Source: Foreign History Studies, No.1, 2024

Abstract: In the 1930s, in order to consolidate state power, maintain territorial unity, and carry out Western-style modernization, Turkish nationalism led by Kemal vigorously advocated racial consciousness and actively constructed racial national identity, successively introduced Turkish historical and linguistic theories emphasizing racial factors, and assimilated ethnic minorities. The Kemalist racial theory and its practice have to a certain extent promoted the nation unification and westernization, but also led to tensions between different ethnic groups. It deviated from the track of civic nationalism，fostered the development of ultra-nationalism and pan-Turkism, and made Turks feel special affection for the Central Asian region, which has opened the way for the emergence of Türkiye's pan Turkism foreign policy in later years.