‘The Rise of Turkey: The 21st Century’s First Muslim Power,’ by Soner Çağaptay
‘The Rise of Turkey: The Twenty-First Century’s First Muslim Power’ by Soner Çağaptay (Potomac Books, $26, 192 pages)In 2006, the BBC’s former Turkey correspondent Chris Morris published a slim book called “The New Turkey.” It focused on the major changes underway in the country and was intended as a nudge in the ribs of the European Union to accept its new negotiator into the fold. Almost eight years have passed, but the optimism of Soner Çağaptay’s “The Rise of Turkey” is very reminiscent of Morris’ book. The focus has moved beyond the tired EU question and on to Turkey’s regional and global ambitions, but the tone is almost the same. It’s almost as if the last eight years haven’t happened. Çağaptay - director of the Turkish Research Program of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy - writes that “with stars aligned in its favor … the ball is in the Turks’ court.” Such sunny optimism was widespread 10 years ago, but today it reads like a nostalgic throwback, out of synch with the gloomier spirit of the age.
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