Turkey was once regarded as merely an odd appendix to the West:
economically backward, inward-looking, marred by political violence, and yet a
staunch NATO ally. But as a result of the turmoil currently engulfing
the Middle East,
Turkey has become a country of increasing global significance. Negotiating an
uneasy membership in the Western security alliance with its predominantly
Muslim identity, it is a test case for a number of the momentous conflicts of
our time: from the future of Islamic reform and democracy to the capacity of
the European Union to project its norms, and from the quest to come to terms
with a past marred by mass violence to the promise of equitable economic
development.



Kerem OEktem charts the contemporary history of Turkey, exploring such
key issues as the relationship between religion and the state, Kurdish
identity, Turkey's relationship with Israel, and the ongoing controversy over
EU membership. This new edition adds up-to-date analysis of recent
developments, including the momentous events of the Gezi Park protests, and assesses
the extent to which political Islam in Turkey has been able to respond to these
new challenges.



Readable but comprehensive, Angry
Nation remains the definitive book on the country's erratic transformation
from a military dictatorship to a maturing, if still deeply troubled,
democracy.