The Idea of War in Turkey

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of the perception of "war" in Turkey. While in the initial years of the Ottoman state an understanding based on the mobilization of nomadic communities against the Christian "other," namely the "gaza" system, had been the case, this rather religious perception was gradually replaced with a more mundane conception of war. Starting from the 17th century onwards, with the increasing number of defeats, it was thought that the survival of the state could be ensured through diplomacy rather than war. In the beginning of the 20th century, on the other hand, an understanding of resorting to war for the survival of the state was developed, which would last until the Ottoman participation of World War 1. Finally, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, introduced a more limited understanding of war and rejected belligerency unless vital interests of the state were under threat.

Keywords

Ottoman Empire, Turkey, War, Gaza, Ataturk.

Citation

Palabıyık, Serdar, “The Idea of War in Turkey”, International Relations, Volume 4, Issue 14 (Summer 2007), pp. 185-215.

Affiliations

• Serdar Palabıyık, Research Assistant, Middle East Technical University, Department of International Relations