In this episode, I sit down with Doğa Öztürk, historian of the Ottoman Empire and author of the Substack newsletter A Few Thoughts On.

Doğa earned his PhD in History from Ohio State University, where his research explored nationalism and imperial belonging in late Ottoman Egypt - a fascinating period of transformation, identity negotiation, and political change. He currently works as an independent research consultant in London.

We discuss:

• His PhD experience and his journey after it ended

• How Ottoman imperial identity evolved during the empire and its final decades
• Why studying the Ottoman past matters for understanding modern Middle Eastern history
• and so much more!

Tune in for an engaging conversation that connects doing a PhD, history, identity, and the legacies of empire!

The books that Doğa mentions in this episode are:

• Cemal Kafadar, Between Two Worlds: The Construction of the Ottoman State
• Colin Imber, The Ottoman Empire, 1300-1650
• Carter Findley, Turkey, Islam, Nationalism, and Modernity: A History.
• Franz Babinger, Mehmed the Conqueror and His Time.