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Under the Shadow: Rage and Revolution in Modern Turkey
Turkey stands at the crossroads of the Middle East--caught between the West and ISIS, Syria and Russia, and governed by an increasingly forceful leader. Acclaimed writer Kaya Genc has been covering his country for the past decade. In Under the Shadow he meets activists from both sides of Turkey's political Gezi park protestors who fought tear gas and batons to transform their country's future, and supporters of Erdogan's conservative vision who are no less passionate in their activism. He talks to artists and authors to ask whether the New Turkey is a good place to for them to live and work. He interviews censored journalists and conservative writers both angered by what has been going on in their country.He meets Turkey's Wall Street types who take to the streets despite the enormity of what they can lose as well as the young Islamic entrepreneurs who drive Turkey's economy.While talking to Turkey's angry young people Genc weaves in historical stories, visions and mythologies, showing how Turkey's progressives and conservatives take their ideological roots from two political movements born in the Ottoman the Young Turks and the Young Ottomans, two groups of intellectuals who were united in their determination to make their country more democratic.
He shows a divided society coming to terms with the 21st Century, and in doing so, gets to the heart of the compelling conflicts between history and modernity in the Middle East.
He shows a divided society coming to terms with the 21st Century, and in doing so, gets to the heart of the compelling conflicts between history and modernity in the Middle East.
- GenresNonfictionPolitics
242 pages, Paperback
Published September 9, 2016
9 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Kaya Genç
17 books35 followersKaya Genç is the author of three books from Bloomsbury Publishing: The Lion and the Nightingale (2019), Under the Shadow (2016) and An Istanbul Anthology (2015). The Economist called Under the Shadow a ‘refreshingly balanced’ book whose author ‘has announced himself as a voice to be listened to’. The Los Angeles Review of Books described An Istanbul Anthology as ‘a compellingly real picture of the city’. Kaya has contributed to the world’s leading journals and newspapers, including two front page stories in The New York Times, cover stories in The New York Review of Books, Foreign Affairs and The Times Literary Supplement, and essays and articles in The New Yorker, The Nation, The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The New Statesman, The New Republic, Time, Newsweek and The London Review of Books. The Atlantic picked Kaya’s writings for the magazine’s ‘best works of journalism in 2014’ list. A critic for Artforum and Art in America, and a contributing editor at Index on Censorship, Kaya gave lectures at venues including the Royal Anthropological Institute, and appeared live on flagship programmes including the Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC and BBC’s Start the Week. He is the Istanbul correspondent of the Los Angeles Review of Books. Kaya has been a speaker at Edinburgh, Jaipur and Ways With Words book festivals, and he holds a Ph.D. in English Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 29, 2023
Under the Shadow is a powerful historical and contemporary memoir about the Turkish revolution. Kaya Genc has done an impressive job illustrating the horrors that have come about due to the revolution. The intro to the book had me hooked on an update on more recent events in Turkey ever since the book's original author.
Kaya has formatted the book so that a lot of heavy information is presented in a way that is easily readable through smaller sections of writing between major catastrophic events. This was an eye-opening experience even for someone like me, who is usually quite versed in world events.
The eyewitness account of Kaya, as only he can bring his experiences to paper, is worth the read and makes my heart ache for the country and people of Turkey. I hope we can soon see a resolution to the control and destruction being wrought.
My only critique is the section formatting (at least in Kindle format). Some of the sections were incredibly short, one after another, and this detracted a bit from the flow of the story; otherwise, great job. I give it 4 stars.
Kaya has formatted the book so that a lot of heavy information is presented in a way that is easily readable through smaller sections of writing between major catastrophic events. This was an eye-opening experience even for someone like me, who is usually quite versed in world events.
The eyewitness account of Kaya, as only he can bring his experiences to paper, is worth the read and makes my heart ache for the country and people of Turkey. I hope we can soon see a resolution to the control and destruction being wrought.
My only critique is the section formatting (at least in Kindle format). Some of the sections were incredibly short, one after another, and this detracted a bit from the flow of the story; otherwise, great job. I give it 4 stars.
October 17, 2016
Disclaimer: ARC courtesy of I.B. Tauris via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
What makes a movement? What leads to protest? Why do some people who seem sympathetic to a movement yet not join a protest? These basic questions are not just confined to the political situation in any country, yet Genc uses the basic questions to shield more light on the protest movement in Turkey, and in particular those young people behind it.
For the average American who has no real connection to Turkey, most of the news about the country is limited to sound bites on the news, and the average American international news broadcast is pretty bad. When the recent coup attempt happened, it made the nightly news and CNN broadcasted heavily for a bit, but outside of mentioning where the accused coup inspirer lives, nothing. Very little about the arrests that occurred after. When the protests were occurring in Taksim square, there was very little context. Genc’s book does something to readdress this for the American public.
