in which a minority elite group around the world oppresses other peoples in order to protect their own interests, and he called this situation racist imperialism. This thesis aims to examine the concept of Zionism in Necmettin Erbakan's discourses and to examine his approach to Zionism and his thoughts on racist imperialism through his discourses using the content analysis method, and the study is divided into three sections. The first section covers Necmettin Erbakan's life and the National Vision movement, the second section covers Zionism, and the third section covers Zionism in Erbakan's discourses. As a result, the rhetorical and theoretical stance that Necmettin Erbakan developed against Zionism has been at the center of his political career and the National Vision movement. This stance has given Erbakan and his movement a unique position in Turkish politics and the Islamic world. Erbakan's approach should be evaluated not only as a political criticism but also as an expression of an Islamic stance. Therefore, Erbakan's stance against Zionism has had a profound impact on his political career and the ideological foundations of the National Vision movement. Keywords: Necmettin Erbakan, Siyonism, Racist Siyonism, Racist Imperialism, Discourse Analysis