Turkish Studies

Specialisation of: Middle Eastern Studies
Degree: Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies
Mode of Study: Full-time
Duration: 1 year
Start date: September, February
Language of instruction: English
Location: Leiden
Croho/isat code: 60842
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If you are interested in Turkey in the widest sense, ranging from history to linguistics, from literature to art and material culture, this MA specialisation offers excellent opportunities to deepen your knowledge and academic skills in Turkish Studies. You can gain insight into the dynamics of modernisation in Turkey, with an eye to the legacy of the past as well as the long term political, social, economic and cultural developments.

Through our links with the Turkish academic and intellectual world you will have the possibility to participate in a continuous exchange of up-to-date knowledge of the field. With its wide range of topics and its international student body, the programme creates an interesting and stimulating international study environment for anybody interested in pursuing a degree in Middle Eastern Studies with a focus on Turkish Studies.

Entry requirements

  • BA degree (or equivalent) in Turkish Studies, or another relevant discipline with good results at a recognised university, and have acquired an adequate proficiency in reading Turkish, or for the Central Asia specialisation, one of the Turkic languages
  • A good command of English as demonstrated by IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL570/230/88-90 evidenced by an appropriate test .
    This requirement does not apply if you have:
    • completed your education in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia, or
    • an International Baccalaureate, or
    • a Dutch VWO diploma

Students who have a BA in Middle Eastern Studies (Midden-Oostenstudies) or Arabic, Persian and Turkish Languages and Culture from Leiden University do not have to apply for admission.

Applicants with a higher professional education (HBO) degree are not eligible for admission.

Prof. Erik-Jan Zürcher

Erik-Jan Zürcher

“It is only possible to gain a better under-standing of present-day developments in the Middle East if you understand the historical background.”

“Leiden University enjoys a rich research tradition, and has a great many publications about Turkey to her name. The Turkish Languages and Cultures department is also well-known, particularly as text
books written in Leiden are used throughout the world.

This master’s programme focuses on the one hand on the origin of the modern Turkish nation state, and, on the other, on Turkey and the Ottoman Empire and their relationship to Europe. I myself am fascinated by the Middle East and by modern history, in particular the period around World War I. This makes Turkey a rewarding subject for study.

Until the First World War, the greater part of the Middle East belonged to the Ottoman Empire. Around 1918, the great empires came to an end: not only the Ottoman Empire, but also the German
Empire, the Hapsburg Empire and the Romanov Dynasty in Russia. The centuries-old multicultural Ottoman Empire was transformed into the modern mono-cultural republic of Turkey.

As a result of the start of accession talks between Turkey and the EU, the number of students with an interest in political science has been growing of late, but teaching in the MA specialisation Turkish Studies focuses primarily on the language, history and cultural heritage of Turkey. I firmly believe that it is only possible to gain a better understanding of present-day developments in the Middle East if
you understand the historical background.

Turkey is two things at the same time: a young state which has been created by a political elite, but also an ancient state, heir to the Ottoman Empire, which
existed for six hundred years. This has left its mark on the country.”