Alev Scott is a young female Brit whose mother has Turkish Cypriot roots and in this great study of modern turkey she relocates to Istanbul and immerses herself as much as possible in Turkish society Long time leader Erdogan, has done a lot to change Turkey in the past couple of decades in which he has held power. Some of it has gone down well but there has also been a great deal of controversy. At present, Turkish politics is in the headlines as Turks go to the polls to vote in a general election and it is predicted to be very close with Erdogan’s long reign very much under threat.
The book detail s a lot of the change and how on the one hand Turkish life is so radically different from the London Scott grew up in but on the other hand how Westernised and modern this bridge state between Europe and Asia is. We look at not just the political angle but also the social angle and the role of women in Turkish society, the religious aspect of life here and also more peculiar idiosyncrasies of Turkey.
It surprised me to learn how Erdogan, who stands on the political right has re-invigored Islamic values in Turkey, contrasting with the post-Ataturk secular legacy that has really been bringing Turkey much closer to Europe over the past century. This was one of the main aims of the great Kemal Ataturk’s legacy for his beloved nation. Turkish accession to the EU is, however, still on the brink, and no closer to happening with the modern politicians tending to look for other options and a closer relationship with the Middle East and Islamic World seems to be quite appetising, not forgetting ties with the controversial Russia who use Turkish tourism and finance significantly the Turkish economy. Headscarves have been allowed back in public spaces, including universities and schools and on the whole, the public are utilising the opportunity to visually demonstrate their devotion and integrating well with those remaining Turks who stick to the secular traditions.
The Gezi Park protests that filled international news programmes are covered in detail and it is quite bizarre how such a minor incident got totally out of control and the brutal response from the government seemed quite dangerously totalitarian and scarily undemocratic with police looking quite nasty lot. I’m sure that Gezi Park will still feature heavily in the minds of voters in the forthcoming elections.
The economy is addressed and I enjoyed hearing about the cultural importance of the Turkish barber as there are many Turkish barbers in the local Welsh village where I live and I think that they are great social places and friendly and I can see why they are so highly regarded in Turkey proper. Some of the wealthy Turkish business leaders seem very extravagant and overall it seems as though business in Turkey is quite thriving although perhaps slightly different compared with business in other large states such as London or New York where a more brazen form of capitalism exists.
We look at not just life in the big city of Istanbul but also venture out to the provinces and hear about the Kurdish issue. It seems as though the future of the Armenian and Kurdish issues seems to be a bit more closer to a peaceful resolution with new generations feeling less aggrieved by historical incidents and more keenly identifying as Turks However, there is still marginalisation and tensions.. Rural life is a lot more conservative and traditional and there is a difference yet it isn’t so radically strange which pleasantly surprises the author. I lied hearing about the local vegetable sellers, challenging the supermarkets with their neighbourhood market square one man stalls, totally supported by elderly housewives and a cornerstone of the suburban communities.
We venture into the bizarre with some cultural treasures such as camel wrestling, take a look at the mobs of passionate Turkish football fans, explore transsexual prostitution in Istanbul, the dangers of the PKK and Islamic State and war in Syria and also the move towards Islam playing a more integral and open part of society.
Turkey maintains an exotic appeal to Westerners and I identify this in this exploration of Turkish culture. It is a powerful nation set in a critical geographical junction between East and West. Perhaps Ataturk would be disappointed to learn of the move away from his secular state but I don’t think that this is a problem and it could make Turkey appeal even more to foreigners and help them develop and grow their still relatively young nation. The author does well in giving a good analysis of what it is to be a Turk and to cross-examine the culture , politics and economy of a wonderful and interesting place.
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