On Saturday May 16, half of Turkey sat down to watch Hadise, the Belgian-Turkish singer, wriggle her way into fourth place in the Eurovision song contest. There was plenty to discuss: her skimpy belly-dancer-esque costume, lit in the garish red hues of the Turkish flag: whether or not state broadcasters had censored the steamiest moves in her video: and, above all, whether the voting system was loaded against her.

The debates were frivolous, but they betray some of the characteristics that time and again shape the serious running debate over what kind of country Turkey should become: a national pride that can tip into nationalism; tensions in the juxtaposition of religious and secular lifestyles; and an angst about being unfairly treated by the outside world.