Collective memory of German-Turkish political relations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and its impact today

Germany and Turkey have highly diverse and complex political relationship. Their political relations mainly evolved during the period of the Ottoman Empire and resulted in close economic, military and educational cooperation in the late 20th and 21st centuries. These developments engendered an expansive and diverse literature on German-Turkish relations. Yet, most of the literature focuses either on the historical relations or on current issues. This research aims to show that political relations between the two countries cannot be separated into pre- and post-empires but should be regarded as a complex construct in which historical developments shed light on current issues. Maurice Halbwachs' collective memory theory is used as a theoretical framework to analyze how the collective memory of past relations between the Ottoman Empire and the German Kaiserreich still influences and shapes current political relations between Germany and Turkey. The results of this thesis demonstrate that the common theme in German-Turkish political relations is a dichotomy that is characterized by an unequal balance in the political relationship on one side and close economic, military and educational cooperation on the other. Recognizing this dichotomy is important as it is a deciding factor in new developments and challenges in the two countries' relations down to the present day.