Edinburgh Studies on Modern Turkey

Critically re-reads Turkey’s history with a focus on the interactions between religion, politics and society

• Debates the role of religion in state identity in Turkey including both secularist and Islamic tendencies
• Scrutinises Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (the Presidency of Religious Affairs /‘the Diyanet’), the administrative body in Turkey that regulates issues regarding Islam
• Critiques the differences between de jure and de facto conditions for religious minorities in Turkey throughout history
• Explores gender dimensions of religion, state and society in Turkey

This book is a critical reading of Turkey’s entanglement and struggle with modernity, Islam, diversity, democracy and human rights/liberties slightly less than the last two centuries. Its major argument is that the relationship between religion and state forms an important dimension not only of official state ideology, but also in interrelations between different groups in society and in those groups’ relations with the state. The book provides an overarching view of modern Turkey’s religion, politics and society over an extended period and examines the complex relations between society, religion, laicité, state identity and their reflections in state power and daily life. This book’s originality and novelty and what makes this study different from others in the market is its provision of an overarching view of religion, politics, and society in modern Turkey over an extended period starting from Ottoman times era current times.

Explores the multifaceted relationship between Greeks and Turks

• Closely examines the consequences of the compulsory exchange of populations in 1923 between Greece and Turkey
• Highlights the moments of coexistence and mutual admiration between the two nations, despite periods of conflict
• Explores the profound impact of historical and ongoing conflicts on individuals and communities, including physical harm, emotional trauma, displacement, and loss of livelihoods
• Delves into the experiences of minority communities, specifically the Greek minority in Turkey and the Muslim-Turkish minority in Western Thrace, Greece
• Investigates the cultural interaction between Greeks and Turks throughout history, encompassing elements such as cuisine, music, literature, and art

The relationship between Greece and Turkey has been fraught with tension for a century, with a range of issues including territorial disputes, cultural and political differences. Despite being NATO allies and neighbours, the two nations have a long history of conflict and mistrust, but also a sense of similarity and mutual admiration. In the 21st century, the situation has become increasingly complex, as we have seen a resurgence of nationalist sentiment on both sides, as well as an active engagement between the two nations through common initiatives, tourism, media and social sciences. This book analyses the human dimension of Greek-Turkish relations, using extensive primary data collected from interviews and archival research conducted over 30 years. It focuses on the topic of the compulsory exchange and its consequences, as well as the Greek minority in Turkey, the Turkish minority in Greece, and contemporary developments in the mutual, yet paradoxical, relationships between the two nations.

Studies the trajectory of political activism in the aftermath of the 2013 Gezi park protests in Istanbul

• Advances a new agenda for studying social movements by emphasising their constitutive rather than reactive nature in the context of neoliberal destruction of society
• Develops a nuanced approach to the temporality of social movements through the concept of ‘episode’ to reconstruct the emerging experience not simply as a euphoric moment of eruption but a longer process with multiple phases
• Devotes a chapter to each of the three analytically distinct yet connected characteristics of contemporary social movements (mobilisational, spatial, and radical democratic)

Focusing on the intense aftermath of the Gezi park episode, this book scrutinises the ways in which activists pursued a rugged journey of radical democratic mobilisation in Istanbul, including public parks, neighbourhoods and squat houses. Synthesising the findings of field research carried out during 2014-2016 in Istanbul’s Yoğurtçu Park Forum with archival documents and secondary literature, this book weaves the voices of the activists into the narrative. Kaan Ağartan offers a critical analysis of the initial force of the Gezi uprising and its subsequent unravelling in reconstituting a more egalitarian society and democratic citizenship in Turkey.

A fresh theoretical approach to help our understanding and analysis of electoral integrity in Turkey

• Investigates one of the most significant obstacles to democratic governance of current times
• Focuses on a neglected, yet interesting context in the electoral integrity literature, namely Turkey
• Utilises original, primary data sources, where were solely constructed for this study, accompanied with the existent global databases on electoral integrity
• Offers diverse data analysis techniques including text as data, cross sectional and experimental analysis

This book provides a unique framework to explain the causes and consequences of electoral problems in Turkey. Although highly illuminating, the existing studies fall short of explaining the particularities of numerous singular electoral settings. This gap is especially valid for the grey-zone regimes, which are neither clearly democratic nor conventionally authoritarian in Turkey.

