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İLAHİYYAT

FAKÜLT8SİNİN

ELMİ M8CMU8Sİ

.NI~ 248 DEKABR (ARALIK) 2015

Religious Relationships Between Turkey and Azerbaijan

RELİGİOUS RELATİONSBİPS BETWEEN TURKEY AND AZERBAİJAN

77

By Namig Abuzarov Ph.D Baku State University

Key words: Azerbaijan, Turkey, Theology, and Religion

Açar sözl<lr: Az~rbaycan, Türkiy~, Teologiya v~ Din

KıııoqeBLıe CJIOBa: PeJllii'IDI; TeonoriDI; HcnaM.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan regained its independence.

Throughout the seventy years of colonialis~ the Soviet atheist ideology was imposed

on Azerbaijani Muslim people through education and other means. Although the Soviet

atheist ideology succeeded to a limited exteht, the majority of Azerlbaijani people

managed to preserve their Muslim identity, at least at a cu1tural level. This encouraged

the neighbouring countries like Turkey, Iran and some Arab-speaking countries to take

part in shaping Islam in Azerbaijan s ince 1991.

Despite the fact that neariy 99% of Azerbaijani people are Muslim, the Republic

of Azerbaijan is constitutionally secular.1 So, it is equidistant from all religious

divisions regardless of their origin. The constitution of the republic of Azerbaijan

ensures the liberty of worship to everyone. U nder the article 48 of the constitution

(freedom of conscience) everyone has the right to choose or "de:fine his/her attitude

to religion, to profess, individually or together with others, any religion or to profess

no religion, to express and spread one's beliefs canceming religion." According to

paragraphs 1-3 of article 18 of the constitution, religion in the Azerbaijan Republic

is ~eparated from state and all religions are equal before the law.2

Turkey, likewise, is constitutionally secular and is comınitted to adopt westem

values, like democracy, human rights etc .. Moreover, Turkey has at least 85 years of

experience in enabling the religion (Islam) to coexist with secularism. This sets a

1 According to a 2009 Pew Research Center report, 99.2% of the Azerbaijani population is at least nominally Muslim. (Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/10/ Muslimpopulation.pdf)

2 http://azerbaijan.az/portal/General/Constitutionldoc/constitution_e.pdf

78 Namig Abuzarov

precedent for Muslim-majority countries like Azerbaijan, which strive to remain

secular but at the same time preserve its histarical traditions and values, including it~

Muslim identity. Extemally, Turkey shares its experience and extends its influence via official govemment ageney on religious affairs and through the activities of

Turkish social religious movements. Both of these channels are the main focus of

this investigation. Hence, the influence of the Turkish governmental and social movements in shaping Islam in Azerbaij an takes several shapes and it reqUires

multifaceted approach.

Before eveıything else, it is needed to note that, the religious relationship between

Azerbaijan and Turkey passesses unique characteristic that sets it apart from the relationships with other neighboring countries. There are some many factors in its

uniqueness. Firstly, both countries share the same ethnic root that plays central role in

their realtionships. Comman ethnicity and language among those factors that link together Azerbaijanis and Turkish people regardless of the ir seetarian background.

The most ardent representatives of the Shiite Muslims, w hi ch constitute a majo­

rity of Azerbaijan's Muslim population (65-70%), inhabit the southem regions bor­

dering Iran. The Sunnis (30-35%) predominantly live in the northem regions neighboring Russia's Dagestan.3 Sor Shiite understanding of Islam sets religious

tone in Azerbaijan. A reference to the Shi'a-Sunni division, however, -should not be_·

overestimated. Many in Azerbaijan would find it diffi.cult to distinguish between the

two branches ofislam or even to identify their adlıerence to one of the branches.4

Nevertbeless according to a survey conducted in 2003, 64% of respondents in

Azerbaijan declared a positive attitude towards Turkey, which appeared to be most·

popular among residen ts of Baku and westem Azerbaijan. The Absheran Peninsula, which is inhabited predominantly by Shiite Muslims, was also more pro-Turkish

than pro-Iranian.5 Nearly the same result applies to Turkish people as well. In a survey condticted by A&G in Turkey in 2006, 71.4% of respondents believed that Azerbaijan is the first country among nine countries that considered as their

'friend' .6 Above-mentioned relations b.etween Turkey and Azerbaijan trace back to

3 Bert MIDDEL, (Netberlands) Rapporteur, State and Religion in the Black Sea Region, NATO Parliamentary Assembly, 28 August 2007, p.6.

