Challenging anti-Western historical myths in populist discourse: re-visiting Ottoman Empire–Europe interaction during the 19th century

Abstract

In this article, we conceptualize and demonstrate how historical International Relations (IR) can be employed to critically engage with the populist uses of history at present. In this endeavour, we focus on myths as analytical nodal points. We revisit the rich interdisciplinary literature on myths to conceptually connect historical research that unsettles myths with political critiques of myths in terms of their naturalizing effects at present. We also expand the critical agenda of historical IR research into targeting the prevalent historical myths of Self and Other that are employed to promote antagonism in contemporary politics. We illustrate the potential that historical IR research holds in illuminating and debunking the contemporary populist uses of history through the case of the relations between Europe and the Ottoman Empire and its relationship with present-day anti-Western populism in Turkey. Via the notion of myth, we combine a critical discourse analysis of the ample historical references in Erdoğan’s populist discourse with original historical analysis of the varied interactions between the Ottoman Empire and European states in the period invoked in those references. In doing so, we shed light on the relatively neglected Tanzimat (1839–1877) period in Euro-Ottoman history by drawing on pioneering secondary literature as well as our own analysis of primary sources. We demonstrate how the developments of this period debunk the myths of ‘Eternal Antagonism’ and ‘Europe the Protagonist’ and how they can inform less antagonistic Self/Other relations that are conducive to a more cosmopolitan co-existence in contemporary Turkey–Europe relations.