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.