This course offers a critical survey of the political history and political economy of the Turkish Republic from its founding in 1923 to the present. Anchored in the major political transformations of the last century—including the formation of the secular nation-state, NATO membership, American foreign aid during the Cold War, the Korean War, and regional entanglements such as the Syrian civil war—the course interrogates questions of sovereignty, authoritarianism, ethnic violence, and state-building.
We will explore episodes of state-led violence against non-Muslim minorities, the long arc of the Kurdish insurgency, and the tensions between development and inequality in an aspiring middle power. The course also emphasizes how Turkish popular culture has responded to and shaped political discourse. To that end, we will analyze political themes in widely viewed films such as Yol (1982), popular TV dramas like Valley of the Wolves (Kurtlar Vadisi) and Magnificent Century (Muhteşem Yüzyıl), and music—from protest songs by Grup Yorum to the nationalist tones of İbrahim Tatlıses and the melancholic critiques of Sezen Aksu.
Throughout the course, students will examine how politics in Turkey is not only shaped in parliaments and military barracks, but also in soap operas, pop songs, and football stadiums. We will dedicate particular attention to Turkey’s strategic geopolitical position, its role in NATO, U.S.-Turkish relations, and the regional dynamics of military and humanitarian intervention.
No prior knowledge of Turkish politics is required.