The Concept of a Secular State in the Political Thought of the Presidency of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

The concept of the secular state has been discussed in the academic literaturę for decades. However the term “secularism” is typically employed to denote the French or American conceptualisation of the relationship between state and religious associations, it may also have different connotations. In this context, the main aim of the article is to prove that terms such as “secularism” or “laicisation” do not have a universal meaning, but rather their interpretation depends on the historical and cultural conditions. To this end, the author illustrates the process of creation the concept of secular state in the Republic of Turkey during the presidency of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The article posits that the Kemalist concept of the secular state was not only the original one, but it was also the basis of the modern concept of secularism in Turkey.