Turkey: The Middle Kingdom

In 1923, the new Republic of Turkey was born, built on the ruins of the Muslim Ottoman Empire. The great father of the nation, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, did what he could to drag the new Turkey into the secular and modern vision he had for a nation state. Most Turks today remember Atatürk as the war hero who united the country, protected it from foreign powers, gave women their rights, like the right to vote and to education, and made it possible for anyone, in principle, to become president.As events would have it, not everyone shared Atatürk's vision, and persistent and sometimes violent nation-building was needed for the country to become Turkish and unified enough. That effort is still ongoing. After several coups and attempted coups Turkey is still finding its shape. Over the past two decades, Turkey has ostensibly turned increasingly towards Islam, looking back wistfully at its Muslim Ottoman heyday, in stark contrast to Atatürk's plan. What is happening in Turkey and why is it happening?This book explains the country in an accessible manner for anyone interested in a thorough introduction. Drawing upon historical documents, academic and journalistic literature, and interviews of individuals from various parts of Turkish society, the book provides an insight into Turkey's history, politics and society. The author paints a picture of a land area that over thousands of years has been shaped by all the different peoples who have lived there, in war and in peace, in abundance and in famine, as Christians and Muslims, Alevis and Jews on the Anatolian peninsula that today constitutes most of Turkey.About the AuthorTor K. Birkeland (b. 1981) has worked on peace and conflict related issues on behalf of Norwegian churches and organizations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and in the context of the United Nations. He has a Master of Arts in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University, Washington, D.C. From 2017 to 2020, he lived in Ankara, and during his stay he started writing the book The Middle Kingdom. The Norwegian hardback version of the book, Tyrkia – hele historien kort fortalt, was published in 2024 by the publishing company Vega Forlag.