Religion as source of moral energy for Turkish enterpreneurs

Abstract

Turkey has a distinctive status within the Muslim world. It is a Muslim country with a greater than 95% Muslim population, and yet it is the only Muslim country that has inscribed the principle of secularism (laiklik) into its constitution. From the very beginning of the Republic, Turkish society has experienced polarization between the ‘Islamists’ and the ‘secularists’. As in every major religion, the Islamic faith prescribes ethical/moral values which shape the way of life at both the level of the individual and society. Unsurprisingly, it is possible to see Islamic moral principles also filtering through to regulate business life.