Turkey

Book excerpt: This concise history tells the story of Turkey, a country caught between the ideologies of East and West. From its beginnings as a disparate group of tribes to its status as the first secular republic in the Islamic world, Ahmad provides a full survey of Turkey’s chequered past. Covering nearly 1,000 years of history, from the eleventh-century invasion of Anatolia to attempts at European integration and involvement in the 2003 war with Iraq, Ahmad unpicks the debates and puts historical disputes in context. This updated edition also examines the problems faced by modern Turkey, from the rise of Islamic militancy to current political tensions in Turkey’s government. Whether student, general reader or first-time visitor, this wide-ranging account will be greatly appreciated by all those with an interest in the past, present and future challenges facing this diverse, and often misunderstood, country.