Islam, Secularism and Nationalism in Modern Turkey: Who is a Turk?

by Soner Çağaptay

It is commonly believed that during the interwar period, Kemalist secularism successfully eliminated religion from the public sphere in Turkey, leaving Turkish national identity devoid of religious content. However, through its examination of the impact of the Ottoman millet system on Turkish and Balkan nationalisms, this book presents a different view point. Cagaptay demonstrates that the legacy of the Ottomon millet system which divided the Ottoman population into religious compartments called millets, shaped Turkey s understanding of nationalism in the interwar period. Providing a compelling examination of why and how religion shapes national identity in Turkey and the Balkans the book covers topics including:



* Turkish nationalism
* the Ottoman legacy
* Kemalist citizenship policies and immigration
* Kurds, Muslims and Jews and the ethno-religious limits of Turkishness.

Incorporating documents from untapped Turkish archives, this book is essential reading for scholars and students with research interests in Turkey, Turkish nationalism and Middle East history.

"

282 pages, Hardcover

First published December 15, 2005

About the author

Soner Cagaptay is the Beyer Family Fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute.

Reviews

[ainsley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting argument and good evidence, but completely obscured by the shite writing.

[Rukaya Zayani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on the rise and acceleration of Turkish nationalism triggered by the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan Wars (rise of Christian nationalism). The book emphasized on the Kemalist project of secularism and its ethno-religious policies towards minorities. Although the author cited Gökalp (pioneer of Turkish nationalism) however they were merely criticism. The book approaches this topic differently than other Turkish scholars (Sarif Mardin and Metin Heper). Great read if anyone is interested in understanding Turkish nationalism. If anyone is interested in understanding this topic more theoretically, I would suggest Sarif Mardin's the East and West balance in Turkish nationalism, the Just Discourse, Firuz Bey Syndrome, and Cosmetic Westernization.

[Osman Tümay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Çok önemli bir referans kitabı; bilimsel tarafsızlıkla araştırılıp yazılmış. Sonuç bölümünün biraz aceleye geldiği düşüncesine kapıldım.