Hakan Özoğlu on Mark Bristol and the founding of US-Turkey ties in the 20th century

What this episode covers

Hakan Özoğlu, professor of history and director of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Central Florida, on “The Decline of the Ottoman Empire and the Rise of the Turkish Republic: Observations of an American Diplomat, 1919-1927” (Edinburgh University Press). Based on tens of thousands of primary documents from US and Turkish archives, as well as private letters and memoirs, the book examines the work of Admiral Mark L. Bristol, US high commissioner in Istanbul as the Ottoman Empire collapsed and the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923. Compared with many European diplomats at the period, Bristol had a relatively pro-Turkish, pro-Muslim perspective. His recommendations from Istanbul helped shape US policy and also helped lay the foundations of the strategic partnership between Washington and Ankara during the later Cold War years. Become a member to support Turkey Book Talk. Members get a 35% discount on all Turkey/Ottoman History books published by IB Tauris/Bloomsbury, transcripts of every interview, transcripts of the whole archive, and over 200 reviews covering Turkish and international fiction, history and politics. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2998854&fan_landing=true