Conference on “How the Turks Became Muslim” Held

Professor Erkan Göksu, a faculty member of the History Department at Dokuz Eylül University, held a conference at our university titled “How the Turks Became Muslim.” Organized by our university's Center for Applied Research on the Turkish World, with contributions from our department, the conference examined the process of the Turks' encounter with Islam from a historical perspective. Starting with the first contacts in Central Asia, the role of trade, politics, and cultural interactions in this process was examined. The states, personalities, and social dynamics that influenced the Turkish tribes' acceptance of Islam were discussed. The question of whether it was adopted by force or voluntarily was opened for debate in light of historical data. The conference offered a comprehensive view that questioned established judgments about Turkish-Islamic history. After the conference, Prof. Göksu answered questions from the audience.