Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey

"Turkey has gone through a tremendous transformation after the 1980s as its state institutions, political and cultural elite and the role of the army have been opened up to discussion. Here is a book that sheds light on this bouncy journey and helps us to understand better today’s debates and conflicts. This is a rich, thought-provoking collection for anyone interested in the construction of a nation-state and the Turkish experiment with modernity. It is very inter-disciplinary, drawing upon fields such as history, political science, architecture, popular culture and urban planning. Get the weekly Five Books newsletter The question of how a national identity is formed, consolidated and internalised is one that preoccupies scholars and journalists alike. This book takes a close look at the formation of a collective identity, and elaborates the myriad discourses about gender, family and nation. The editors say their aim is not to come up with quick-fix solutions or answers, but instead make matters more complicated. And I personally like that. In doing so, they want to show the complexity and diversity of a country which is too often oversimplified by the media and populist politicians everywhere. There is a remark made by the editors which I find intriguing: ‘If modernity is a project fraught with uncertainty, as we believe it is – we can perhaps say this much: it is alive and well in Turkey.’"