Construction, O Messenger of God!

“This slogan, which everyone will understand is adapted from the plea ‘Şefaat ya Resullulah’ [Intercede, oh Messenger of God], is a satire of the liberal-conservative political practice of Islamist origin. The construction sector is a key area for analyzing the political economy of the AKP government. And also for understanding its political mythology…”

For a long time, “the country turning into a construction site” has been a proudly proclaimed, chest-thumping political metaphor. Construction is attributed great economic value for its revitalizing effect on many other sectors; it is seen as a magical force that will remedy all the flaws of the entire economy. Moreover, it holds fetishistic value as a symbol of development, prosperity, and wealth. It is already obvious that it plays a significant role in the creation of a wealthy class!

This compilation brings together articles that address the construction “phenomenon” from many angles. The economic-political wisdom of construction, ranging from rent distribution to corporatism… Its “spiritual”-psychological wisdom, haloed from property to growth…

Mosque architecture, the image of the “dome”… The passion for “grandeur”… The connection of construction projects with urban-society-human concepts… The professional lust of constructors and Ali Ağaoğlu, the “King of Construction Sites”… What earthquakes couldn't teach…

With articles by Mehmet Atlı, Osman Balaban, Tuncay Bilecen, Tanıl Bora, Ayşe Çavdar, Erbatur Çavuşoğlu, İhsan Eliaçık, Neşe Gurallar, Sinan T. Gülhan, Mehmet Penbecioğlu, Özgür Taburoğlu, and H. Bahadır Türk.