This is a great primer on modern Turkey from Ataturk to present day. Unfortunately, it only goes as far as about 2007. The tensions it refers to have since exploded in a way that was only concerned conjecture in the book. Author clearly loves Turkey and despite its challenges, he is critical in a way that he sincerely hopes for progress and a solution. I had trouble finding books about modern day Turkey. As the author will attest, Turkey is in the middle of it all and as a Muslim country experimenting with democracy, many are watching. It seems a collection of his essays, which allows the reader to reach each chapter separately. He writes about the food, about the Kurds, about the Armenians, the Military coups as well as the tension between Muslim politicians and democracy. Fascinating.

Great informational overview about the history and culture of Turkey that reads more like a long magazine article than a text book.

Kinzer offers an intriguing look at the current state of Turkey and shares his opinions on what he thinks would make Turkey into a "great nation". It is a very interesting outlook that is heavily biased toward a western worldview. If you're interested in Turkey at all, you should read this book...

A fascinating book and an enjoyable read. I came away with a much deeper understanding of Turkey and a richer appreciation for its history and people.

This is a wonderful little book that has aged surprisingly well, given the pace of change in Turkey and the fact it was written nearly a quarter century ago. For anyone interested in both Turkey and time-travel to a more optimistic, more promising, freer, but paradoxically more repressive, less prosperous, and less cosmopolitan time in the country's history, this is a deeply fascinating account written with genuine affection and a keen eye for the less savory aspects of the country's past and (then) present. Definitely a top-five introductory book to the country.

Kinzer's book is a fascinating read with the decade later knowledge of hindsight. The hope expressed by the AKP and the victory of the democratically elected over the army, has gone horribly awry. Turkey is profoundly more autocratic than in 2008 or even 1998 - and there is precious little the army or civilians can now do to counter. Still, its a great primer on the societal forces present in Turkey. It's refreshing to see his nuance to the Armenian Genocide and the practical implications of both the PKK and the national aspirations of the Kurds. And its a clarion call for moderation as tamping down opposition or preventing more benign compromise always comes back worse.

Much like my decade later reading, I'll be in Turkey at the end of the month - 12 years apart. It will be interesting, to say the least.

great introduction to the modern day country of Turkey and an overview of the historical elements that still have a lot of influence.

great so far if you're interested in the history of Turkish politics

This book is making me realize how much the political/cultural situation in Turkey has changed since I lived there. Interesting book. Would recommend it to anyone with an interest in modern Turkey.

I am reading this after visiting Istanbul. Now I wish I had read this first. Author is excellent and the book is well organized.

Crescent and Star by Stephen Kinzer
4.5 Stars Rounded to 5

I’ve always had a fascination with Turkey. It is at the crossroads of so much history. Geographically, it straddles two continents and it known as “the place where East meets West.” Its religious history is unique and it is one of the few countries in which democracy is evolving out of a former dictatorship. It is simply a country full of dichotomies. Yet, it is a country that hesitates to fully embrace its rich past in order to continue ignoring its ghosts. Stephen Kinzer is a journalist who lived in Turkey for four years. In just 267 pages he succinctly covers the history of modern-day Turkey touching on the salient pivotal points over the past seventy-five years as well as the important figures that have evolved since the days of its founder Ataturk.
I think the aspect I appreciated the most was Kinzer’s focus on showing how the country has successfully resisted falling into the same fate as some of its neighboring Middle Eastern countries, remaining secular. It is a strategy that has worked but is also responsible for not allowing Turkey to develop into a full-fledged democracy. The fear of moving away from secularism results in a great deal of civil rights oppression, particularly in the realm of religious freedom and freedom of speech. It has only been recently that even though female students are routinely turned away from university classes for wearing a head veil that an openly nationalistic Islamic politician has successfully ruled the country. It is ironic that Erdogan has been the one to implement many of the reforms in an effort to make Turkey’s entrance in the EU more palatable. “In Turkey, as elsewhere, it has long been a truism that Islamic-oriented politicians scorn democracy and deliciously subversive way. One candidate was an Islamic-oriented democrat; the others were secularists who feared democracy.” (pg 23)
As the country desperately wants to gain admission into the EU reforms have taken place, but it is in no means complete. But, it is also important to remember that the country is still young. One Turkish diplomat observed, “You in the West also had long periods of backwardness and intolerance. You had dictatorships, civil wars, religious fanaticism, the Inquisition, all kinds of horror. Then, over a period of centuries, you climbed out of that hole. You had the Enlightenment. You had philosophers who wrote books about democracy. Very slowly, people started to understand and accept these new ideas. You began to have governments based on democratic principles. Now, because you went through all of that, you can give your people complete freedom. Your societies are stable enough to handle it. But it’s not the same here. Our Enlightenment began only seventy – five years ago. It’s too soon to life every restriction. The risk is too great. We could lose everything.” I also really liked the way Kinzer ended the chapters. He switches to an italicized writing and focuses on items related to everyday. It makes for great recommendations on anyone planning to travel to the country.

I did take issue with a couple of the work’s aspects. First, if you read Kinzer work you know he cannot resist opining on his subject. This is no exception. Unfortunately, at times he comes across as an arrogant westerner preaching to the Turks about what they should do. Finally, he covers a lot of material in a short space. As a result he doesn’t always full flesh out topics. He references that Christians are subject to similar repressions as Muslims, but doesn’t share with the reader how that manifests. I understand that the focus is more about how these restrictions have sustained the secular government, but I was still left curious.
Finally, Kinzer leaves the reader with the question, “A new debate now dominates public discourse in Turkey. It is not about Kurds or democracy or the European Union, but rather about the nature of the regime dominated by Prime Minister Erdogan and President Gul. Is this regime truly committed to democracy, or has it been using democracy to cover a hidden agenda that aims to wipe away the secular order and turn Turkey into an Islamic state?” (pg. 216). Ironically, Erdogan won the first direct presidential election yesterday and has publically stated he plans to expand the powers of the office. So, we may get the answer to this question sooner rather than later.

Interesting but from 2001

Rakıdan Atatürk'e, Cumhuriyet'in arkasında bir tehdit gibi dalgalanan Osmanlı'nın hayaletinden, imparatorluklar batırmış bir toplum olmanın psikopatolojisine kadar Türkiye'ye dair her şey, Türkiye'ye dışarıdan bakabilmiş bu usta yazarın satırlarında gizli.

Yıllarını Türkiye'de geçirmiş bu usta gazetecinin, bizi bizden çok daha iyi anlatan kitabına dair tek eksiklik bence, 2002 yılında basılan Türkçesinin son 10 yılda yaşananları içermemesi.

Türk bir okur olarak Kinzer'in Türkiye'nin AK Parti iktidarından Ergenekon'a kadar son 10 yıla damgasını vuran şeyleri nasıl yorumladığını çok merak ediyorum.