Ottoman Origins of Turkish Identity Discourses

Abstract

National identity emerges within a historical context. In Turkey, the origins of modern identity debates can be traced back to the last one hundred years of Ottoman Empire. These were the years of decline and collapse of the Ottoman power. Starting in the eighteenth century, to prevent further disintegration of the empire, alternative, contesting responses to the challenge of finding a common bond for social cohesion among the ethnically diverse population of the empire were developed. As the influence of the perspectives of these diverse groups has carried over to their counterparts in modern Turkey, an analysis of their emergence and interaction will be informative to examine current identity discourses in Turkey. Despite the passage of time, Turkey appears to be unable to address its challenge of finding a national identity that would successfully embrace the diversity of its population. The roots of this question can be found in the history of transition from a collapsed empire to a new nation-state.