Today, we remember Niyazi Berkes—a distinguished sociologist and scholar born in Nicosia, Cyprus, in 1908. As a pioneer of historical sociology in Türkiye, Berkes conducted in-depth analyses of the country’s modernization process. Reflecting on his intellectual legacy remains profoundly important for understanding our contemporary society.
His seminal work, The Development of Secularism in Turkey (Türkiye’de Çağdaşlaşma), frames the transition from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic not merely as Westernization, but as a profound social transformation. For Berkes, secularism—an extension of this modernization—was not just the separation of state and religious affairs, but a project of intellectual liberation intended to permeate all levels of society.
In 1948, due to the political climate of the era, Berkes was dismissed from Ankara University alongside other prominent figures such as Behice Boran and Pertev Naili Boratav. Forced into exile, he continued his academic career at McGill University in Canada.
Throughout his life, he never wavered in his belief in the necessity of scientific freedom and critical thinking. Although he passed away in Canada in 1988, his works continue to be debated and continue to shed light on Türkiye’s journey toward modernity.
We honor the memory of Niyazi Berkes and his contributions to the social sciences.