Genc’s book is more a series of profiles and interviews with people –ranging from student protests to business men, to filmmakers, to journalists. The topics include the protests at Taskim but also the closure of magazines and other forms of censorship. Because of timing, the book obvious could not examine the most recent coup attempt, though Genc’s introduction does include it.
One of the book’s strengths is the use of the interviewees. While the book does start with an interview of a protestor in Taskim square, Genc includes an interview with those who chose not to join the protest or even saw it as little more than a protest of the middle class. This allows the reader into the varying and conflicting political views. Perhaps the most telling is the chapter concerning the filmmaker Evrenol and his experience of censorship, a story that does make one think.
There is also a discussion about the police officers, in particular the actions of the police during the protests combined with the police in everyday life. In some ways this section shows that conflicting views are sometimes simply conflicting views and speaks to the human condition.
Genc is aware of his book use as a starting point for trying to understand Turkish politics. He includes a further reading list at the end of the book so the reader can further her knowledge.
What makes a movement? What leads to protest? Why do some people who seem sympathetic to a movement yet not join a protest? These basic questions are not just confined to the political situation in any country, yet Genc uses the basic questions to shield more light on the protest movement in Turkey, and in particular those young people behind it.
For the average American who has no real connection to Turkey, most of the news about the country is limited to sound bites on the news, and the average American international news broadcast is pretty bad. When the recent coup attempt happened, it made the nightly news and CNN broadcasted heavily for a bit, but outside of mentioning where the accused coup inspirer lives, nothing. Very little about the arrests that occurred after. When the protests were occurring in Taksim square, there was very little context. Genc’s book does something to readdress this for the American public.
Genc’s book is more a series of profiles and interviews with people –ranging from student protests to business men, to filmmakers, to journalists. The topics include the protests at Taskim but also the closure of magazines and other forms of censorship. Because of timing, the book obvious could not examine the most recent coup attempt, though Genc’s introduction does include it.
One of the book’s strengths is the use of the interviewees. While the book does start with an interview of a protestor in Taskim square, Genc includes an interview with those who chose not to join the protest or even saw it as little more than a protest of the middle class. This allows the reader into the varying and conflicting political views. Perhaps the most telling is the chapter concerning the filmmaker Evrenol and his experience of censorship, a story that does make one think.
There is also a discussion about the police officers, in particular the actions of the police during the protests combined with the police in everyday life. In some ways this section shows that conflicting views are sometimes simply conflicting views and speaks to the human condition.
Genc is aware of his book use as a starting point for trying to understand Turkish politics. He includes a further reading list at the end of the book so the reader can further her knowledge.
January 16, 2025
I loved this book, I loved the multitude of perspectives of the interviewees and their political ranges, I loved the descriptions of Turkish rage, and I loved the unbiased telling of how Turkey treats its minorities.
I also loved the last paragraph:
"As I headed to my apartment in Changir at about 3 a.m., four days after the coup, I found myself among young Turks and Kurds who had rushed to Taskim from the most distant corners of Istanbul. I saw Syrian refugees. There were body builders riding on motorbikes. A group of young men had filled the back of an old truck and were singing songs. I saw headscarved women and girls in mini-skirts, walking in the same direction. Overwhelmed with the events in this young and always youthful republic, I started crying."
I also loved the last paragraph:
"As I headed to my apartment in Changir at about 3 a.m., four days after the coup, I found myself among young Turks and Kurds who had rushed to Taskim from the most distant corners of Istanbul. I saw Syrian refugees. There were body builders riding on motorbikes. A group of young men had filled the back of an old truck and were singing songs. I saw headscarved women and girls in mini-skirts, walking in the same direction. Overwhelmed with the events in this young and always youthful republic, I started crying."
February 8, 2017
In 2013, events in Turkey lead to a series of protests over a period of 20 days (Gezi Park).
Journalist and author Kaya Genc documents the rise in political tension after the AK party came to power under Erdogan, and gives the background to the lead-up of the attempted revolution.
The Gezi Park protests were the largest in Turkey and began with a midnight cab ride to save a tree, with the protagonists joking about the possibility that it might end in an Occupy Wall Street type scenario.
It is a very detailed and well researched tome, delving into the background of the main characters and into the history leading up to the events of May-June 2013.
A fascinating insight into events that sparked interest worldwide.
Journalist and author Kaya Genc documents the rise in political tension after the AK party came to power under Erdogan, and gives the background to the lead-up of the attempted revolution.
