New Sultan: Erdogan and the Crisis of Modern Turkey

 *New Edition of the Leading Work on Modern Turkey* In a world of rising tensions between Russia and the United States, the Middle East and Europe, Sunnis and Shiites, Islamism and liberalism, Turkey is at the epicentre. And at the heart of Turkey is its right-wing populist president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Since 2002, Erdogan has consolidated his hold on domestic politics while using military and diplomatic means to solidify Turkey as a regional power. His crackdown has been brutal and consistent - scores of journalists arrested, academics officially banned from leaving the country, university deans fired and many of the highest-ranking military officers arrested. In some senses, the nefarious and failed 2016 coup has given Erdogan the licence to make good on his repeated promise to bring order and stability under a 'strongman'. Here, leading Turkish expert Soner Cagaptay will look at Erdogan's roots in Turkish history, what he believes in and how he has cemented his rule, as well as what this means for the world. The book will also unpick the 'threats' Erdogan has worked to combat - from the liberal Turks to the Gulen movement, from coup plotters to Kurdish nationalists - all of which have culminated in the crisis of modern Turkey.

Review: This is a brave and balanced narrative of Turkey's mercurial President Erdogan. Soner Cagaptay explains how 'the new sultan' built a modern and prosperous Turkey, but how his 'autocratic, illiberal side' undermined these achievements and throttled democracy. Turkey is now at a crossroads, and Cagaptay provides a clear roadmap. Nobody tells Erdogan's story better or more honestly. -- David Ignatius, columnist, Washington Post

Soner Cagaptay's The New Sultan sets out the events that enabled a deeply religious man from a poverty-stricken background to take power in a state governed by secular laws. After a tough upbringing on Istanbul's streets, Erdogan dragged himself up the ranks of Turkey's Islamist movement, becoming a force in a party few thought would ever rule...It is, Cagaptay correctly surmises, a recipe for disaster...[the book is] a clearly written indictment of how a country that once seemed destined for greatness fell from grace - and how a boy from the back streets rose to become a sultan. -- Louise Callaghan * The Sunday Times *