Establishing a historical outlook by scrutinising the elections which have taken place since the 1950s, Emre Toros identifies the challenges related to electoral integrity nested at individual and institutional levels. In this way, this book contributes to electoral integrity literature by utilising the valuable research strategies of the existing studies, proposing alternative data sources that will better understand the phenomena and, most importantly, employing a methodology that will suit both singular and comparative cases.

Examines the evolution of Turkey’s industrial policies in a global context over the last century

• Gives a conceptual review of the major debates on industrial policy and its evolution in Turkey that have closely followed international trends
• Documents Turkey’s industrial policies over the last century to analyse continuity and change in its industrialisation performance
• Traces the evolution of industrial policies and the resulting changes in industrial structure to assess the impact of these policies
• Highlights differences between old and new industrial policies, with the tech-upgrade focus of the latter requiring higher skills and institutional capacity and the need to move beyond the old dichotomies such as import substitution vs export growth
• Draws on key indicators of public and private investment in manufacturing, the contribution of state enterprises, state banks’ share of credit, the trends in state investment incentives, and various forms of on-and off-budget industrial incentives over time

At a time when many advanced and emerging economies are adopting more active industrial policies, this book provides an in-depth historical–empirical account of industrial policy in Turkey – its rise, retreat and return. This study adopts a multidisciplinary approach and covers the role of the state in Turkey’s initial industrialisation to the current period of restructuring and potential technological upgrading of its manufacturing base. The analysis traces how industrial policy has been shaped by state capacity, the waves of reforms following economic crises, the dearth of long-term finance for industrialisation and, more recently, the need to address issues such as low-tech industrial structure and pre-mature de-industrialisation.

The authors argue that industrial policy is not a choice but a necessity for late developers to achieve structural transformation, and also that success is difficult and context-dependent with institutions playing a central role. They conclude that although the rise in protectionism and geo-economic conflicts is not as supportive as in the 1960s, the current global context creates opportunities for middle-income economies to implement effective industrial policy.

The argument draws on comparisons with other emerging economies, with a special focus on Brazil. It aims to answer questions of what worked and what went wrong with previous policies. It asks how current policies could be shaped to overcome the problems of cronyism and corruption, and also achieve new objectives of technological upgrading and socio-environmental sustainability. To this end, the book poses broader conceptual and empirical questions of relevance to all economies undertaking industrial policies today.

Analyses contemporary Turkish social and political transformation from 2010 to 2020 through the urban landscape of Istanbul

• Analyses contemporary Turkey through the series of these key events, especially as they relate to the recent history of Istanbul
• Uses an interdisciplinary perspective that incorporates the intersection of religion, politics and space through attention to architecture and the urban landscape
• Adopts an accessible but rich interpretive method that covers a wide range of political and religious issues crucial to understanding Turkey's most recent history
• Provides an original analysis of the decade of 2010-2020 in contemporary Turkish history through a series of case studies of the decade's key events
• Uses an interdisciplinary perspective that incorporates the intersection of religion, politics and space through attention to architecture and the urban landscape
• Utilises an accessible but rich interpretive method that covers a wide range of political and religious issues crucial to understanding Turkey's most recent history

Over the past decade, the AKP, under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has decisively turned Turkish politics in the direction of conservative Turkish Islamic national identity. Through an analysis of four case studies - the 2010 designation of Istanbul as the European Capital of Culture, the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the association of the first Bosphorus bridge with the 2016 coup attempt, and the transition of Hagia Sophia from museum to mosque in 2020 - the book identifies key moments of change and describes how the AKP has restructured public spaces in Istanbul to reflect its values.

This book explores the momentous shifts in power during a crucial decade in Turkish history, 2010-2020, by analyzing how these events have produced shifts in the physical landscape of Istanbul. Through an analysis of four case studies, the book focuses on the role of the Turkish state under the AKP in the restoration of conservative Islamic and Neo-Ottoman imagery and iconography in public space through the intentional transformation of architecture and the built environment. A specific ideological framework undergirded the AKP's conception of the built environment, the plans it implemented to transform it, and the forms of resistance that these plans generated. This specific ideological framework is here termed Erdoğanian Neo-Ottomanism, which describes AKP's use of the power of the state to shape the urban landscape in their social and ideological image. This phenomenon is the subject of this book's analysis.

