Turkey.

Modern day Turkey is in a state of transition. The autocratic and authoritarian leader Erdogan is using last years attempted coup to bear down of all things perceived as a threat to his power base. There is a new soap programme that has a big following across the world called Ottoman. Its an attempt to put a good and beneficent gloss on and old story. Turkey is a bridgehead in our understanding of the Muslim world. Nevertheless it appears to us as antidemocratic. Despite this we need to have a relationship with this influential neighbour. In order to get a better handle on the country watch BBC Two in Turkey with Simon Reeve.