Jeremy Seal

Jeremy Seal is the author of A Coup in Turkey (Chatto, 2021) and other books on Turkey.

Turkey has plenty to celebrate on its centenary

It’s difficult to imagine the Middle East having reason to celebrate. It happens, however, that today is the centenary of modern Turkey, an occasion which president Erdogan, in an uncharacteristically emollient mood, recently described as a ‘big embrace of 85 million people’. If Turkey’s authorities mean to mark the occasion with rallies, fireworks and festivities,