(FIRST DRAFT SUMMARY)
FORMAL / INFORMAL CIVIC ORGANISATIONS ON THE MARGIN OF
CIVIL SOCIETY: EXAMPLES OF CROATIA AND TURKEY
Ozan Erözden
Introduction
The concept of civil society, as many of modern times political science concepts, is
derived and elaborated from the western political thought and experience. Civil society,
in its modern and a particular meaning, is a term describing those parts of social domain
which stay out of the reach of politic society, or more concretely, of the state apparatus. It
is possible, however, to define civil society in a broader way too. In its more
comprehensive meaning civil society stands for the network of social interactions, which
are not subjected to a central mechanism of control or hierarchy. In this framework
modern political theory conceptualizes civil society as one of the main components of a
democratic regime. From this point of view, democratic society is seen as a type of
society where a third sector, different then public and private ones, is developed. This
third sector consists of NGOs, who are described as formal and informal organizations,
working for general interest without aiming to earn a profit from their activities.
At the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century, while western political theory has
been encountering serious difficulties to apply its own concepts to those societies which
were considered in the process of modernization, i.e. to try to become a western type
society1, the end of multi-block world order and the self-proclaimed victory of western
block over the “socialist” one added a new category of society to which again western
concepts were to apply: societies in transition. The new trend, which occurred in the
wake of political developments of 1990s and which is called globalization, was making
the western type of democracy an absolute value. This meant also that the concept of
civil society, with its essential components, was to become an asset, among others, to
assess the level of democratization of a given society.
The societies in the process of modernization or transition, however, as a result of the fact
that they have different political traditions and history than the western ones, produce
some interesting examples of social activities, which are not very common to western
societies. Some features of these activities, for instance the fact that they are based on a
logic of hierarchy, are not really compatible with a genuine understanding of civil
society. Nevertheless, some other features of these activities, which are going to be
developed in the further text, are making them fit to a framework where the concept of
civil society could be used.
1
See, Bertrand Badie, L'Etat importé : essai sur l'occidentalisation de l'ordre politique,
Paris: Fayard, 1992
This paper, in the light two examples of social activity taken from Croatian and Turkish
societies, is aiming to develop some ideas on “deviations” from the “norm” of civil
society in the countries of modernization or transition. These examples are War Veterans’
Associations in Croatia and Islamic religious orders in Turkey.
Description of the Research Subject
a) Islamic orders in Turkey
Islamic orders were, within the Ottoman society, one of the main instruments which was
shaping the social tissue for Muslim population. However, in the wake of dismantling of
Ottoman Empire, the newly proclaimed Turkish Republic launched an ambitious project
of modernization and in this frame, among other measures, outlawed Islamic orders.
Nevertheless, this ban on Islamic orders did not result in their complete dissolution.
Instead, adapting themselves to the new rules of the game, together with some “modern”
forms of organization and functioning, they assumed a new role within the Turkish
society.
Islamic orders have pursued only underground activities during the one party rule, which
marked the first decades of the republic. The end of 2nd World War was the end single
party regime too for Turkey. As a new NATO and Council of Europe member country,
Turkey had to adopt a “pluralistic” regime. Turkish type of pluralism though, was limited
to a very formal understanding of democracy. In an atmosphere where the concept of
democracy was reduced to the sole possibility of obtaining power through elections,
conservative and populist politicians did not hesitate to approach leaders of Islamic
orders, which were to become shortly massive “vote banks”. Thus an interaction, out of
which both sides would make their own profit, has started. Islamic orders, by giving their
support to some politicians by voting massively for them, would create basis to weaken
the central state apparatus forced secularization process. Politicians, by making less and
less shy concession from the principles of secularism, would prepare the terrain both for
their reelection and for broader activities of Islamic orders. In today’s Turkey, Islamic
orders connect their members through a network of cultural associations, mosques,
foundations and semi-secular private schools. Thus, some eminent scholars consider them
as one of the most solid civil society institutions in Turkey2.
b) War Veterans Associations in Croatia
In Croatia, which is one of the newest independent states on the world, nowadays there
are two different type of war veterans’ associations. First type consist of associations of
veterans of the 2nd WW. Second type is formed by those associations which were
2
Şerif Mardin, Religion and social change in modern Turkey : the case of
Bediüzzaman Said Nursi. Albany : State University of New York Press, c1989.
established by the veterans of the recent war, which resulted in the dismantling of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and which is called in Croatian official
terminology as Patriotic War (Domovinski Rat). This paper concerns only the second of
these two types.
War veterans associations in Croatia, during the first decade of this young state, have
enjoyed large privileges3. They were considered as serious partners of the HDZ4 regime.
In the wake of January 2000 elections, when a coalition of six center and left wing parties
took over the power from HDZ, war veterans associations found themselves in an
ambiguous situation. When the new government made clear its program to cooperate
closer with the ICTY5, they choose to oppose publicly to this policy. In first two year in
office of the new government, they organized numerous public protests, among which a
two-day road blocking action followed by a mass rally attended by app. 100 thousands
people was the most important.
Their actions receive, at least, a large understanding from the general public, who see
them still as war heroes. On the other hand, as a result of their actions the second biggest
partner of the coalition, a central-right party HSLS6 has reconsidered several times its
partnership within the government. This situation creates a constant threat on the stability
of this progressive and anti-nationalist government.
Some Basis for a Comparison
Islamic orders in Turkey and War Veterans’ Associations in Croatia, although there are
some important differences concerning the profile of their target mass, present some
interesting common points, which, at the same time, differ them from western type civil
society organizations:
1. Both claim that they represent a “holy” cause. In their discourse, the social system
described by the rules of the Islam religion, or the foundation of a social order on the
sole basis of “national” (read ethnic) interest are the aims which make their actions
and the interests that they protect “untouchable”.
3
See, Zakon o pravima hrvatskih branitelja iz Domovinskog rata i članova njihovih
obitelji (Law on the Rights of Croatian War Veterans and their Family Members),
Narodne Novine (Official Gazette) br.: 108, 23. 12. 1996. There is still a cabinet minister
within the Croatian Government who is in charge of war veterans.
4
Hrvatska Demokratska Zajednica (Croatian Democratic Union): Right wing nationalist
party, which ruled over Croatia from 1990 until 2000.
5
International Tribunal for Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of
International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Former Yugoslavia since
1991
6
Hrvatska Socialna Liberalna Stranka (Croatian Social Liberal Party).
2. Both found themselves, due to political changes, deprived of their previous prestige
and force, which led them to change their way of dealing with daily politics and
general functioning. As a result of the same fact, both acquired a discourse in which
they are presenting themselves as victims of unjust policies of progressive political
forces.
3. They attract a great political attention from their opponents, who are very often
accusing them of aiming to make the political power to accede their request by using
“obscure” means and ties.
4. Another common point is that both are promoting a vision of “relative isolation” of
the country. They would like to be accepted by the “modern world” and to take an
active part in it. However, at the same time they do not want to make concessions
from their vision of “holy order”, i.e. a social order based on the primacy of the given
religion or the given ethnic group.