4 Bert MIDDEL, (Netberlands) Rapporteur, 'State and Religion in the Black Sea Region', NATO Parliamentary Assembly, 28 August 2007, p.6.

s Jerzy Rohozinski, Azerbaijan and Turkey, CES Report, Part ll, Warsaw 2008, p. 9. 6 Halk Ab ye guvenmiyor, Milliyet, 24 October 2006, Retrieved from:

http:/ /www .ınilliyet.com/2006/1 0/24/siyaset/asiy .html

Religious Relationships Between Turkey and Azerbaijan 79

the early and rnid-1990s and over the course of time it became much stronger by

cultural, econornical and political relations and paved the way for religious relations.

Turkish religious activities in Azerbaijan are carried out primarily through two

channels: the governmental and the non-governmental. In both cases, these activities.

tend to be accomınodating toward the state and to follow Azerbaijani laws and • 7

reqmrements.

The governmental activities are conducted mainly under the supervision of the

Turkish Diyanet Foundation. The foundation that helps and supports Presideney of

Religious Affairs (under the Government ·of Turkey) in introducing Islam with its

genuine characteristics and enlightening society about religion, building and

equipping mosques in needed locations, opening and running medical centers for the

indigent, delivering the almsgiving (zakat andfitrah) made by Muslim citizens to

the needy according to the rules, and developing social aid and relief services. 8

Turkish Diyanet Foundation provides thousands of Turkish and foreign students

with scholar~hips and dormitories to attend universities iiı Turkey and overseas. Since

the early 90s it has established 9 high schools and 7 faculties of theology in 1 O predominantly Muslim-majority countries including Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan,

Kazakhstan, Romania, Bulgaria, Somalia, Haiti, Pakistan, Malaysia and Bangladesh.9 ·

In 1992 Turkish Diyanet Foundation signed a contract with Ministry ofEducation

of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Baku State University to found the Faculty of

Theology. In accordance with the terms of the contract, Turkish professors were invited

to the Faculty of Theology to teach Islamic sciences to Azerbaijani students.

The former minister of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations

(SCWRA), Rafig Aliyev signed a contract on March 2003 with the former minister of the

Presideney of Religious A:ffairs of the Republic of Turkey (Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı),

Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz on cooperation in the field of religious education. 10

The contract that signed between two countries suggested the following

obligations viz.

7 Svante E. Comell, The.Politicization ofislam in Azerbaijan, p. 50. Washington 2006. 8 Ömer Turan, (2008) 'The Turkish Diyanet Foundation', The Muslim World, vol. 98, no.2,

p. 370, (28 March 2015) Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com 9 These nuınbers and data are from Türkiye Diyanet Eoundation website. (29 March 2015)

Retrieved from http://www .diyanetvakfi.org. tr/site/icerik/egitim-ogretim-faaliyetleri-l 077 10 This docuınent is available as a DOC(X) format on the official website of the State Comınittee for W ork with Religious Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (20 December 2014) Retrieved from http://scwra.gov.az/docs/150/?

