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 democratic backsliding—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, popular TV dramas, and music.
No prior knowledge of Turkish politics is required.