Authored by Rahime Süleymanoğlu-Kürüm, Jean Monnet Chair on Feminist Epistemic Justice, and Elif Gençkal Eroler, this article critically examines the emergence of alternative modernities in Turkey through the lens of epistemic injustice and recognition theory. By analyzing Turkish media discourse between 2005 and 2020, the study investigates how Eurocentric notions of modernity are challenged and how these challenges reflect broader struggles for epistemic recognition.
The article explores Turkey's unique position as a liminal space between East and West, where competing modernities intersect and collide. It argues that Turkey's historical engagement with both Islamic and Western traditions has made it a significant site for challenging Eurocentric notions of modernity and fostering alternative epistemologies. These struggles for epistemic recognition are deeply embedded in Turkey’s social, political, and cultural discourses, which are often mediated through the lens of Western-centric frameworks.
The authors identify epistemic injustice as a key feature of these dynamics, where non-Western perspectives and narratives are marginalized, silenced, or dismissed as less credible or legitimate. In particular, testimonial injustices, where the credibility of speakers from non-Western backgrounds is undermined, and hermeneutical injustices, where frameworks for understanding and interpreting local knowledge are insufficient or ignored, have perpetuated the dominance of Western modernity. Turkey’s alternative modernities, rooted in Islamic tradition, emerge as a counter-narrative that challenges these dominant epistemologies and seeks recognition within global frameworks of modernity.
Turkish media, the article argues, plays a pivotal role in these epistemic struggles, serving as both a site for reproducing Eurocentric narratives and a platform for contesting them. Through an analysis of media discourse during three critical periods—the launch of Turkey's EU accession negotiations (2005), the Syrian refugee crisis (2015), and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020)—the study demonstrates how the framing of Turkey's modernity has evolved. During these periods, Turkey's media portrayed alternative modernities as rooted in Islamic values, directly challenging the EU's civilizational claims and framing Turkey as a unique model of modernity that does not fit within the rigid binary of Western or non-Western paradigms.
The authors also emphasize the importance of recognition theory in understanding these struggles. While Turkey seeks acknowledgment of its distinct modernity, these demands for recognition are often undermined by Eurocentric power dynamics. By situating these dynamics within feminist epistemic justice, the study highlights the importance of addressing structural inequalities in global knowledge production. FEJUST’s theoretical framework significantly shaped this analysis, providing a lens to examine how epistemic marginalization intersects with gendered and cultural inequalities, underscoring the need for inclusive and participatory approaches to recognition.
This enriched theoretical lens not only deepens the understanding of Turkey's alternative modernities but also connects the study to broader global debates about epistemic justice. By highlighting the interplay between local struggles and global frameworks, the article reinforces FEJUST’s mission to challenge androcentric and Eurocentric biases in knowledge production and policy responses. This connection to FEJUST underscores the Chair's role in fostering critical, intersectional, and justice-oriented scholarship that addresses the structural inequities embedded in dominant narratives.
Through its nuanced exploration of Turkey’s epistemic struggles, the article contributes to the growing field of feminist and decolonial scholarship, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and legitimizing diverse epistemologies. This aligns with FEJUST’s broader objectives of promoting equity, inclusivity, and justice in both academic and policy domains.
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