Turkish Salafism, its beliefs, and behaviors

Numerous studies have been conducted on Salafism, which claims to trace its roots back to the first three generations and still distinguishes itself from other Islamic understandings in its views and behaviors. Its unique views and behaviors, its association with terrorism globally, and its recent fanatic behavior under the name ISIS in Syria and Iraq, have sparked both fear and curiosity among people. In this study, we examined the impact of this global movement and understanding in Turkey. We concluded that Salafism is not merely a religious sect but rather an understanding that takes different forms depending on the socio-cultural structure of the society in which it operates. We concluded that Turkey's secular and democratic state structure, coupled with the influence of Atatürk's principles and reforms on the country's codes, has led the Salafist understanding to develop similar behavioral patterns and slogans. Their behavior, shaped around the belief in monotheism and manifested by heretical views, has led them to adopt an exclusionary stance and to appear different from society. However, rather than perceiving Salafism as a single understanding, it would be healthier to divide it into different groups such as da'wah, jihadist and moderate Salafism. Keywords: Salafism; Tawhid; Bid'ah; Jihad; Invitation