1. A Contested Conquest: The Many Meanings of 1453 in Turkish Political Rhetoric
- Author:
- Nicholas Danforth
- Publication Date:
- 09-2022
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)
- Abstract:
- Turkish politicians have invoked Ottoman history to justify everything from interfaith tolerance to aggressive irredentism. In the early years of the Cold War, shortly after Turkey and Greece joined NATO, Ankara sought to downplay anti-Greek elements in its 1453 conquest celebrations. Now, by recasting the reconversion of Hagia Sophia and Turkey’s Exclusive Economic Zone claims as matters of national sovereignty, Erdoğan has succeeded in winning support from his political opponents.
- Topic:
- Cold War, History, Domestic Politics, and Ottoman Empire
- Political Geography:
- Turkey and Middle East