Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds

"Drawing on its unique geography, history, and politics, this study of Turkey considers its prospects for democratic rule and its place among nations in the 21st century. Kinzer travels across the land, interviews its many peoples, and considers the key issues confronting Turkey: the role of its military; the secular and religious traditions; and the politics and human rights issues in relation to joining the European Union. Arguing that Turkey is the most "audacious nation of the twenty-first century" the author explores the unrealized potential of this nation--once the seat of a great empire--sandwiched neatly between Europe and Asia. Offers an intimate report on Turkey today, pulling aside the veil that has hidden it from the outside world. Traces its development into a modern state, and outlines the great dilemmas it now faces.Turkey is poised between Europe and Asia, caught between the glories of its Ottoman past and its hopes for a democratic future, between the traditional power of its army and the needs of its impatient citizens, between Muslim traditions and secular expectations. " 252p. index