80 Namig AbUzarov

1) Personeli of the Turkish Diyanet Foundation who are going to work in the institutions of Azerbaijan will be invited to the country with the cooperation of the

SCWRA. 2) The Turkish religious personnel including educators, clergies and instructors

can organize varies seminars and courses to improve the educational prograı:n of

Azerbijani clergies. 3) The personuel appointed by the Presideney of Religious A:ffairs of the

Republic of Turkey, can work in Azerbaijan only with the consent of SCWRA, 4) Turkish clergies can preach in the mosques that built by Turkish Diyanet

Foundatiqn in Azerbaijan namely Shehidler, Garachukhur, Mehdiabad, llahiyya~ (in

Baku), Kazim Karabekir (in Nakhchivan). Leki (in Aghdash), Gusar, Yevlax, until the concrete needs of the field of religious edu ca tion are determined,

5) The parties will also cooperate in improving the quality of religious

educators who are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Turkey,

6) However, with the consent of the parties and, if deemed necessary, the possibilities of Azerbaijani students to study in the Faculties of Theology in Turkey

will be investigated,.

7) The parties will also continue to cooperate in providing opportunities for the graduates of the Faculty of Theology of the Baku State University (BSU) to do a

master's degree anda PhD in varies universities of Turkey,

8) The parti es will cooperate untill the Azerbaijani academic staff replaces the

Turkish instructors who currently teach.in the Faculty of Theology ofBSU. 9) Turkish Diyanet Foundation and SCWRA will also cooperate, if necessary,

in the field of religious tourism and pilgrimage.

lO)The parties will also agreed to cooperate in providing Azerbaijani people

with religious literature and prevent the religious literature that has a negative impact on society.11

The document signed between Turkey and Azerbaijan is a milestop.e in the history

of religious relationships between two countries. According to the terms of this

agreement, it would be pi-ocessed for five years, and if parties declared no intention to caneel the agreement, it would be automatically extended for the next five years.12

Under the contract Turkish clergies (imams) fulfilled their contractual

obligations and preached for ten years in varies mosques of Azerbaijan that were

11 Retrieved from lıttp://scwra.gov.azldocs/150/? 12 Ibid.

Religious Relationships Between Turkey and Azerbaijan 81

bui.lt by Turkish Diyanet Foundation. In 2013 Turkish i.mams left their positions for Azerbaijani i.mams. During their . tenure, Turkish i.mams delivered speeches (khutbah) in the Friday ceremony Guma) and lead the community during the Friday

communal worship. Turkish Islam is based on the more moderate Hanati school of Sunni Islam, so,

the emphases in serrnons are put on moral, social and econornic issues. Hence, as in Turkey, Turkish i.mams in Azerbaijan tend to avoid discussions on controversial and

political topics during their Friday speeches. Instead they talk about general moral and ethlcal obligations of Muslims. They disapprove any sort of violence and call

for order and moderation. The majority of the audience of Turkish mosques consisted of studying or working Turks in Azerbaijan, but also young and educated

Azerbaijanis.13 However this picture has been changed since Turkish imams l~ft the

countıy. Today, Salafi interpretation and appearance set religious tone in the

mosques that built by the Turkish Diyanet Foundation in Baku.

Turkish Diyanet Foundation found the Faculty of Theology in cooperation with Baku State University .in 1992. In the Iate 90s and early 2000s the instructors ofthe

Faculty of Theology were predorninantly comprised of Turkish professors. Over the

course of this period approximately 20 alumni received their Ph.D degrees on

religious studies from different universities of Turkey, and due to limited capacity, only a few of theni· could take part in the Faculty of Theology. · Since 2005

Azerbaijani theologians who came back after receiving their doctorate degrees have

also taken part in varies universities and the acadernic institutions of Azerbaijan

especially in different departments of Azerbaijan National Academy of Science (ANAS).

The education system in the Republic of Azerbaijan is constitutionally separated

from religion. 14 So, religious education is not allawed both in governnıent-run and

private schools in Azerbaijan. This poses a significant challenge to the theologians, because they cannot teach in schools. Therefore, some of the graduates of The

Faculty of Theology either change their areas of expertise by taking a two-year

course on literature or history, or they chose to work in varies areas. Mosques and

the Stat~ Committee for Work with Religious Organizations (SCWRA) are only fields in which graduates of the Faculty of Theology are able to work.' In other

13 Svante E. Cornell, The Politicization ofislam in Azerbaijan, p. 50. Washington 2006. 14 Azarbaycan Respublikasinda din-dövlat münasibatlarini tanzimlayan rasmi sanadlar, Dini Qunuiılarla İş üzr;:ı Dövl~t Komit~si, Baku 2004. p. 7.