A critical perspective on the vicious cycle of improvement and deterioration in Greek-Turkish relations

• Provides trends of securitisation and desecuritisation to present the political nature of securitisation by either the military bureaucrats or civilian authorities.
• Analyses the speech acts to understand the influence of the securitising actors in Turkish foreign policy and provides invaluable insight into Turkey’s securitisation and desecuritisation of Greece.
• Argues that the rapprochement process in Turkish-Greek relations paved the way for desecuritisation in Turkish foreign policy, and the best way to explain this period is to use the ‘change through stability’ form of desecuritisation suggested by Hansen.

The relationship with Greece has always been at the forefront in determining Turkish foreign policy. This book focuses broadly on the main issues of contention between Turkey and Greece, and analyses Turkey’s policies towards Greece, based on the securitisation framework and focusing on the discourse of elites in the post-Cold War period. It inquires how, by whom and the extent to which Turkish foreign policy has securitised and de-securitised Greece.

Based on an extensive discourse analysis of statements from Turkish elites – including the president, prime minister, minister of foreign affairs, chief of general staff and the secretary general of the National Security Council – Cihan Dizdaroğlu presents a fresh and critical analysis of the foreign policy Turkey enacts regarding Greece. Considering the contemporary geopolitical issues such as competition over the Eastern Mediterranean, the ongoing deadlock in Cyprus, Turkey’s involvement in Libya as well as the emergence of new tension in the Aegean Sea, Greek-Turkish relations will continue to be a critical subject of international relations.

Investigates how leaders in Turkey’s political sphere have hindered democratic consolidation

• Explores political leaders and their impact on democracy
• Reveals a salient pattern of authoritarianism and undemocratic behaviour amongst political leaders to account for Turkey’s inability to consolidate democracy in its multi-party history
• Incorporates a study of both intra-party rule and leadership in the broader political context to offer a fuller understanding of the forces that have shaped political developments in the country
• Uses interviews and Turkish and English sources to build an empirically rich documentation of Turkey’s multi-party history
• Offers scholars of democracy and democratisation lessons into the role elites play in democractic breakdowns

This longitudinal study reveals how the conduct of political leaders has been central to the shortcomings of the Turkey’s democratic system. The most prominent political leaders, from the birth of the Republic until today, have all displayed a desire to sustain their rule through authoritarian and undemocratic measures. This has ensured efforts to improve, strengthen and respect democratic institutions and practices have been weak or non-existent across the multi-party era. In turn, the chapters identify how the leaders’ values, beliefs and practices underwritten by authoritarianism, have resulted in the tenuous existence of democracy, oscillating between simply enduring and failure during the periods they occupied the seats of political power. By looking at the Turkish experience, the book also offers comparative lessons and insights into the role political leaders play in the survival or failure of democracy.

Traces how narratives of collective memory, economic development and patriarchy influence politics

• Provides a multifaceted look at contemporary Turkish politics through the analysis of political narratives
• Brings a dynamic approach to the study of political culture via narrative analysis paying attention to the interaction between dominant and counternarratives in political struggles
• Combines rich theoretical discussion with textual analysis and ethnographical data
• Discusses populism in comparative perspective in relation to political narratives of history, memory and patriarchy
• Explores the ramification of development narratives on the prospects of democracy
• Examines the collective memory-political identity nexus through competing historical narratives
• Brings together feminist theories and theories of the state for a well-rounded understanding of issues of legitimacy and resistance in Turkish politics
• Discusses the implications of right-wing populist narratives and the possibilities of countering them with pressing examples across the globe

This book brings a dynamic approach to Turkish politics by showing how political struggles operate via narratives and how ideas, institutions and narratives interact. By analysing narratives of collective memory, patriarchy and economic development, it shows the ways in which narratives shape politics in both intended and unintended ways. Meral Uğur-Çınar combines rich theoretical discussion with textual and ethnographic data, looking at how narratives serve the reproduction of consent as well as the mobilisation of resistance.Memory, Patriarchy and Economy in Turkey examines how narratives are utilised for the continuation of institutional structures as well as at critical junctures of institutional change and at the gradual erosion of institutions. Through the narrative analysis of texts, ranging from political speeches to museum documents as well as graffiti and posters from protests, the author sheds light on contemporary Turkish politics as well as offering a glance into how narratives operate in the political realm. Through this careful analysis, the book helps make sense of current political discussions in Turkey and elsewhere, particularly on issues such as democratic backsliding, institutional erosion, populism, polarisation and social movements.

