ABSTRACT
The Q study has shown that there is a considerable desire for dialogue and mutual understanding between Islamic and secular groups who have traditionally been hostile towards each other. The BSKP case shows that building a mutual understanding between these groups may be achievable. The experiences of women from different backgrounds in the BSKP, as well as the relationship between the leftist IHD and Islamist Mazlum-Der, signify the genesis of a new form of cooperation in the Turkish public sphere. With the help of the Q study, the main contours of different tendencies about one of the most important issues in the Turkish public sphere, the relationships between Islam, democracy and secularism, have been outlined. The paradigm shift towards individual rights-based politics amongst the leftist and Islamist groups played a fundamental role in creating the leverage that inspired mutual cooperation.