82 Namig Abuzarov

words, there is a limited number of job opportunities or vacancies for the aluınni of

the Faculty of Theology in SCWRA or in the mosques.

The aluınni of the Faculty of Theology are in majority in the SCWRA. This stems from the curriculum that the Faculty of Theology provides, and the vision that

the students form there.

It is important to note that both the curriculum and the textbooks of the Faculty of Theology cbanged over the course of its histoıy. In the Iate 90s and early 2000s

the Faculty of Theology of BSU used similar or even identical curriculum to those

of Theology Faculties of Turkey. However, when the Azerbaijani instructors

replaced the Turkish professors between 2006 and 201 O the curriculum and th~ textbooks of the Theology Faculty were developed in accordance ·with religious

background of the Azerbaijani students. In other words, the Turkish professors

developed a new curriculum and wrote new textbooks jointly with Azerbaijani faculties. The new textbooks covered not only the four sunni schools, but also Ja 'fari

school of the Shiites, the second largest denominations of Islam that, as it was

mentioned, sets religious.tone in Azerbaijan with 65% of the population.

Unlike other faculties of Theology in Azerbaijan, the Faculty of Theology of BSU offers Islamic sciences including exegesis of Quran (al-tafsir), Islamic

jurisprudence (al-fiqh), Islamic theology (al-kalam), the sayings of the Prophet

(hadith) ete. in a comparative manner. In addition to Islami c sciences, the students. of Theology Faculty are taught courses like philosophy, logic, religious sociplogy,

religious psychology and the histoıy of major living religions that enable them to

evaluate religious top i es from various perspectives. The vision that the students form

in the Theology Faculty also enables them to be tolerant along with being religious experts. "A considerable part of the specialist here (the SCWRA) are the alumni of

the Faculty of Theology ofBSU, and they are modernists," says Mubariz Gurbanli,

the lıead or the SCWRA in one of his interviews. 15

The Academic Journal of the Faculty ofTbeology also provides a realm for the researchers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran to publish their scholarly articles. 16 This

academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarly papers on

religions, social sciences and humanities have been published since 2005. The

15 Mubariz Gurbanli gave this interview to the website "Modem.az" on 10.01.15. Retrieved from http://modem.azlarticles/70337/l/ 04.03.15.

16 The Academic Journal of the Faculty of Theology of BSU, Bala Dövl~t Universiteti İlahiyyat Fakült~sinin Elmi M~cmu~si, (ISSN: 2225-5567).

Religious Relationships Between Turkey and Azerbaijan 83

principal purposes of the journal are to fill the gap left by atheist Soviet Regime that based on the ideology of Marxism-Leninism and made atheism i ts official doctrine, and to give researchers a venue to introduce new researches, and to contribute to the religious field with their scholarly articles on an academic level. The Academic Journal of Theology Faculty is also among scientific magazines operated at the system of the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan Republic and recognized by the Higher Attestation Commission17

, which makes the journal attractive to the Iocal Ph.D students and researchers to publish their scholarly articles on religious and social sciences.

