Justice and Development Party's history concept on the imagination of national identity

The concept of nationalism which came into existence with the influence of French Revolution during the construction of nation states provided a basis for the concept of national identity when multinational empires tranformed into national states. Political Powers constructed the colletive identites first to be able to construct the nation on a common ground in the process when empires were becoming nation states. National identity which is a type of collective identity came into existence in the process of construction of the nation state with the efforts exerted by the nations to describe themselves. The concept of national identity which is emerged in the era of modern states has a multidimensional and complex structure now is being rebuild again on the basis of common cultural values, common historical background and on the soil which is crowned with the heroical victories. Construction of Turkish national identity has began in the early modernization process of Ottoman Empire, from the era of rescript of Gülhane until the foundation of Turkish Republic, Turkish National identity be attempted to rebuild on the concepts of Ottomanism, Pan-Islamism and concept of Turkishness. Turkish National identity shaped by the idea of Turkishness with the foundation of Turkish Republic, national identity discourse which is shaped by the idea of Turkishness labeled the Ottoman Empire as the "other". Labelling Ottoman Empire as the other provided a basis for the national identity debates which began with the foundation of Turkish republic and this debates are still ongoing. Debates on the concept of national identity intensified when AK Part came to power and it seems like that AK Party will try to make the imperial legacy of Ottoman Empire a part of the Turkish National identity based on its historic perception shaped by its national identity apprehension. The purpose of this study is to examine the historic evolution process of Turkish National identity and Turkish History Thesis which is shaped by official history narrative and the historic perception which is constructed by AK Party's national identity narrative. Keywords: National Identity, Official History, Turkish Republic, AK Party