While Turkish history is in part starting in the steppes close to the Ural Mountains for a part, another story starts with the first settlements in Anatolia.
On one side, if Modern Turks are descendant of Nomadic Turkish Tribes that converted to Islam en route to Europe and finally conquered and freed Asia Minor from the influence of its western religion, we can expect this historic clash of forces to continue and Turkey to be an independent country with its alliances varying with its own objectives (usually to finance their "westward conquests" [economic markets nowadays]). There should also exist a prevalence of the religious aspect in the society and the rejection of minority rights.
On the other side, if Modern Turks are descendant of all the populations that inhabited Anatolia (or Roman Asia Minor), they form a mosaic of people that conflicted between themselves before emerging as large empires. The people that founded such grounds are: Hattis, Hittites, Hurrians, Assyrians, Lydians, Lyceans,Greeks, Romans. They finally formed the Byzantine Empire and later on the Ottoman Empire totalling an historically unrivalled one and a half millenium of sovereign rule over large territories. The fall of the Ottoman Empire has triggered the creation of Modern Turkey. From these times should remain the cultural crossroads of such empires and the embracing of progress. In the end this history should help creating an open society of knowledge where should exist a prevalence of the individual that contributes to the richness of the country.
Too much highlight has been made in recent times of Turkey on the first historic approach leading to a Top-down control of the society. If Turkey wants to join the European Union and participate in the modern world, the focus must definitely go towards the latest historic defintion of Turkey.
Turkish people, as the last to settle in Anatolia, are the last ingredient that compose this land. To move back in its history tracks, people of Turkey should realize the full extent of their history to build a better future.
On one side, if Modern Turks are descendant of Nomadic Turkish Tribes that converted to Islam en route to Europe and finally conquered and freed Asia Minor from the influence of its western religion, we can expect this historic clash of forces to continue and Turkey to be an independent country with its alliances varying with its own objectives (usually to finance their "westward conquests" [economic markets nowadays]). There should also exist a prevalence of the religious aspect in the society and the rejection of minority rights.
On the other side, if Modern Turks are descendant of all the populations that inhabited Anatolia (or Roman Asia Minor), they form a mosaic of people that conflicted between themselves before emerging as large empires. The people that founded such grounds are: Hattis, Hittites, Hurrians, Assyrians, Lydians, Lyceans,Greeks, Romans. They finally formed the Byzantine Empire and later on the Ottoman Empire totalling an historically unrivalled one and a half millenium of sovereign rule over large territories. The fall of the Ottoman Empire has triggered the creation of Modern Turkey. From these times should remain the cultural crossroads of such empires and the embracing of progress. In the end this history should help creating an open society of knowledge where should exist a prevalence of the individual that contributes to the richness of the country.
Too much highlight has been made in recent times of Turkey on the first historic approach leading to a Top-down control of the society. If Turkey wants to join the European Union and participate in the modern world, the focus must definitely go towards the latest historic defintion of Turkey.
Turkish people, as the last to settle in Anatolia, are the last ingredient that compose this land. To move back in its history tracks, people of Turkey should realize the full extent of their history to build a better future.
