Adnan Oktar group as a new religious movement: An evaluation in terms of religious groups sociology

This study aims to examine the Adnan Oktar Movement which we consider as an example of the movements expressed by the concept of New Religious Movements which emerged in the West after 1950 and are different from traditional formations in terms of its discourses, communication methods, and organizational structures. Within the scope of this aim, at first the reasons and common characteristics of new religious movements were emphasized in our study, and next, in this context, the profile of Adnan Oktar movement, the phases of the movement, the hierarchical structure, the characteristics of the followers, the sources of income of the movement were emphasized and a profile of the movement was drawn and was tried to be analyzed in a sociological sense. Finally characteristics such as mehdism and discourse and golden age, and some characteristic aspects that are common to new religious movements which are intensely involved in the intellectual structure and discourse of the Oktar movement were discussed and it was mainly emphasized that the movement could be positioned as a new religious movement in the context of religious groups. Qualitative research methods were used in this study which is a religious group study in the field of Religion Sociology. Keywords: New Religious Movements, Adnan Oktar Movement, Harun Yahya, Creationism, Golden Age, Mahdi, Millenniumism