The Politics of Turkish National Identity Essay - 1622 Words

The Politics of Turkish National Identity ?Modern Turkish National identity has been shaped by events that have taken place in the region throughout its history. The formation of the national identity can be attributed to two dichotomies of political thought and culture. Some people want to keep in line with Turkey?s modern history as a secular westernized country looking to join the European Union; while others hearken back to the days of the Ottoman Empire and wish to make Turkey a divided Islamic state. Conflict between those who consider themselves Turks and the Kurdish separatist party, a militant rebel force, has long shaped the changing Turkish national Identity. Today, Turkey in many ways has had ?to depart from a strict†¦show more content†¦The history of Turkey includes the Seljuks, who brought Islam and the modern Turkish language, and the Ottomans, who were a vast world power for centuries. This history culminated in the formation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 through the leadership and vision o f Mustafa Kemal. The goal of the new republic was to form a new country and society patterned after Western Europe. Kemal, the founder of Turkey, equated Westernization with the introduction of technology, the modernization of administration, and the evolution of democratic institutions (A Country Study). Kemal?s vision for Turkey embodied some ideas he instituted into the constitution of the Republic of Turkey. These ideas are republicanism, nationalism, populism, reformism, etatism[i], and secularism. ?Turkish society has changed due to a response to socioeconomic changes instituted by the secular government after 1923. Before the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Turkish society was characterized by many illiterate farmers. Today however, through the leadership of the new government, Turkey has transformed itself into a growing industrialized country with public education and elections in which people can vote. However, because ruling civilians and military personnel implement new policies without consulting those who are affected, some resistance has been met with this new government (A Country Study). Being met by force, thisShow MoreRelatedThe Effects of Globalization in Turkey1009 Words   |  4 Pagesglobalization in Turkey is weakening the authority. The Turkish debate the concept that national development is an issue. By creating a â€Å"borderless global marketplace† (Turkey, 2013), it creates a rise to local reactions, which are carving the way to different mo dernity’s as well as cultural identity claims (2013). In order to analyze the interactions of the global and the local, one must visualize a democratically changed world. 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