Turkey's new nationalism paints West as oppressor
A new report by an American think tank suggests that the nationalism sweeping Turkey is an old and successful tactic of promoting a siege mentality that translates to tight control and votes for authoritarian leaders.
![TURKEY-SECURITY/ANNIVERSARY People wave Turkey's national flags as they arrive to attend a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the attempted coup at the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, July 15, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC14FF737300](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2018/02/RTX3BLGJ.jpg/RTX3BLGJ.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=9TA5fy0G)
As the United States and Europe continue to ponder ways to manage relations with an increasingly assertive, unpredictable and nationalist Turkey, a fascinating study released by a liberal DC think tank might offer them some valuable clues — while also adding to their confusion.
In its report, “Is Turkey Experiencing a New Nationalism?,” The Center for American Progress concludes that yes, it is. “Compared with the more secular nationalism seen under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s presidency … this new nationalism is assertively Muslim; fiercely independent; distrusting of outsiders; and skeptical of other nations and global elites, which it perceives to hold Turkey back.” All of this is being stoked and exploited by the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.