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Customer Reviews (4)

An obsolete book by someone, from whom much better expected
I am quite dissatisfied by this book because the title is a misnomer.The title should be more or less within the words of "Turkey in 1980s and the middle 1990s from the perspective of a New York Times correspondent" or similar.The author covers a lot of ground but not much insight.The book is quite cluttered and reflects a 'strange' view of events.For example, it is quite surprising that the author, despite having lived in Turkey for so long, does not seem to emphasize the necessity of secular or "laik" system.Nor does the author seem to understand very well the economic stress and woes on people, which eventually creates holding onto irrational paths, such as the path of the "refah" party (Welfare Party).I agree with the criticism I read by previous reviewers that the book is obsolete.However, it is quite a challenge to catch up with the changes in Turkey for Turkey goes through incredibly fast changes in very short periods of time, which sometimes leaves it in unbalanced and turbulent times with almost no protection financially and strategically, and as we have just witnessed, sometimes one major change can revive the importance of Turkey.I am also surprised that the author did not mention much about the political history in detail.Finally, I am expecting a better book such as Emre Kongar's Turkey and the Millenium, that is more comprehensive, analytical, and critical.This book, on the other hand, is a good reference book for chronological events, but a boring read indeed!

A Good Overview of a Complex Subject:
In the Preface section the author states, "my aim is to give the general reader a better idea as to who Turks are and where they're going...."During her tenure as the New York Times bureau chief in Ankara (capital of Turkey) from 1979-1983, Ms. Howe witnessed many critical events, including the 1980 coup conducted by a secularist military which subdued temporarily all insurgent forces in Turkey. To deal with political Islam as an emerging force in Turkey, the author covers many issues and events, most of which only faintly relate to present day secular Turkey and in this book, there is much information but little analysis. Although the book is titled,"Turkey Today: A Nation Divided over Islam's Revival", most of the time it chronicles only past political events. Former Islamist Refah Party leader Erbakan is long gone, the incumbent Ecevit coalition government has a much different political agenda and the new President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is a forceful head of state. However, regardless of these shortcomings, Ms. Howe accomplishes her above stated mission for the general reader. The book is valuable as it tackles a complex issue with care and fairness.

A reference book written vy an experienced professional
" TURKEY TODAY, A NATION DIVIDED OVER ISLAM'S REVIVAL "

At last a reference work on Europe's newest candidate.

Whoever has had theopportunity of sailing alongthe Dardanelles, and been faced with thesplendor of Istanbul, will never forget that flood of golden fire which, atsunset,engulfs the antique Turkish city, town of Constantine, the firstOriental Roman emperor.

Any tourist currently believes that manyunspoken records of the "Orient-Express " luxuries still lingerin this accumulation of wealth and stench,a magic symbol ofpré-Orientalcosmopolitism , wordthe ancient Greeks scholarsused to describe anideal giant city," the big city " (polis) of " theuniverse "(kosmos).

This tourist might well be right,MarvineHowe suggests implicitely in her new book '" Turkey Today, A NationDivided over Islam's Revival ". This former New York Times foreigncorrespondant, among many other hard and risky assignments,has beenbureau chief in Ankara for three years and returned many times since. Sheknows every corner of Turkishdomestic and foreign intricacies, as well asevery aspect of this country's religious and cultural life.. For MarvineHowe " Istanbul is stilll a great multicultural meeting place "but, "increasingly divided in two worlds " For her it is notthe case of " a classic schism between East and West, rich and poor,or traditional and progressive. It is not even the kind of religiousfactionalism that wracks other countries, because 98 percent of Turkey's 65million inhabitants are Muslim. ".

The author emphasizes that it is" more and more evident "that " the great divide is to beseenbetween two concepts of life "in this old and in the sametime, new country..

On one hand "a secular lifestyle with itsinherent freedoms an insecurities " and on the other hand " areligious way with its certainties and strict controls ".

MarvineHowe has undertaken a difficult task. She has succeeded in being able toexplain in detail the whole Turkish problem, although very clearly,within 300 densely printed pages. Thanks to this book, anybody can learn what isTurkey today, a far away country,generaly ignored by most of people ; acountryscrutinized by strategists in the United States and Europe. Thisis a country famous because of its Romans ruins in Ephesus, andbecause ofAtaturk, a former officer who, in the roaring twentieschose to becomechief of state,ousted the old religious hierarchyand pachas,forbadethe use of the tradtional red hat " Fez " and replaced it by anugly grey cap. It will be known that Turkey is not only a dreamland formiddle class yachtmen who can rent enormous sailing ships for a handful ofdollars.

To write about such a country, so madly complicated, sounpredictable,was not an easy weekend pastetime.

If we look behind theauthor, we will find also, a hard working journalist,scrupulouslycareful, tough, tireless when she starts looking for details, small factswhich mean a lot, causes, reasons that have motivated the key figures whobuilt or who might destroy Kemal Ataturk's secular Turkish Republic.. Doingthis, Ms. Howe did not leave one stone uncovered. Her book is the result ofseveral years' intensive study. She consulted more than sixtyrespectedTurkish, American or European specialists and scholars.. The moment onestarts reading it ,one is already trapped in the story. The authormanages to take her guest by the hand and lead him or her, step by step,intothe labyrinthine ancient and modern political history of thiscountry, whose roots are so deep, its civilization so old that its originshave been lost in an unknown past.

" Come, come whoever you are," Infidel, pagan or fire worshiper, Come to me, " Our convent isnot a place of despair ".

This is not a place of despair Ms. Howerecalls when she quotes Mevlâna Celaleddin Rumi's message of universallove. She explains that Celaleddin, a mystical poet, founded the order ofthe Whirling Dervishes seven hundred years ago.