Explores the transformations of the notion of ‘the people’ from the late Ottoman to current Turkish political discourses

• Explores Turkish political culture and institutional architecture through archival research and a critical rereading of the historiography of the Turkish state and society
• Proposes key conceptual tools to study popular and populist politics and applies them to the Turkish case
• Uses and integrates modes of analysis from a diverse body of scholarship such as sociology, cultural studies, psychosocial studies, political science and political theory into a genealogical narrative

Turkish Politics and ‘The People’ enhances our understanding of ‘the popular’ in the study of politics through a critical examination of the uses and constructions of ‘the people’ from the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, to the present. It proposes ways of reading the insertion and operationalisation of the notion of ‘the people’ as a concept, a political subject, the object of policy and politics over the past century. It assesses the ways ‘the people’ have been shaped by the history of the republic, and, in turn, have informed ways of visualising society, the country’s political culture, institutional architecture and framed the parameters and repertoires of political action.

Drawing on extensive archival research and contributions from historical sociology and social movement research, Spyros A. Sofos enriches the ways of approaching the ‘popular’ by proposing ways of integrating identity, discourse, strategy, organisation and leadership in the articulation of ‘the people’ in political discourse and action.

Analyses British pressure to partition and ultimately destroy the Ottoman Empire

• Provides an in-depth study of British relations with the Ottoman Empire and the Turks
• Considers British plans for the Ottoman Empire in the most important crises of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
• Draws extensively on British diplomatic records and records of other European Powers, the Ottoman Empire and Turkey
• Examines the role of diplomats, media, the church and politicians in fostering negative views about the Ottoman Turks and Muslims
• Helps us to understand the historical origins of many of the conflicts in the Balkans, Anatolia the Middle East and even in the Caucasus

The British described themselves as “the oldest friend” of the Ottomans - but this was never true. At times it was valuable to Britain to support the Ottoman Empire against Russian encroachment, however by the end of the 19th century successive British Governments had begun to sponsor the dismemberment of the Empire. British public opinion and political pressure groups portrayed the Ottomans in universally defamatory terms, affecting the diplomatic actions of politicians. Politicians themselves harbored deep prejudices against the Turks and Islam. The result, through numerous incidents, was British pressure to dismember the Ottoman Empire. Treaty provisions guaranteeing Ottoman territorial integrity were ignored. Christian countries and Christian minorities were supported, even when Muslims in those countries were being killed and forced from their lands. British leaders even refused to publish consular reports that described the oppression of Muslims which would have given the lie to press reports of evil Turks. Drawing upon decades of archival research, Justin McCarthy shows how the British were anything but friends to the Ottomans.

Investigates the relationship between culture, politics and power in present-day Turkey, from headscarves to heavy metal

• Provides an overview of the politics of culture in Turkey under the rule of the AKP
• Analyses the success of authoritarian populism and the decline of democracy in Turkey from a cultural studies perspective
• Brings together 16 empirical studies that explore cultural aspects from heavy metal music to arthouse films, and from headscarf politics to national memory

Since coming to power, President Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) have focused on narrating their vision of a ‘New Turkey’ – an ideal that has resulted in the politicisation of popular culture and people’s everyday lives. Exposing the strategy of Turkey’s ruling elite to obtain cultural hegemony, this book examines the AKP’s efforts to rewrite Turkish public memory by promoting its ideas through TV series, movies, propaganda videos, school curricula and material culture in urban public spaces. It also explores the tactics of cultural resistance developed by the politically weak to counter the ruling elite’s dominant culture of pious conservatism.

Investigates the Alevis’ struggles for recognition in Turkey and the diaspora and transformations in authority and traditional rituals

• Features 14 detailed case studies provide insights into the struggles for recognition and representation by Alevi communities in Turkey and the diaspora under the AKP administration
• Demonstrates how the struggles for recognition transform and re-define traditions, authorities and rituals
• Examines how diverse understandings of Alevi identities interplay with standardised representations of Alevism
• Opens up the study of the recognition of minorities as local, national and transnational processes

This book explores the struggles of a minority group – Alevis – for recognition and representation in Turkey and the diaspora. It examines how they mobilise against state practices and claim their rights, while at the same time negotiating how they define themselves. The authors offers a conceptual framework to study minorities by looking at both structural and agency-related factors in resisting state pressure and mobilising for their rights.

