土耳其的國家認同是現代化、西化、歐洲化、伊斯蘭化、以及民主化的轉換與爭辯的演進。從鄂圖曼帝國時代的伊斯蘭認同，到共和國建立後的政教分離的世俗主義，這個曾經是橫跨歐亞兩洲的偉大帝國，在西歐的現代化浪潮下，被根本性的推翻，認為其帝國的本質是土耳其人苦難的最深層因素，所以凱末爾建國後，徹底與鄂圖曼帝國切割，全力追求歐洲的現代化，政教分離的世俗主義變成現代化的立國精神原則。庫德族是土耳其國家認同的重大議題，對土耳其內政和外交都有巨大的影響。土耳其聯繫歐亞兩洲的獨特地位，不可避免地讓她的發展牽動各大勢力的連動。這不只是宿命，也是嚴肅的生存課題。

National identity in Turkey is a long process of interaction among modernization, westernization, Europeanization, Islamization, and democratization. From the great old Ottoman Empire to the modern nation of Turkey, Islam has been the central pivot of identity building. Though Kemal introduced so-called Kemalism to lay secularism as the foundation of the new republic, Islam was still the main driving force in every aspect of national affairs. The struggle of allying with the West or stick with the East heritage and brotherhood swung along the way of Turkey's state building and democratization. European Union is a leading force for Western direction, though still with many issues unresolved. Kurds bring the most difficult challenge domestically in identity searching.