Why did the former President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, support the Faculty of Theology? According to Celal Erbay18 who was a vice dean of the Theology Faculty during the presidential tenure of Heydar Aliyev, only the well­educated teachers, can provide the Azerbaijani nation with proper religious knowledge. Similarly, the people can only be enlightened on religion by the qualified experts who received their religious education from the institutions that operate under legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Therefore, the former President, Heydar Aliyev supported the Faculty df Theology.19

17 Scientific Magazines, the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan Republic. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.az/view.php?lang=en&menu=330 28.12. 14

18 Celal Erbay 'm ÖzgeÇmişi, Bala Dövl::ıt Universiteti İlahiyyat Fakült::ısinin Elmi M::ıcmu::ısi, Bala 2005, pp. 9-13.

19 Celal Erbay, 'Heydar Aliyev ve Devlet-Din Munasibetlerinde Azerbaycan Modeli' s. 156 (154-158) Heyd::ır 6liyev ve Din siyas::ıti: gerç::ıkl::ır ve perspektivl::ır, Beynelxalq konfrans, 3-4 Aprel, Baki 2007.

84 Namig Abuzarov

REFERENCES

Bert MIDDEL, (Netherlands) Rapporteur, State and Religion in the Black Sea

Region, NATO Parliamentaıy Assembly, 28 August 2007, p.6.

Jerzy Rohozinski, Azerbaijan and Turkey, CES Report, Part ll, Warsaw 2008, p. 9.

Halk Ab ye guvenmiyor, Milliyet, 24 October 2006, Retrieved from: http://www.milliyet.com/2006/1 0/24/siyaset/asiy .html

Svante E. Cornell, The Politicization of Islam in Azerbaijan, p. 50. Washington

2006.

Ömer Turan, (2008) 'The Turkish Diyanet Foundation', The Muslim World, vol.

98, no.2, p. 370, (28 March 2015) Retrieved froni http://onlinelibraıy.wiley.com

These numbers and data are from Türkiye Diyanet Foundatio~ website. (29

March 2015) Retrieved from http://www.diyanetvakfi.org.tr/site/icerik/egitim­

ogretim-faaliyetleri-l 077

The document is available as a DOC(X) format on the official website of the

State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations of the Republic of

Azerbaijan. (20 December 2014) Retrieved from http://scwra.gov.azldocs/150/?

Svante E. Cornell, The Politicization of Islam in Azerba_ijan, Washington 2006.

Azarbaycan Respublikasinda din-dövlat münasibatlarini tanzim/ayan rasmi

sanadlar, Dini Qurumlarla İş üzr::ı Dövl::ıt Komit::ısi, Baku 2004.

Mubariz Gurbanli gave this interview to the website "Modern.az" on 10.01.15.

Retrieved from http://modern.az/articles/70337/11 04.03. 15.

The Academic Journal of the Faculty of Theology of BSU, Bakı Dövl::ıt

Universiteti İlahiyyat Fakült::ısinin Elmi M::ıcmu::ısi, (ISSN: 2225-5567).

Scientific Magazines, the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan Repubİic. Retrieved :from http://www.edu.gov.azlview.pbp?lang=en&menu=330 28.12. 14

Celal Erbay'ın Özgeçmişi, Bakı Dövl::ıt Universiteti İlahiyyat Fak:ült::ısinin Elmi

M::ıcmu::ısi, Bakı 2005, pp. 9-13.

Celal Erbay, 'Heydar Aliyev ve Devlet-Din Munasibetlerinde Azerbaycan

Modeli' s. 156 (154-158) Heyd::ır 8liyev ve Din siyas::ıti: gerç::ıkl::ır ve perspektivl::ır,

Beynelxalq konfrans, 3-4 Aprel, Baki 2007.

http://www .pewforum.org/files/2009/1 0/Muslimpopulation.pd.f)

http://azerbaijan.az/portal/General/Constitutionl doc/constitution _e. pdf

Re/igious Relationships Between Turkey and Azerbaijan 85

RESUME The religious relationship between Azerbaijan and Turkey passesses unique

characteristic that sets it apart from the relationships with other neighboring countries. There are some many factors in its uniqueness. Firstly, both countries share the same ethnic root that plays central role in their realtionships. Comman ethnicity and language among those factors that link together Azerbaijanis and Turkish people regardless of their seetarian background. The faculty of Theology at Baku State University is a solid bridge between the two countries that operates under legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

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Çapa tövsiya etd.i: Dos. M.M. Camalov