The Alevis in Modern Turkey and the Diaspora is divided into three main sections looking into: the Turkish state and society’s pressures over Alevis; how Alevis struggle and obtain representation in various Western countries; and how traditional authority and rituals transform under these conditions. Studying this minority group’s experience helps to understand oppression and resistance in the broader Middle East.

Examines Rear Admiral Mark L. Bristol’s diplomatic correspondence at a critical moment in Ottoman and Turkish history

• Documents the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, as portrayed by an American diplomat
• Analyses Bristol’s views on the internal affairs of modern Turkey
• Provides alternative views on the inter-communal tensions in post-World War I Anatolia
• Based on tens of thousands of primary documents from US and Turkish archives, private letters and memoirs

In the immediate aftermath of World War I, Rear Admiral Mark L. Bristol was US High Commissioner in the Ottoman Empire and later the Turkish Republic (1919–27). In reporting and examining Bristol’s official correspondence to the State Department, Hakan Özoğlu paints an alternative picture of Turkey and the transition period from empire to nation state.

A key diplomat, Admiral Bristol’s observations and recommendations helped to shape US foreign policy in the Ottoman Empire, out of which the modern Middle East emerged. His actions also laid the foundations of the strategic partnership between Turkey and the US, from the Cold War years through to the 21st century.

Examines ‘New Turkey’ through the life of its domineering leader

• Documents the formation and development of Erdoğan’s political life and character
• Closely examines Turkey’s authoritarian turn and Islamisation of the state by focusing on the role of Erdoğan, his ideology and the clash with the Gülen movement
• Analyses Erdoğan’s evolving personality and positions over time, from his depictions as a manipulative political strategist through to his representation as Köroğlu (Turkish Robin Hood)
• Looks ahead to what Erdoğan’s legacy will be and what the future holds for Turkey

President Erdoğan’s resilience as Turkey’s leader makes for an extraordinary political study of longevity, charisma and strategic decision-making. Uncovering the person behind the persona, M. Hakan Yavuz draws on 250 first-hand interviews to untangle the web of literary, religious and biographical influences that shaped Erdogan’s personality, ideology and world view. In understanding the inner life, continuous self-reinvention and professional struggles of Erdoğan, Yavuz is able to provide an invaluable insight into the complex record of policies – in both domestic and international arenas – that have marked his governing tenure.

With chapters covering the Gezi park protests, the clash between the AKP and Gülen movement, the Kurdish question and the country’s projected image as a major international power, Yavuz explores how and why Erdoğan has reconstituted a ‘New Turkey’ – a hybrid political entity, neither East nor West, democratic nor dictatorial, Islamic nor secular.

Examines the role of religion and state identity transformation in Erdogan’s Turkey and its reflections to the Balkan Peninsula

• Discusses the effects of Turkey's authoritarian turn during the AKP rule in the domain of foreign policy
• Examines the role of religion, ethnicity, state identity and power in the relations between Turkey and the Balkan Peninsula
• Presents the results of more than 120 semi-structured interviews with political actors, diplomats, religious leaders, scholars, journalists and religious community representatives in Turkey and the Balkans
• Provides an example of a hybrid insider/outsider status when conducting ethnographical fieldwork among religious groups
• Watch a webinar from The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs (Georgetown University) where Ahmet Erdi Öztürk discusses the book with Nukhet Sandal
• Watch Ahmet Erdi Öztürk talk about his book with Prof. Scott Lucas on DeepDivePolitics
• Read an interview with Ahmet Erdi Öztürk about this book at The Adriatic Report
• Watch Ahmet Erdi Öztürk discuss this book on the Centre for Southeast European Studies Youtube

Turkey and its recent ethno-religious transformation have had a strong impact on the state identity and country’s relation to the Balkan Peninsula. This book examines Turkey’s ethno-religious activism and power-related political strategies in the Balkans between 2002 and 2020, the period under the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), to determine the scopes of its activities in the region.

Ahmet Erdi Öztürk illuminates an often-neglected aspect of Turkey’s relations with its Balkan neighbours that emerged as a result of the much discussed ‘authoritarian turn’ – a broader shift in Turkish domestic and foreign policy from a realist-secular to a Sunni Islamic orientation with ethno-nationalist policies.