The Gezi Park protests were the largest in Turkey and began with a midnight cab ride to save a tree, with the protagonists joking about the possibility that it might end in an Occupy Wall Street type scenario.
It is a very detailed and well researched tome, delving into the background of the main characters and into the history leading up to the events of May-June 2013.
A fascinating insight into events that sparked interest worldwide.
November 1, 2016
Politics in Turkey - what is it all about. Under the Shadow explains it in a best possible way. Interesting and essential about Turkish history and current politics.
Thank you I.B.Tauris and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you I.B.Tauris and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2016
A must-read book for those who are curious about the youth of Turkey, from the perspective of many different sides.
February 8, 2017
Diverse voices skilfully captured and more relevant than ever Thanks to Net Galley and to I.B. Tauris for offering me a free ARC copy of the book that I freely choose to review.
This is the first book by Kaya Genç I’ve read, and I hope it won’t be the last. He does a great job of collecting testimonies of many youths, from different social classes, religious backgrounds and political beliefs, and presenting a balanced account of the different points of views and how the interviewees developed their stance and thoughts. It is clear that the author is a great communicator, in sync with his subjects, and understands them well. He is also skilled at capturing the nuances and peculiarities of the youths he interviews, whose voices come across clear and distinctive.
The author does not take sides (if there’s such a thing as sides), but he provides his reflections on Turkey and Istanbul itself, in a language that is nostalgic and poetic at times. He does draw historical parallels (also mentioned by several of the participants) with previous movements in Turkey and in the introduction mentions recent events (that are not discussed in the body of the book, as it looks mostly at the period between 2013 and 2015). It is difficult to read the book and not to think about the historical moment we live in, and some of the comments made throughout the book (about the role of public protests in democracies, about banning headscarves and outward religious symbols, about imprisoning journalists and the influence of social media) are as relevant to the situation in other countries as they are to Turkey’s.
A couple of examples of some of the sentences that made me think:
Now, as cries for an east-west war echo throughout the world, I am afraid of the world turning into a place like Turkey, governed almost permanently by martial law.
**********
Once he concludes his story, Fettahoğlu seems calmer. ‘What I just told you about is not the result of politicization’, he says. ‘It is the result of a sort of void. People are radicalized and they act like hooligans. Politicization should be an intellectual process… To hate the other side’, Fettahoğlu says, ‘is not, cannot be, politicization. No.’ A final pause. ‘It is only hatred of ignorance.’
I enjoyed, in particular, the different voices and individual accounts, like glimpses into the young men and women’s lives, the clear links between the personal and the political (the book is about political ideas but mostly about people, who sometimes reach similar conclusions or feel similarly about certain issues even if they come at them from different political positions and outlooks are very different), the passion and the determination and the touching moments shared too (a mother who didn’t like her daughter’s political ideas sharing a picture of her signed book on Facebook, a young man surprised on seeing his father cry when he hears about the death of a journalist…)
I am not an expert in Turkish politics or history and enjoyed enormously the book, which is skilfully and beautifully written, and I’d recommend this book to anybody who has even a passing interest in the subject. I also look forward to reading more works by the author (and I’ve heard he’ll publish a novel soon. I’ll be on the lookout).
This is the first book by Kaya Genç I’ve read, and I hope it won’t be the last. He does a great job of collecting testimonies of many youths, from different social classes, religious backgrounds and political beliefs, and presenting a balanced account of the different points of views and how the interviewees developed their stance and thoughts. It is clear that the author is a great communicator, in sync with his subjects, and understands them well. He is also skilled at capturing the nuances and peculiarities of the youths he interviews, whose voices come across clear and distinctive.
The author does not take sides (if there’s such a thing as sides), but he provides his reflections on Turkey and Istanbul itself, in a language that is nostalgic and poetic at times. He does draw historical parallels (also mentioned by several of the participants) with previous movements in Turkey and in the introduction mentions recent events (that are not discussed in the body of the book, as it looks mostly at the period between 2013 and 2015). It is difficult to read the book and not to think about the historical moment we live in, and some of the comments made throughout the book (about the role of public protests in democracies, about banning headscarves and outward religious symbols, about imprisoning journalists and the influence of social media) are as relevant to the situation in other countries as they are to Turkey’s.
A couple of examples of some of the sentences that made me think:
Now, as cries for an east-west war echo throughout the world, I am afraid of the world turning into a place like Turkey, governed almost permanently by martial law.
**********
Once he concludes his story, Fettahoğlu seems calmer. ‘What I just told you about is not the result of politicization’, he says. ‘It is the result of a sort of void. People are radicalized and they act like hooligans. Politicization should be an intellectual process… To hate the other side’, Fettahoğlu says, ‘is not, cannot be, politicization. No.’ A final pause. ‘It is only hatred of ignorance.’
