Kızılelma (Book)

Kızılelma: The Turkish Aspiration to Guide the World is a historical study published in 2024 by Erhan Afyoncu through Yeditepe University Press. The work examines the concept of “Kızılelma,” one of the symbolic ideas in Turkish history, from historical cultural and ideological perspectives. Afyoncu demonstrates that “Kızılelma” is not merely a geographic objective but a cherished ideal an enduring vision of civilization that the Turkish nation has upheld for centuries. The book spans 400 pages and offers a comprehensive analysis within the contexts of ideological continuity military dynamism and cultural awareness in Turkish history.

In the work the concept of “Kızılelma” is interpreted as a symbol of a goal the aspiration to realize an ideal and the desire to guide the world within Turkish culture. Afyoncu documents how this concept has been interpreted in different periods of Turkish history how it has been linked to specific historical events and how its meaning has transformed over time all grounded in historical sources. The book provides detailed examinations of the Ottoman Empire’s expansionist ideology the role of the Turkish military in world politics and the notion of “cihan hâkimiyeti mefkûresi” the ideal of world dominion that has occupied Turkish thought throughout history.

Afyoncu interprets “Kızılelma” both as a historical ideal and as a symbol of national consciousness. The study traces the evolution of the idea of guiding the world across a continuous historical arc from Rome to the Ottoman Empire and from the Seljuks to the Republican era. In this context the author emphasizes the impact of the Kızılelma concept on Turkish political thought military strategy and state philosophy.

Key themes of the work include the national ideal the consciousness of civilization the concept of world dominion the mission of the Turkish military and cultural continuity. Afyoncu presents historical events not through an ideological lens but systematically through documents and chronicles. However the strong emphasis on national identity in the author’s work gives it both historical and intellectual depth. Methodologically the study relies on the analysis of historical documents Ottoman archives and classical historical sources. The ideological evolution of Kızılelma from pre-Islamic Turkish culture through the Ottoman period is examined alongside religious and cultural elements.