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An Intellectual History of Turkish Nationalism: Between Turkish Ethnicity and Islamic Identity
In this book, Umut Uzer examines the ideological evolution and transformation of Turkish nationalism from its early precursors to its contemporary protagonists. Turkish nationalism erupted onto the world stage in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as Greeks, Armenians, and other minority groups within the Ottoman Empire began to seek independence. Partly in response to the rising nationalist voices of these groups, Turkish intellectuals began propagating Turkish nationalism through academic as well as popular books, and later associations published semipropagandist journals with the support of the Unionist and Kemalist governments.
While predominantly a textual analysis of the primary sources written by the nationalists, this volume takes into account how political developments influenced Turkish nationalism and also tackles the question of how an ideology that began as a revolutionary, progressive, forward-looking ideal eventually transformed into one that is conservative, patriarchal, and nostalgic to the Ottoman and Islamic past. Between Islamic and Turkish Identity is the first book in any language to comprehensively analyze Turkish nationalism with such scope and engagement with primary sources; it aims to dissect the phenomenon in all its manifestations.
While predominantly a textual analysis of the primary sources written by the nationalists, this volume takes into account how political developments influenced Turkish nationalism and also tackles the question of how an ideology that began as a revolutionary, progressive, forward-looking ideal eventually transformed into one that is conservative, patriarchal, and nostalgic to the Ottoman and Islamic past. Between Islamic and Turkish Identity is the first book in any language to comprehensively analyze Turkish nationalism with such scope and engagement with primary sources; it aims to dissect the phenomenon in all its manifestations.
- GenresHistory
288 pages, Paperback
Published April 5, 2016
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May 4, 2019
The founders of the modern republic of Turkey faced a monumental task in conceiving and constructing the new nation. Following a devastating defeat in World War I, the Ottoman Empire had been reduced to a puppet state under the control of the allied occupiers of Anatolia. The ethnic majority Turkish population of Asia Minor was war-weary, even as the empire’s ethnic minorities took advantage of the power vacuum as an opportunity to advance their interests. Amid such political chaos and turmoil, a group of soon-to-be former Ottoman generals rallied Anatolia’s inhabitants to fight in a war for independence. In their efforts to mobilize the masses, these generals employed a relatively new ideology: Turkish nationalism.
Until well into the nineteenth century, the term “Turk” had been a pejorative connoting ignorance and backwardness. As nationalistic fervor began to rise among the various millet of the Ottoman Empire during that century, however, a Turkish consciousness began to grow among the elite representatives of Anatolia’s ethnic majority. This consciousness eventually developed into the nationalistic ideology which undergirded the War of Independence (1919–1923) and the formation of the Republic of Turkey (1923). In An Intellectual History of Turkish Nationalism, Umut Uzer, who earned a PhD in politics at the University of Virginia and currently serves as associate professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Istanbul Technical University, tells the story of Turkish nationalism, from its rise in the late nineteenth century to the present day. His key insight and the book’s main thesis is that the secular, progressive nationalism of the early republic has transformed into a conservative nationalism nostalgic for the Ottoman and Islamic past. He further argues this shift has occurred through processes of democratization, urbanization, and Islamization as well as through the influence of the Cold War political realities (p. 14, 218–19).
Uzer’s purpose is “to dissect Turkish nationalism in all its forms and manifestations” (p. 1), a feat he accomplishes by focusing on the various individuals who have guided Turkish nationalism in its development. Though he also explores how political parties have appropriated nationalism and how political developments have helped shaped nationalism, Uzer focuses on the influence of individuals with their unique insights and concerns—sometimes diverging, sometimes overlapping. With this approach, Uzer invites the reader to see Turkish nationalism more as a kaleidoscope than a monolith. Several fissures emerge in this kaleidoscope. One division is between ethnic nationalists, who typically focus on race, and cultural nationalists, who focus on common culture. Territorial nationalists comprise another category of nationalists who may or may not also be ethnic or cultural nationalists. Territorial nationalists further divide into Anatolian (focused on the retaining the boundaries of modern Turkey), Pan-Turkic (desiring to see a Turkish nation spanning all of Central Asia into the Balkans; also known as Turanist), or Pan-Islamic (desiring to see an Islamic nation similar in scope to the Ottoman Empire) nationalists. These in turn correspond to competing ideas over the place of religion between secular nationalists, Muslim nationalists, and nationalists who have an affinity for ancient Turkic shamanism. Needless to say, complexities abound among the last two centuries of Turkish nationalists who combine these different options to varying degrees. Uzer guides the reader to understand influential nationalists as individuals as well as the genetic relationships in their thought over time, which is perhaps the most helpful aspect of the book.
In a short concluding chapter, which became obsolete nearly the moment the ink dried on the Uzer’s manuscript, the author speculates about the future of nationalism in Turkey. Uzer acknowledges nationalism is likely to continue playing a role in Turkey’s political future. However, his prediction that with the continuing rule of the AKP (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi)—a party which came to power more than a decade ago on a platform minimizing nationalism—nationalists would continue facing an uphill battle for power and influence in Turkey has been proven false. Political instability following the July 15, 2016 coup attempt (the year Uzer’s book was published) combined with Turkey’s struggling economy led the AKP to ally with the nationalist MHP (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi), meaning Turkish nationalism is as politically relevant as it ever has been. It would be nice to see this section of the book adjusted and expanded in a second edition.
Several weaknesses stand out in Uzer’s book. Most are stylistic, but some are substantive. Uzer could have spent a greater portion of the book fleshing out his thesis by describing in greater detail the gradual evolution of Turkish nationalism and the processes that shaped it. A few stylistic weaknesses make the book very difficult to read. The author repeats certain details, sometimes word-for-word, occasionally includes random thoughts or pieces of information without any effort to weave them into the narrative, and writes extensively using the passive voice and with convoluted syntax. Readers will sense the publisher could have done far more to assist the author.
