In a 1962 meeting at the White House, Iran's last monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, complained to US President John F. Kennedy 'America treats Turkey as a wife, and Iran as a concubine.' Taking this protest as a critical starting point, this book examines the transnational history of comparisons between Türkiye and Iran from Cold War-era modernization theory to post-9/11 studies of 'moderate Islam'. Perin E. Gürel explores how US policymakers and thought leaders strategically used comparisons to advance shifting agendas, while stakeholders in Türkiye and Iran responded by anticipating, manipulating, and reshaping US-driven narratives. Juxtaposing dominant US-based comparisons with representations originating from Iran and Türkiye, Gürel's interdisciplinary and multilingual research uncovers unexpected twists: comparisons didn't always reinforce US authority but often reflected and encouraged the rise of new ideologies. This book offers fresh insight into the complexities of US-Middle Eastern relations and the enduring impact of comparativism on international relations.

‘For much of the past century, Iran and Türkiye have occupied an intertwined space in the US global imaginary-a geopolitical love triangle that has had quite real effects on all three nations. Perin Gürel follows the comparisons through their many permutations during the Cold War through the War on Terror, bringing together diplomatic history, popular culture and public discourse in three national frameworks. This is a crucial book for understanding a key region.'

Brian T. Edwards - Author of After the American Century: The Ends of US Culture in the Middle East

‘This insightful, deeply researched book brings an anti-imperialist and feminist perspective to the triangulated history of the US, Iran, and Turkey. Working in three languages, Gürel provides nothing less than an alternative cultural and political history of the region. Her riveting account shows how theories of modernization, ideas about gender, and fears of the ‘wrong kind' of Islam shaped not only US policy in the region, but also the fundamental stakes of nationalism in both Turkey and Iran. This is international history at its best – sophisticated, nuanced, and a compelling read.'

Melani McAlister - Professor of American Studies and International Affairs, George Washington University

‘Perin Gürel's Türkiye, Iran, and the Politics of Comparison offers the most insightful and theoretically rich answer to the question of where Turkey and Iran have been situated in the modern geopolitics of what W. E. B. Du Bois called ‘the global color line' throughout the 20th century. Gürel's brilliantly formulated chapters are full of gems, such as the story of the reception of Malcolm X and Muhammed Ali in West Asia, the utilization of Islamic mysticism for grand strategy and diplomacy, and the triangulated politics of veiling and unveiling in national image making in Iran and Turkey. The book shows how a global approach to American, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies can enrich our interdisciplinary understanding of the international politics of race and religion, in addition to showing the significance of gender analysis in making sense of decolonization and cold war.'

Cemil Aydın - Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

‘A genuine tour de force, Gurel's deeply researched and brilliantly argued analysis of the politics of comparison is essential reading not only for those concerned with imperial knowledge production, but for anyone concerned with global politics from the Cold War to the present.'

Penny Von Eschen - William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of History and American Studies, The University of Virginia