The Politics of Turkish National Identity Essay -- Political Turkey Es

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 observance of the guiding principals of [Turkey?s modern history] and the kind of self-perception and views it aimed to instill in the population? (Kushner 232). Although the most westernized of all Middle-East countries, Turkey still must deal with Islamic fundamentalism prominent in the area. In recent history, Turkey has done a poor job balancing the differing desires of the members of its society: some would like to homogenize and westernize society while others want to be recognized as a deeply religious and individual sector of the Turkish population. MODERN HISTORY? The country of Turkey, as we know it, has only come about in the last 80 years or so. Before this time, the land of present day Turkey was referred to as Anatolia. Anatolia is considered the bridge that connects the Middle East to Europe. Despite years of occupation by differing nations, the area of present day Turkey has held some consistency and continuity. This continuity is possible because even though many count... ... The Kurdish Experience. Jul.-Aug. 1994. PP 12-15. Mutlu, Servet. ?Ethnic Kurds in Turkey: A Demographic Study? International Journal of ? Middle East Studies. Vol. 28, No. 4. Nov. 1996. PP 517-541. World of Information Business Intelligence Report: Turkey. Walden Publishing Ltd. ? 2000. [i] Often considered as state socialism. In Turkish use, it involves state control of some industries and public services. [ii] A follower of the larger of the two primary denominations of Islam. [iii] A member of the smaller of the two great divisions of Islam. The Shia originated in a dispute over who should be the legitimate successor to the Prophet; a majority of early Muslims accepted the tradition of community consensus to choose the leader, but a minority supported the claim of Ali, the Prophet's cousin, to inherit the mantle of leadership (A Country Study).