Arabs in Kemalist Turkish Historiography

Depictions of Arabs and Islam in the Turkish historiography of the 1930s clearly indicate the secular and nationalist character of the new Turkish republic. However, if one looks at the official publications from the 1930s and 1940s, not only the textbooks, the image of Arabs and Islam does not appear simple and coherent. This article reviews the image of Arabs and Islam in Kemalist Turkish historiography and demonstrates the diverse and sometimes conflicting depictions with reference to the various official texts.