London School of Economics – Contemporary Turkish Studies organizes a Research Seminar with the participation of Prof. Dr. Ahmet İnsel
Date – Time: Monday, 11 February 2013 6- 8pm
Venue: Room COW1.11, First Floor, Cowdray House, London School of Economics and Political Science
This event is free and open to all. No ticket is required.
Contact: euroinst.turkish.studies@lse.ac.uk / u.sonmez@lse.ac.uk
or +44 (020) 7955 6067
Web site:
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/europeanInstitute/research/ContemporaryTurkishStudies/Home.aspx
Today, “What do the Turks want?” is the primary question to be posed with respect to the Kurdish problem. This question brings us to the “Turkish problem” and it is an irritating one for Turks who want to avoid any reflection upon Turkishness, any discussion about Turkishness and its imagination, founding myths and fabricated history. In other words, Turks do not think about their Turkishness and do not like others doing so. The motto “Turkey belongs to Turks” summarizes the two dimensions of the Turkish mindset. It either covers every citizen of the Turkish Republic, in which case it would be a totally irrelevant tautology; or it expresses an ideal marked with a sense of victimization, a fear of losing the fatherland, and the ethnic cleansing of the last century. In any case, it reveals that the real problem in Turkey today is the Turkish problem.
