The fact that the active and organized involvement of radical movements in Turkish politics is a recent development renders its investigation difficult. To be meaningful, the terms ‘Left’, ‘Right’ and ‘Islamist’ have to relate to specific situations, and against a background of freedom of action. In Turkey, therefore, the main field of study should be the years following the 1960 Revolution – the period which is the main concern of this book, first published in 1974.

The fact that the active and organized involvement of radical movements in Turkish politics is a recent development renders its investigation difficult. To be meaningful, the terms ‘Left’, ‘Right’ and ‘Islamist’ have to relate to specific situations, and against a background of freedom of action. In Turkey, therefore, the main field of study should be the years following the 1960 Revolution – the period which is the main concern of this book, first published in 1974.