How did Saudi Arabia and Turkey differ in their approaches to Islam and government?

Saudi Arabia and Turkey represent contrasting paradigms in their approaches to the relationship between Islam and government.

Turkey
Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk established the Republic of Turkey as an explicitly secular state, or laiklik. Viewing traditional Islamic influence as a barrier to modernization, the state abolished the caliphate, replaced religious courts with secular law, and relegated Islam to the private sphere. For decades, the military acted as a guardian of this secular order, often restricting public religious expression. While recent decades under the Justice and Development Party have seen a resurgence of Islam in public life, the state remains constitutionally secular.1234

Saudi Arabia
In contrast, the Saudi state has historically derived its legitimacy from a close alliance between the Saud family and the Wahhābī religious establishment. Rather than separating religion from the state, the government regulates public life according to a rigorous interpretation of Sharīʿah (Islamic law). The state enforces strict codes of public behavior and maintains social control through both tribal structures and religious institutions.563