Nevertheless, Uzer’s book is a groundbreaking book in Turkish studies. Turkish nationalism is often depicted in the media and elsewhere as a monolithic phenomenon, but Uzer demonstrates how multifaceted and nuanced it actually is. As a catalog profiling various Turkish nationalists and their unique intellectual contributions, Uzer’s book fills an important gap in English language literature concerning Turkish nationalism. Uzer interacts thoroughly with primary source material, bringing to the foreground individuals who have influenced Turkish nationalism but about whom even readers with a particular interest in Turkish studies may know very little. Moreover, Uzer’s taxonomy of Turkish nationalism provides readers with a matrix for understanding the genetic relationships between the various nationalists Uzer profiles, allowing readers to have a clearer picture of the broader landscape of Turkish nationalism. For these reasons, An Intellectual History of Turkish Nationalism is likely to serve as a seminal work in the field of Turkish studies for some time to come.
Until well into the nineteenth century, the term “Turk” had been a pejorative connoting ignorance and backwardness. As nationalistic fervor began to rise among the various millet of the Ottoman Empire during that century, however, a Turkish consciousness began to grow among the elite representatives of Anatolia’s ethnic majority. This consciousness eventually developed into the nationalistic ideology which undergirded the War of Independence (1919–1923) and the formation of the Republic of Turkey (1923). In An Intellectual History of Turkish Nationalism, Umut Uzer, who earned a PhD in politics at the University of Virginia and currently serves as associate professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Istanbul Technical University, tells the story of Turkish nationalism, from its rise in the late nineteenth century to the present day. His key insight and the book’s main thesis is that the secular, progressive nationalism of the early republic has transformed into a conservative nationalism nostalgic for the Ottoman and Islamic past. He further argues this shift has occurred through processes of democratization, urbanization, and Islamization as well as through the influence of the Cold War political realities (p. 14, 218–19).
Uzer’s purpose is “to dissect Turkish nationalism in all its forms and manifestations” (p. 1), a feat he accomplishes by focusing on the various individuals who have guided Turkish nationalism in its development. Though he also explores how political parties have appropriated nationalism and how political developments have helped shaped nationalism, Uzer focuses on the influence of individuals with their unique insights and concerns—sometimes diverging, sometimes overlapping. With this approach, Uzer invites the reader to see Turkish nationalism more as a kaleidoscope than a monolith. Several fissures emerge in this kaleidoscope. One division is between ethnic nationalists, who typically focus on race, and cultural nationalists, who focus on common culture. Territorial nationalists comprise another category of nationalists who may or may not also be ethnic or cultural nationalists. Territorial nationalists further divide into Anatolian (focused on the retaining the boundaries of modern Turkey), Pan-Turkic (desiring to see a Turkish nation spanning all of Central Asia into the Balkans; also known as Turanist), or Pan-Islamic (desiring to see an Islamic nation similar in scope to the Ottoman Empire) nationalists. These in turn correspond to competing ideas over the place of religion between secular nationalists, Muslim nationalists, and nationalists who have an affinity for ancient Turkic shamanism. Needless to say, complexities abound among the last two centuries of Turkish nationalists who combine these different options to varying degrees. Uzer guides the reader to understand influential nationalists as individuals as well as the genetic relationships in their thought over time, which is perhaps the most helpful aspect of the book.
In a short concluding chapter, which became obsolete nearly the moment the ink dried on the Uzer’s manuscript, the author speculates about the future of nationalism in Turkey. Uzer acknowledges nationalism is likely to continue playing a role in Turkey’s political future. However, his prediction that with the continuing rule of the AKP (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi)—a party which came to power more than a decade ago on a platform minimizing nationalism—nationalists would continue facing an uphill battle for power and influence in Turkey has been proven false. Political instability following the July 15, 2016 coup attempt (the year Uzer’s book was published) combined with Turkey’s struggling economy led the AKP to ally with the nationalist MHP (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi), meaning Turkish nationalism is as politically relevant as it ever has been. It would be nice to see this section of the book adjusted and expanded in a second edition.
Several weaknesses stand out in Uzer’s book. Most are stylistic, but some are substantive. Uzer could have spent a greater portion of the book fleshing out his thesis by describing in greater detail the gradual evolution of Turkish nationalism and the processes that shaped it. A few stylistic weaknesses make the book very difficult to read. The author repeats certain details, sometimes word-for-word, occasionally includes random thoughts or pieces of information without any effort to weave them into the narrative, and writes extensively using the passive voice and with convoluted syntax. Readers will sense the publisher could have done far more to assist the author.
Nevertheless, Uzer’s book is a groundbreaking book in Turkish studies. Turkish nationalism is often depicted in the media and elsewhere as a monolithic phenomenon, but Uzer demonstrates how multifaceted and nuanced it actually is. As a catalog profiling various Turkish nationalists and their unique intellectual contributions, Uzer’s book fills an important gap in English language literature concerning Turkish nationalism. Uzer interacts thoroughly with primary source material, bringing to the foreground individuals who have influenced Turkish nationalism but about whom even readers with a particular interest in Turkish studies may know very little. Moreover, Uzer’s taxonomy of Turkish nationalism provides readers with a matrix for understanding the genetic relationships between the various nationalists Uzer profiles, allowing readers to have a clearer picture of the broader landscape of Turkish nationalism. For these reasons, An Intellectual History of Turkish Nationalism is likely to serve as a seminal work in the field of Turkish studies for some time to come.
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