She recalls that theTurkish peoples wereamong the first followers of Muhammad,the prophet,long before Ataturk and the " Young Turkish officers " who daredto tollthe bell for the Ottoman empire.She describes it without fallinginto any modern traps, who are the Muslims today and what thoughts theyshare among themselves.She dives in the darkest waters of secularmilitary repression, she does not forget the fate of the Kurds, nor the" silent minorities " made of Armenians and Greeks.

Politicallife is an essential factor. Ms Howe devotes several chapters to thisaspect of Turkey. She writes with intensity of the daily politics and alsothe corruption.More than is generally understood outside Turkey. MarvineHowe is husking the parties' life, grain after grain, man by man, and alsowoman, when she tells what she learnedabout Mrs. Tansu Ciller,first woman and charming prime minister, as well as secular and religiousleaders.

Modern Turkey is obsessed by Europe. Everybody is aware of that.Already during the past centuries...But today is different.

" TheEuropean opening comes at a propitious time when Turkey has seen agroundswell of civic consciousness and demands for democratic reform andrenewal of outdated government institutions. Europe, with U.S. backing, canprovide powerful incentives and guidance as Turkey moves ahead on itschosen path to become a modern democracy; " Marvine Howe writes as amatter of conclusion..

At last a real author's book. An author who doesnot attempt to indoctrinate her readers, a hard and impartial professionalobserver of the Wordwho offers a balanced picture of an unstablecivilization. A reference book. To read at once.

Bertrand C. Bellaigue

soul catcher!
marvine howe's "turkey today" is different from any other bookswritten on turkey by journalists: she has penetrated into the soul ofturkey and turkih people. this schizophrenic nation could not have been putunder the magnifying glass any better than this and on top of it all shehas not been biased for once in her book which is the usual tendency offoreign journalists writing on turkey.

marvine hove's book is a must foranyone who is interested in turkey or not but would like to know &planning to visit Turkey.

it is apart from being an introduction to"turkey today" socio-politically it has a fair amount of welldescribed, accurate information on ancient history of turkey thus its" must visit" sites.

the way howe travels between the past andpresent reflects her crystal brilliance and deep knowledge & wisdomabout the country and its people and is a proof that she did not just workas a journalist but she let herself "be"and "lived"Turkey:this makes her book different than other's and a must. ... Read more

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The decade of the 1980s marked a crucial turning point in Turkey's socioeconomic structure and polity. At the heart of the socioeconomic transformation lay the January 24, 1980, economic austerity package and the September 12, 1980, coup d'etat, both of which altered not only the Turkish economy and societal structure but the political system and external relations as well. The meanings of right and left, modernity and backwardness, and of Turkishness were completely revised. This book shows the nature of this socioeconomic and political transformation and assessses the success and failure of relevant policies as the country prepares to enter the 21st century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bias and Misinformation
This work is a compilation of biased and unbalanced reviews by very subjective "scholars" who paint a very rosy picture of the miserable Turkish economy. Turkey is on the verge of an economic collapse reminiscient of fellow militocracy Indonesia. The information provided by the essayists is of a propagandistic nature, not very suprising given the fact that at least one author of this book is chair of a corrupted Turkish Studies program funded by the Turkish government. This book has the academic value of a Nazi economic ministry. ... Read more

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This volume aims to shed light on Turkish political 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. ... Read more

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These papers examine the history behind Turkey's application for EU membership. The contributors tackle the thorny issues of Cyprus, Turkey's attitude towards a common defence policy and Turkish parliamentarians' views on the nation's relations with the European Union. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Middle East Policy, published by Middle East Policy Council on March 22, 2010. The length of the article is 3907 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dams and politics in Turkey: utilizing water, developing conflict.
Author: Joost Jongerden
Publication: Middle East Policy (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2010
Publisher: Middle East Policy Council
Volume: 17Issue: 1Page: 137(7)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Journal of International Affairs, published by Columbia University School of International Public Affairs on September 22, 2000. The length of the article is 7652 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Indentity Crises and Political Instability in Turkey.
Author: Dogu Ergil
Publication: Journal of International Affairs (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2000
Publisher: Columbia University School of International Public Affairs
Volume: 54Issue: 1Page: 43

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from World Policy Journal, published by World Policy Institute on September 22, 2001. The length of the article is 7354 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dreaming in Turkish. (Reflections).(democracy in Turkey)
Author: Stephen Kinzer
Publication: World Policy Journal (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2001
Publisher: World Policy Institute
Volume: 18Issue: 3Page: 69(12)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from APS Diplomat News Service, published by Pam Stein/Input Solutions on May 8, 2000. The length of the article is 1370 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Turkey's Presidential Choice Signals Stability & Deal Between Army & Politicians.
Publication: APS Diplomat News Service (Newsletter)
Date: May 8, 2000
Publisher: Pam Stein/Input Solutions
Volume: 52Issue: 19Page: NA

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: List of Prime Ministers of Turkey, List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, List of Finance Ministers of Turkey. Not illustrated. Excerpt: This article is part of the series:Politics and government ofTurkey This is a chronological list of Prime Ministers of Turkey, since the establishment of that position in 1920, during the Turkish War of Independence. The Prime Minister is also the head of the Executive Branch of the government along with the Council of Ministers. Prime Minister must be elected by majority of votes in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey along with other members of the Cabinet. ... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=649557 ... Read more

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Chapters: Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transport and Communication, Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Village Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 37. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Turkish: ) is a government ministry office of the Republic of Turkey, responsible for environmental and forestry related affairs in Turkey. Since 2007, the office-holder is Prof. Dr. Veysel Erolu of the Justice and Development Party. Official website ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=10284334 ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

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Turkey Diplomatic Handbook (World Business, Investment and Government Library) ... Read more