The Turkish army is, both abroad and within Turkey, a large known-unknown. Despite its decisive role in numerous fields (from domestic and foreign policy to the economy and education), it is an institution about which we know very little. Although its shadow looms large over society, the army itself remains in the shadows.
Removing this veil, the study of the Turkish Armed Forces, is a crucial prerequisite for any discussion about the neighboring country: the army, due to its weight, becomes a privileged field of research overall for Turkish society in the 20th century. At the same time, it is a key to understanding modern Turkey, in a landscape composed of open issues such as integration into Europe, the expansion of democracy, the Kurdish question, the rise of Islamism and nationalism.
In this volume, thirteen of the most significant Turkish scholars and thinkers (historians, economists, political scientists, and analysts) comprehensively study the Turkish army, examining aspects such as: its relationship with politics, its social bases, its role in the development of Turkish capitalism, its position in the national imaginary and dominant ideology, the significance of coups, the historical relations between the army and the Turkish Left, and its new role in the conditions of globalization and US hegemony.
Thus, they form an important body of data, propositions, and interpretative frameworks in the research on the Turkish army and the military in general. However, beyond the cognitive contribution, it is worth highlighting the perspective of the authors, the perspective of the active citizen. Far from stereotypes, with a critical eye, they dethrone the Turkish army from the pedestal of the "above criticism" institution, serving an educational and simultaneously liberating agenda.
Therefore, they function as recipients but mainly as leaders of a new era for Turkey, during which society, with small and still hesitant steps, begins to wonder, to perhaps reflect on its history, along with and on its history as well. For all the above reasons, we believe that the publication of this book in Greek is essential.
