Taking the period from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923 to the present day, this book examines Turkey's political trajectory, its economic developments and downturns and its positioning in the international arena. Breaking away from the Cold War paradigm and its focus on military coups and international security as well as approaches to Turkey which over emphasise the Ottoman past, this book also engages with cultural and social aspects of the period.

Following a clear chronology, the book charts the rise of the Turkish nation-state, Turkey in the Second World War, the beginning of multi-party politics, the political plurality of the 1960s, the upheavals of the 1970s, the neo-liberal politics of the 1980s, the crumbling of the 1990s and the religious politics and presidentialism of the 2000s. Each period is divided into three sections and each chapter is accompanied by boxes inserted into the text which provide more extensive information on one particular aspect, such as cinema, political satire and social media.

The book takes readers through the period providing both a clear chronological structure and an understanding of each period both from the perspective of its political and economic development and its cultural and social concerns.