ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the origins and influences of modern-day Turkey. From the Ottoman Empire to Atatürk, from Kemalism to Islamism, the ideological, political and economic cornerstones of the Turkish state have changed significantly, transforming the state into what it is today under Erdoğan’s rule. This chapter examines these historical transitions in order to provide a context to understand contemporary nation-state developments and observe the conditions under which authoritarian (right-wing) populism has flourished under Erdoğan’s leadership. It examines how an influential ideological movement such as Kemalism was undermined by rifts that arose in the country’s social, political and economic fabric.