In order to understand how these concepts have been received locally, Öztürk draws on personal testimonies given by both Turkish and non-Turkish, Muslim and non-Muslim interviewees in three country cases: Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of North Macedonia and Republic of Albania. The findings shed light on contemporary issues surrounding the continuous redefinition of Turkish secularism under the AKP rule and the emergence of a new Muslim elite in Turkey.

Examines key themes in Turkish Islamic theology, from nationalism to religion and from democracy to gender identity

• Extensively analyses numerous late-Ottoman and modern Turkish Muslim theologians, such as İsmail Hakkı İzmirli, Bekir Topaloğlu, Hüseyin Atay, Hayrettin Karaman, Sönmez Kutlu, Hidayet Şefkatli Tuksal, Hülya Alper and Emine Öğük
• Explores how modern Turkish theologians have grappled with issues such as nationalism and democracy; conceptions of God and humanity; the definition of religion itself and theological arguments for secularism; and theologies of human rights, gender and sexuality
• Based on a range of Turkish language theological sources not available in English and never before analysed in English

Philip Dorroll argues that Turkish Islamic theology is in fact a distinct tradition of Islamic theological thought, shaped by the unique social conditions of the Turkish Republic. Tracking the emergence and development of this tradition over time, Dorroll examines the key themes of theology in the Turkish Republic. In doing so, he provides an important historical and conceptual map to the vast territory of modern Turkish theology.

Find out more

• Read an interview with Philip Dorroll about Islamic Theology in the Turkish Republic in Al Jazeera (Arabic language)
• Watch a review discussion via Islamicate Book Review (Youtube)

Assesses the impact of political, non-violent resolution efforts in the Northern Irish and Turkish-Kurdish peace processes

• Offers an important contribution to conflict-resolution research, theorising the various stages involved in the attempted resolution of asymmetric conflicts
• Relies on primary sources, including interviews and recently declassified archival papers to reveal the insights of both peace processes
• Presents an innovative framework for conflict resolution, a starting-point for further research on managing peace processes and ethno-nationalist conflicts

This book challenges the notion of ‘conflict resolution’ in the Northern Irish and Turkish–Kurdish peace processes, both far-reaching ethno-nationalist conflicts in the post-Cold War era. Incorporating fieldwork carried out until 2015, İ. Aytaç Kadıoğlu compares these conflicts during major peace attempts, from early secret talks and semi-official peace initiatives, to multilateral and internationalised conflict-resolution processes through not only main armed protagonists, but also independent third parties.

As Brexit re-ignites discussion around the border of Northern Ireland, and as the repercussions of the Syrian civil war on the dynamics of the Kurdish conflict continue to unfold, these two cases are particularly important to the study of conflict resolution. In critically assessing existing literature, this book presents an innovative framework for conflict-resolution processes, suggesting that ethno-nationalist conflicts are too complex to be resolved solely through official negotiations.

Investigates Kurdish political identity under the tightening rule of the Justice and Development Party in Turkey

• Examines Kurdish identity in the Republic of Turkey and inquires whether there is room for pluralism in Turkey’s political sphere
• Incorporates data gathered in the streets, bazaars and teahouses of Istanbul and Diyarbakır, the most important Kurdish-populated cities in Turkey
• Documents Kurds’ participation in electoral politics and traditions of civilian resistance within the context of Turkey’s pursuit of liberal democracy
• Considers central elements of Kurdish identity – language, culture, and geography – and how these are contested between government and Kurdish narratives
• Provides a detailed examination of the Kurds’ struggle in Turkey at a time of rising Islamism and authoritarianism and emerging trans-national Kurdish mobilisation

This book examines the circumstances of the Kurds in 21st century Turkey, under the hegemony of the AKP government. After decades of denial, oppression and conflict, Kurds now assert a more confident presence in Turkey’s politics – but does increasing visibility mean a rejection of Turkey?

Recording Kurdish voices from Istanbul and Diyarbakır, Turkey’s most important Kurdish-populated cities, this book generates new understandings of Kurdish identity and political aspirations. Highlighting elements of Kurdish identity including Newroz, the Kurdish language, connections to religion, landscape and cross-border ties, it offers a portrait of Kurdish political life in a Turkey increasingly dominated by its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Within the context of Turkey’s troubled trajectory towards democratisation, it documents Kurdish narratives of oppression and resistance, and enquires how Kurds reconcile their distinct ethnic identity and citizenship in modern Turkey.