This book takes readers through the major events and debates in the modern history of the Republic of Turkey. Beginning with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of WWI and the victory of nationalist forces in 1923, it relays the key turning points, issues and trends in the Republic's history. It gives readers a strong grounding in the political history as well as historiographical debates including:
- the nation building process and nationalisms;
- the development of political Islam
- the impact on Turkey of the Cold War
- decolonisation
- the role of the army in politics and the dominance of the coup in historiography
- class structure
- human rights
- civil society
- secularism
- the Ottoman legacy
The book incorporates the very latest thinking on the study of Turkey into its narrative, covering essential issues hitherto left out of introductory texts which prioritise security such as migration (both internal within Turkey and out of and into Turkey); economic models; Turkey's geostrategic position; energy resources and policies; the environment; gender: and entertainment culture including sport.
Each of the book's 13 chronological chapters includes a chronology of major events and a further reading and sources section which include Turkish short stories, novels or poems in translation, online open access sources, films and documentaries and text boxes containing, poetry, film posters, newspaper headlines, short biographies, adverts, and information on specific events such as the introduction of TV feature throughout the text to aid learning. Breaking with the Cold War paradigm and its focus on the coups and security as well as approaches to Turkey which over emphasise the Ottoman past, this book offers readers a new assessment of the Republic which reflects the diverse approaches to its history prevalent in current scholarship.
