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This article investigates how a pioneering group of feminist theologians and activists—who had offered women-centred interpretations of sacred texts, criticized misogynous practices for being at odds with the original spirit of Islam and launched projects to combat violence against women—came to be included in the bureaucracy of Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs, Diyanet. Drawing on interviews with women who were personally involved and an analysis of the Diyanet's reports and publications (2003–2016) regarding women, the work shows that bureaucratization per se is not necessarily synonymous with the silencing of collective claims or innovative stances. It outlines i) that the first phase of the transition from the pious women's activism to them occupying positions in the bureaucracy was shaped by cooperation between state institutions and civil society organizations that included feminist activists and ii) how, since 2013, the AKP's drift towards authoritarianism, the change in power structures within the Diyanet and the redefinition of the relationship between the state and non-governmental civil society organizations have quashed and marginalized progressive and feminist approaches that had initially been included in the bureaucracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2003 the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has increased the number of female preachers (vaizeler). These state appointed professional female preachers are engaged in illuminating women and providing them with an appropriate religious education. Within the frame of Turkish state’s regulation of religious affairs, this phenomenon is important since it calls into question both the state’s monopoly over religious officers and women’s access to the religious public realm. The article casts light on these issues by addressing the following questions: what does theDiyanet’sincrease in female preachers reveal about the intertwined relationship between women, religion and the state in contemporary Turkey? Or, in other words, what does it reveal about the transformation of Turkey’s assertive secularism? Following year-long ethnographic observations of thevaizeler’sdaily activities in three Istanbul districts (Bahçelievler, Üsküdar and Beşiktaş), this paper analyses the evolution of female religious engagement in Turkey. The concluding remarks highlight the trend of professionalisation and standardisation in the traditional activity of female preaching. Thevaizeler’ssessions are also extremely telling of a broader and complex redefinition of Turkish secularism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines religious assistance provided by female preachers (vaizeler) enrolled in a Turkish state institution, the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). Employed all over the country and abroad, these preachers perform many activities that transcend the sacred places of mosques. This study investigateshow concretely the Turkish state has promoted increased religious assistance for women and families.Resulting from one year of ethnographic observations of vaizelers’ daily activities in Istanbul, this work enriches the debate concerning religion and the state in Turkey with an unconventional perspective: female moral support. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]