Islamic approaches to feminism in Turkey: From a total challange to Islamic feminism

Throughout history, women have been left in a secondary position in almost every field by the patriarchal society. Feminism as well appears as a movement of thought that foresees expanding the status and importance of women in a secondary position in society. Islamic feminism, on the other hand, is a stream of thought that has emerged as a revolt against traditional Islamic interpretations, which acts on the questions of why the concepts of equality and justice, which are accepted as one of the basic principles and virtues of Islam, do not work, especially when it comes to women, and why women are seen in an inferior position to men in Islamic law books. Islamic feminism, which differs depending on women's distance from Islam and feminism, and therefore has a controversial and complex form in general, has been shaped by the question of whether words such as "Islam" and "feminism" can come together, and it has been criticized by both the Islamist and secular feminists since its emergence, The aim of this study is to examine this attempt, which tries to defend and improve the rights of Muslim women by challenging the traditional patriarchal understanding of Islam and to ground it within the framework of 'return to the essence' of Islam. The study generally seeks to answer the questions of whether Islamic feminism is a type of Islamism or a type of feminism, and more specifically, it tries to determine to what extent the discourse is adopted in Turkey. The study claims that the discourse of Islamic feminism has accepted to a certain extent in Turkey, has found supporters, and has contributed to this field with theoretical and practical initiatives in recent years. Thus, the main point of the study is the manifestation and development of Islamic feminism in Turkey. This study is a qualitative study and has been examined with a literature review and historical descriptive approach. Keywords: Religion, Islam, Woman in Islam, Woman, Feminism, Islamic Feminism.