"Understanding state, society and religion in Turkey (I)
By Talip Küçükcan
Many observers fail to see the unique position of Turkey concerning state, society and religion in the country mainly because they concentrate on recent reports in the mass media, which usually reports tensions and fears. Therefore, analysis on these issues can only touch the surface and fail to grasp the persistent multidimensional modern Turkey.
Turkey occupies a unique place among the modern nation states, not only from a geopolitical point of view, but also from cultural and religious points of view. Turkey lies at the crossroads between eastern and western interests. The political and cultural identity of modern Turkey emerged under the influence of domestic and external forces that existed in and around Turkey throughout the centuries."
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