Turkey Beyond Nationalism - 9781780763996

Nationalism was a defining characteristic of Turkey in the 20th century, and was a central driving force in Ataturk's foundation of the Republic in 1923. How did the prominence of Kemalist ways of political thinking affect its people and its policies? How will Turkey make progress towards post-nationalism in the 21st century? To what extent has Turkey's EU candidature been a vehicle of transformation since 1999 and what would EU membership mean for modern Turkey? This book explores the historical impact of Kemalism, anti-liberalism and westernization and examines the conditions which have contributed to the country's evolution away from a nationalist political identity. Tracing the development of nationalism from its founding period before the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 to the present AKP government - and analyzing key factors such as the position of minorities in the Turkification process and the influence of state and society centered religious politics - this strong and significant contribution casts a new light on a vivid international debate.