I enjoyed, in particular, the different voices and individual accounts, like glimpses into the young men and women’s lives, the clear links between the personal and the political (the book is about political ideas but mostly about people, who sometimes reach similar conclusions or feel similarly about certain issues even if they come at them from different political positions and outlooks are very different), the passion and the determination and the touching moments shared too (a mother who didn’t like her daughter’s political ideas sharing a picture of her signed book on Facebook, a young man surprised on seeing his father cry when he hears about the death of a journalist…)
I am not an expert in Turkish politics or history and enjoyed enormously the book, which is skilfully and beautifully written, and I’d recommend this book to anybody who has even a passing interest in the subject. I also look forward to reading more works by the author (and I’ve heard he’ll publish a novel soon. I’ll be on the lookout).
November 20, 2017
I love Turkish history. I'm enthralled by the country of Turkey and its culture. I'm in love with it in a way, and I loved this book. Turkey is and has been going through very climactic political times, and this book gives a nice summary on the struggles of normal people during these times. But besides that, I want to share the most beautiful passage of the book with you.
"As I headed to my apartment in Cihangir at about 3 a.m., four days after the coup, I found myself among young Turks and Kurds who had rushed to Taskim from the most distant corners of Istanbul. I saw Syrian refugees. There were body builders riding on motorbikes. A group of young men had filled the back of an old truck and were singing songs. I saw headscarved women and girls in mini-skirts, walking in the same direction. Overwhelmed with the events in this young and always youthful republic, I started crying."
Maybe it's just me and my love for Turkey, but this passage really speaks to me. Despite the horrible things that happen in the world, life goes on, and things do get better. There is always hope.
Read this book. It's wonderful.
"As I headed to my apartment in Cihangir at about 3 a.m., four days after the coup, I found myself among young Turks and Kurds who had rushed to Taskim from the most distant corners of Istanbul. I saw Syrian refugees. There were body builders riding on motorbikes. A group of young men had filled the back of an old truck and were singing songs. I saw headscarved women and girls in mini-skirts, walking in the same direction. Overwhelmed with the events in this young and always youthful republic, I started crying."
Maybe it's just me and my love for Turkey, but this passage really speaks to me. Despite the horrible things that happen in the world, life goes on, and things do get better. There is always hope.
Read this book. It's wonderful.
November 23, 2025
A collection of stories from the author's interviews with young Turks around the time of the Gezi Park protests, highlighting the narratives of oppression and liberation that led people to join or reject the protests. All perspectives are covered here: creatives and journalists, businesspeople and students, who recount how they were politicized and in what direction. What's both maddening and magical about this book is its eschewing of names, dates, and other historical details in favor of capturing people's own narratives of how they encountered and engage with politics. It's evenhanded and grows one's empathy for those on the other side of the demonstrations, but it drags in a few places while discussing, say, a Turkish art student's efforts to break into the London gallery scene. It presumes at least some knowledge of Gezi and modern Turkey; with a Turkish girlfriend whose own upbringing and politicization was heavily shaped by Gezi, I was able to easily relate the narratives Genç catalogues with hers.
October 5, 2019
Honest, direct listening. I think that’s proper to say how he noted down naive-at-times words of those he talked to, without adding too much coloring around them. Just what it is. Looking forward to reading his next book — lions and nightingales, you know.
Ps. There is an error/typo on page 139 in the edition I have; it wasn’t Felicity (Saadet) Party that won 1994 local elections; the name was not around until 2001. It was Welfare Party that surfaced in the 1994 elections and took hold of Istanbul’s mayorship.
Ps. There is an error/typo on page 139 in the edition I have; it wasn’t Felicity (Saadet) Party that won 1994 local elections; the name was not around until 2001. It was Welfare Party that surfaced in the 1994 elections and took hold of Istanbul’s mayorship.
June 12, 2017
Genc interviewed young people with a variety of perspectives and ideologies about their participation in modern Turkish politics and protest, ending up with a fascinating reflection on the country's history. I appreciated the nuanced way she interviewed young activists and citizens, capturing their energy, idealism, disappointment, and complex feelings toward their country.
September 26, 2022
Well-written and impressive in its insistence to show all sides of the so-called Turkish rage. This unfortunately also means that inevitable centrisms make this a frustrating read, especially when human rights are at stake.
November 24, 2017
This book’s power comes from multiple personal anecdotes the author obtained from everyday Turks who seek broader freedoms of religion, speech, expression and assembly.
January 19, 2022
Well-written, just didn't finish because I realized I wasn't as interested in the nitty gritty of Turkish politics.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews