Reception of Soft and Sharp Powers

This book examines the projection of soft and sharp powers through the Turkish civilizational populist TV series "Resurrection: Ertugrul" and its reception in Pakistan. By analyzing the content of the series, elite responses, interviews with ordinary Pakistanis, and Pakistani cyberspace, the book argues that beyond soft power, the show exerts Turkey's sharp power transnationally, through themes of authoritarianism, violence, warfare, desire for killing and dying, Islamist collective victimhood, conspiracy theories and anti-Christian sentiments. The book contributes to the literatures on sharp power, populism, and authoritarianism. Ihsan Yilmaz is Research Professor and Chair at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. He has conducted mixed method research on authoritarianism, legal pluralism, nation-building, citizenship, Islam-state-law relations in majority and minority contexts (Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, UK, USA and Australia), Islamism, populism, transnationalism, ethnoreligious and political minorities, securitisation, and intergroup relations. He was Professor of Political Science at Istanbul Fatih University (2008-2016), Lecturer in Law, Social Sciences and Politics at SOAS, University of London (2001-2008), and a fellow at Centre for Islamic Studies, the University of Oxford (1999-2001). Ihsan Yilmaz is a chair in Islamic Studies and research professor of political science and international relations at Deakin University's ADI (Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation). Previously, he worked at the Universities of Oxford and London, demonstrating a strong track record of successfully leading multi-site international research projects. Presently, he leads two ARC Discovery projects: "Civilisationist Mobilisation, Digital Technologies, and Social Cohesion: The Case of Turkish & Indian Diasporas in Australia" (in collaboration with Prof Greg Barton) and "Religious Populism, Emotions, and Political Mobilisation: Civilisationism in Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan." Additionally, he co-leads a Gerda Henkel Foundation (Germany) project titled: "Smart Digital Technologies and the Future of Democracy in the Muslim World." Kainat Shakil  is a PhD researcher assistant at ADI and a non-resident Research Associate the European Center of Populism Studies Her PhD research focuses on themes of populism, gender and citizenship with a focus on Muslim majority countries. Previously Kainat worked at a Pakistan based think-tank - where her work has focused on reviewing public policies from a people centric perspective for better public representation, ownership, and participation.