Definitions of Centre-Right and Conservatism in General

Centre-right politics are the politics that lean to the right of the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the center than other right-wing variants.

Generally, it embraces liberal economic views. The centre-right politics can be called conservative, conservative democratic or liberal democratic. When we look at the meaning of the center-right politics, we can clearly see that it has some differences between Europe and Turkey. For instance, in Europe, closeness to the center is measured by nationalism and conservatism based on tradition. In Turkey, however, it is measured by secularism. What distinguishes centre-right and other right parties from each other is their stance against extremities. While centre-right parties are completely close to extremities, others are parties, which can embody extremities to a certain extent, with more tolerance to radical ideas. The centre-right is to reach a common ground, maintaining balance in everything. Centre-right parties' closeness to the public combined cultural differences together. Basic elements of centre-right are achieving harmony between local values and universal values and laying bridges, which connect the public to the state and political life. ¹²²

The beginning of conservatism as a "thinking style" and "attitude" can be traced back to the beginning of the history of humanity. However, conservatism does not have a long history as a political doctrine and specific ideology. The birth of this type of conservatism is the 18^th century, which is known as the age of enlightenment. The reaction to the French Revolution and the criticism directed against those who laid the intellectual and philosophical basis of this revolution gave rise to this conservative ideology. ¹²³

The word conservatism originated from 'consarve' in Latin, which means protection, preservation, and safeguarding. The concept of conservatism first emerged in France. A local newspaper published in France in 1818 was named 'Conservative.' Afterward, in England, a party was established under the name of "Conservative Party" in 1832 in the place of "Tories" and the concept of

Şakir Süter, Merkez Sağda Tapu Kavgası, Maviağaç Publication, Istanbul, 2004, p. 53-62.

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Berat Özipek, Muhafazakarlık: Akıl, Toplum, Siyaset, Liberte, Ankara, 2004, p. 66.

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Conservative started to be used more commonly in England. Conservatism started to bear the qualities of a more social and political doctrine over the course of time. ¹²⁴

As a political ideology, conservatism is based on the French Revolution. ¹²⁵ The chaos and violent acts caused by French Revolution gave rise to conservative criticism. Conservatism, which has a rich philosophical accumulation in the intellectual history of Western civilizations, is a modern ideology with anti-modern qualities. This political ideology generally stands up for experience, tradition, social and religious institutions against enlightenment mind and understanding. ¹²⁶

Many scholars commonly hold the opinion that conservatism is all about the values. Some of these values are related to political, economic structures, and institutions. However, when daily politics is in question, conservatism's relationship with the status quo becomes prominent. "Preserving the status quo"

becomes important. Burke, who is considered to be one of the founders of ¹²⁷ conservatism as an ideology, determined two characteristics of conservative thought, which are still valid today. These are the importance of religion, treating persons unjustly for the sake of reforms, authenticity, and desirability of rank and duty distinctions, immunity of private property, the idea that society is an organism rather than a mechanism, and, finally, a value of establishing continuity with the past.^.128

Conservatism is a thought system, which emerged in Western Europe in the 18^th century as a political idea/attitude and became dominant in the continent as a reaction to Enlightenment. The main source of conservative thought's ¹²⁹

Philippe Beneton, Conservatism, Transl: C. Akalın, Iletişim Publication, Istanbul, 1991, p. 7.

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Beneton, ibid., p. 9.

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Ramazan Akkır, “Religion and Conservatism in Turkey”, Çukurova University Institution of Social 126

Sciences Department of Philosophy and Theology, Postgraduate Thesis, Adana, 2006, p. 1.

Ali Bulaç, “AKP and Conservative Democracy”, Köprü Fikir Journal, 97, 45-54., 2007, p. 25.

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Bengül Güngörmez, “Muhafazakârlığın sosyolog havarisi: Robert Nisbet”, Journal of East-West 128

Thought, 25, 2004, p. 153.

Beneton, ibid., p. 9.

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arguments is the criticism for Enlightenment philosophy, which started with the Renaissance and Protestant Reformation. Renaissance (15th-16th centuries) paved the ground for questioning the political authority, which was not questioned before, with humanism it brought to Medieval Europe (especially in Italy and France), this also triggered Reform movements and undermined the infinite authority of Catholic Church in religious life. In this way, this process paved the way for individualism, equality, and participation in the administration of the country. After this, the French Revolution added equality, liberty, and national sovereignty to the principle of individualism. Conservatives developed a reactionary attitude towards these principles of liberalism for ethical reasons. This reaction became the opposite of the thinking system, which dominated Enlightenment and Age of Reason in the 19^th century. As a result of this, conservatives were able to gain an identity in the process of condemning Modern regime and blessing the ancient regime (the period before the revolution) with feudal origins. ¹³⁰

In the second half of the 18^th century, significant changes occurred in the social structure of industrialization. Pre-industrial society changed, and major political transformations took place. These formations adopted change instead ¹³¹ of stability. These rapid developments, which took place across the world in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, caused people to criticize all the previous political, social, intellectual and economic formations, and new thinking systems were developed. Conservative thinking also flourished in individuals' state of confusion and concerns and emerged as a movement of thought, which glorifies the virtues of stability and tradition. Conservatism shaped itself and emerged as a modern concept after industrialization and major political transformations. ¹³²

Considering the fact that the subject of this study is related to democratization, it is useful to address the relationship between conservatism and democratization. The first aspect to be discussed with regards to the

Robert Nisbet, “Conservatism”, Transl, E. Mutlu, Ayrac Publication, Ankara, 1997, p. 93.

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Nisbet, ibid., p. 95.

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Bahadır Türk, “Ideoloji”, Siyaset, ed. Mümtaz’er Türköne, Lotus, Istanbul, 2003, p. 122.

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relationship between conservatism as a political ideology and democratization is that conservatism supports democracy as well as hinders democracy with its certain characteristics, beyond different attitudes exhibited at specific conditions and during specific periods.

According to Stankiewicz, a conservative person:

“Can be interpreted as a person with a democratic perspective. A conservative person refuses the idea that convenient social conditions, which he/she needs, must be existent before. He/she does not accept imposing the democratic institutions and practices of England, America, or Canada to different cultures without any modifications. Their difference does not change conservatives' opinion about the importance of norms and beliefs. When these norms and beliefs are respected, the society will be ready to develop democratic institutions.” ¹³³

After Stankiewicz' conception of the conservative person, following arguments must be taken into account as proofs to the fact that conservatism and democracy can be associated. First thing is, as can be seen in Stankiewicz's conservative person definition, the way conservative individuals recognize the diversity of social values and norms in each culture against universality as a democratic perspective. The respect for cultural differences is also among the indispensable characteristics of democratic understanding. As distinct from other ideologies, another aspect of conservatism, which is in favor of democracy, is their strict opposition to irreversible political transformation methods. For a conservative individual, each irreversible action is, by its nature, a malign action, which can result into irreparable conditions even if the primary goal is to solve a solution.

To summarize, a conservative thought emerged as a reactionary attitude to Enlightenment Era, which started with Renaissance and Reform movements and

Özipek, Ibid., p. 147-148.

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continued with Industrial Revolution. Conservatism, which formed its political attitude and philosophy against the emergence of class-based capitalist societies, equipped itself with opinions against universality and abstract ideas.¹³⁴