Turkey: Identity, Democracy, Politics

Elie Kedourie wrote of the 'mixed fortunes of constitutional and representative government in the Turkish Republic' as 'the outcome of one hundred and fifty years of tormented endeavour to discard the old ways, which have ceased to satisfy and replace them with something modern, eye-catching and attractive'. Whether this has been wholly successful is being constantly put to the test in Turkey. Is a secular constitutional democracy safely anchored within the system of government of the country? The growth in recent years of an Islamic party wanting its share in the running of affairs raises many questions. Will it be just another political party - albeit one with a religious affiliation - or will it eventually develop into a fundamentalist party demanding an altogether different regime? This volume covers a variety of topics all of which shed some light on puzzling issues. The discussions range over national and international politics, democracy and freedom of the press, voting patterns, official control of indigenous music, and conditions in industrial estates.