Ryan Gingeras on organised crime in Turkey's modern history

In 'Heroin, Organized Crime, and the Making of Modern Turkey,' Ryan Gingeras explores the entanglement of narcotics trade, criminal networks, and state-building in twentieth-century Turkey. Using archival sources from Turkey, the United States, and elsewhere, the book documents how heroin trafficking influenced politics, law enforcement, and social life, contributing to the emergence of modern Turkish institutions. Gingeras traces networks of traffickers, corrupt officials, and international actors to show how illicit economies intersected with official power. The book argues that the heroin trade was not peripheral but central to understanding postwar Turkish modernization and its shadow economies. It combines detailed case studies with broader theoretical reflections on the role of crime in state formation.

Ryan Gingeras's 'Mafia: A Global History' examines the origins, evolution, and social roles of organised crime across time and place. The book traces connections from ancient brigands and bandits through the emergence of modern mafias in places like Sicily, Naples, Japan, and the United States. Gingeras explores how prohibition, weak state reach, and illicit markets shaped criminal organisations, and how those groups both resisted and were co-opted by states. He considers cultural dimensions, including how cinematic portrayals have affected real criminals' self-image and recruitment. The book situates mafias within broader political and economic histories, arguing they helped define aspects of the modern world.