The History of the Republic of Turkey

“Since 2023 was Turkey’s centennial anniversary, scores of publications on modern Turkey were to be expected. Among the most welcome of these is Reinkowski’s text. This translation and expanded version of his 2021 book provides a comprehensive history of Republican Turkey through the 2023 elections. … The analysis of the coups, the complex political and economic environment, Cold War and post–Cold War pressures, and the ultimate success of Islamism, among other topics, allow readers to truly understand Turkey. ... Highly recommended.”

— R. W. Zens, CHOICE

“Refreshingly, the author avoids the special pleading for Türkiye that too many specialists fall into, forthrightly referring to the ‘Armenian genocide’ and to ‘public and state antisemitism.’ … History contains many insights. Here are two: ‘Much more fundamental for the self-understanding of today's Turkey is that it was and is a place of refuge for millions of Muslim and Turkic refugees and migrants.’ ‘Turkey ultimately stands for only itself. It is conspicuous that no other country offers an immediate comparison.’ Reinkowski's history of Türkiye over the past century deserves to become the standard account.”

— Daniel Pipes, Middle East Quarterly

“Maurus Reinkowski’s The History of Turkey: Grandeur and Grievance offers a critical retelling of Turkey’s triumphs and tragedies, providing an empathic exploration of the country’s past over a century. This expertly crafted work illuminates the country’s moments of grandeur and delves into its deep-seated grievances. Through an engagement with state-of-the-art research, Reinkowski’s keen eye for detail allows him to paint a vivid picture of Turkey’s complex history, surpassing standard textbooks. In a time of political crisis, Reinkowski’s engaging yet sober book offers a much-needed update to the perhaps overly optimistic scholarship of the last two decades. Impeccably researched and eloquently written, The History of Turkey: Grandeur and Grievance is an indispensable resource for scholars, students, and anyone seeking a critical understanding of Turkey’s past, present, and future.”

 — Alp Yenen, Assistant Professor of Modern Turkish History and Culture, Leiden University

“In his thought-provoking introductory chapter, Maurus Reinkowski aptly observes that Turkey is a country that evokes anything but indifference. This rings acutely true in 2023, as Turkey not only faces presidential elections but also gears up to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. The History of Turkey provides an invaluable companion to unlock the historical context of these events. Covering a period from 1912 to the present, the book offers a nuanced, meticulously researched and vividly narrated historical overview. It serves as a comprehensive and widely accessible guide to Turkish history and historiography that also features insightful discussions of Turkey’s most recent decades. By skillfully embedding key developments within their broader historical and cultural contexts, the rich narrative invites readers to explore the complexity and diversity of Turkish history and allows them to recognize enduring legacies and reverberations of the processes depicted in the book.”

— Barbara Henning, professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Ottoman and Turkish History

“This work is the culmination of some forty years of diligent language practice, intensive research, meticulous observation, and genuine engagement with the societies of Turkey. The result is a profound piece of scholarship with pages full of intellectually sophisticated analyses and magisterial detail that provide a new interpretation of the land, state, and people. Well-grounded in a wide range of old and new scholarship, it is a highly accessible account of Turkey from both a comparative and global perspective. This book will eloquently but at the same time disturbingly and constantly remind readers how firmly the genesis of state ideology is built on the foundations of the late Ottoman and early Republican period. It is essential reading for introductory and advanced courses on Turkey and the Middle East, and for those who look for a concise, yet authoritative account of the region in order to understand the state, politics, and society in depth. There is no equivalent study of this quality for Turkey; Reinkowski deserves considerable praise for a work that should receive much attention.”

— Metin Atmaca, Professor of Ottoman and Middle East History, Social Sciences University of Ankara

"This work of Maurus Reinkowski is an indispensable tool for those aiming to have a profound knowledge on present-day Turkish politics, or to understand this complex society. Having been trained in late Ottoman history and Middle East politics, Reinkowski is a keen observer of political and social developments in contemporary Turkey, also known officially as Türkiye. This study is chronologically organized, beginning with the historical roots of modern Turkey, followed by the Kemalist Republic (1923-1950), the period of 1950-1980, and recent Turkish history. What makes this book so appealing is its concentration on contemporary Turkish developments following the military coup of 1980. It discusses structural conditions leading to a crucial break from Kemalism, commenced with the so-called ‘Turkish-Islamic Synthesis’ ideology of the 1980s, continued by the economic liberalism of Turgut Özal, finally leading to the AKP-era presidential system accompanied by populism and authoritarianism. Reinkowski handles numerous topics, which still bear the quality of actuality, in a precise, informative and balanced manner."

— Selçuk Akşin Somel, Sabancı University, Istanbul

“This mature work combines affection for the subject with detached insight; serious questioning with a positive approach. Drawing on the current state of research, Reinkowski appreciates Turkey's potential and grievances, but also highlights the dead ends of its ultranationalism. Reading his insightful narrative reveals a central challenge: how to build up trust and democratic confidence in the dynamic, but troubled post-Ottoman country that is Republican Turkey? This work differs from many traditional books on modern Turkey that overemphasize Atatürk, while ignoring the late-Ottoman context and new developments of the twenty-first century.”

— Hans-Lukas Kieser, Historian, University of Newcastle, Australia, and University of Zurich, Switzerland