Turkey is a pivotal state whose domestic political, economic, and social developments have important implications for both theUnited States and Europe. Here a leading Turkish political scientist enhances understanding of the interactions of liberal democracy with longstanding cultural cleavages along secular-religious lines, ethnicity, and social class. This chronological narrative focuses on how the process of urbanization and industrialization has led to social mobilization and population movements from villages into the cities and how competition to control the state and its networks of patronage has made politics contentious and fragmented. Intertwined with Turkey's domestic political and economic dynamics are the influences of relations, including tensions, with important external actors.

A leading Turkish political scientist enhances understanding of the interactions of liberal democracy with longstanding cultural cleavages along secular-religious lines, ethnicity, and social class. This chronological narrative focuses on how the process of urbanization and industrialization has led to social mobilization and population movements.

Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2006

'...a dense and thought-provoing book. Kalaycio?lu is keenly alive to the ambiguities and contradictions of Turkish politics and careful to explain aspects of Turkish culture, social and political, which are not well understood in Western Europe...' - Angela Gillon, Asian Affairs

Autorentext
ERSIN KALAYCIOGLU is Professor of political science at Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Inhalt
The Cultural Revolution and the Republican System Peace at Home, Peace Abroad Democracy at Work and at Risk (1945-1960) The Second Republic (1961-1980) The Third Republic (1983- ) Conclusion: Prospects and Perils