Discuss The Rise Of Turkism

Arzu Ozturkmen – Individuals and Institutions in the Early History of Turkish Folklore – 1840-1950

Turkishness only really came at the end of the ottoman empire (Ilber Ortayli)

expression of turkish nationalism has changed frequently and dramatically. Different historical contexts evolved in which Turkish folklore studies emerged, were institutionalised and popularised.

Folklorepreviously was a way of imagining a turkish national identity but it developed and became real.

1839 tanzimat – made pointed reference to the economic, social and ideological changes in the west. Could provide the old and outdated imperial system with only minor cures and did not much help the lessening of its central authority with regard to regional uprisings.

Within framework, redefining theottoman identity and offering new models for the survival of the empire were the most problematic issues facing ottoman intellectuals of the late 19th century.

Pan-islamism, ottomanism, pan-turkism and turanism – ideologies put forth to solve the problem of national identity for the remaining nucelus of the empire. Were formed as responses to the nationalist movements occurring in greece,albania, bulgaria and the arab lands. Ottoman-turks as such were the last to realise the threat to their own existence.

20th century – idea of turkism replaced ottomanism or pan-islamism. Multi-ethnic ottoman systems was based on the interpretation of islamic traditions – the relations between muslims and jews/christians were organised more in terms of religion than ethnicity or social status.
Ie– turks within ottoman system did not occupy a particular place among the other ethnic groups – their collective memory did not emphasise their central asian roots. They simply formed part of the dominant religious group within the ottoman empire, without any ethnic consciousness.

History – ottoman scholar, mean study of islam, ottoman dynasty excluding early anatolian civilisations and turksin central asia. Ottoman lands extended over a wide area, islam constituted the dominant ideology. Regulating the political and social order of the whole empire. After awakening of other nationalist movements did the ideas of a unique turkic culture appear on the agenda of the turkish-ottoman intellectuals.

Tanzimat writers sought to forge a national language that would give them influentialacces to people who might provide further political and social support.
Ottoman language, used in court lit and official writings, unintelligible to common people – prompted tanzimat writers to simplify their language.

Namik Kemal – tanzimat writer – wrote about the ideal “ottoman society” - focus, “public opinion” and “the interests of the people” societies were identified with aparticular type of culture and with particular qualities that made them live and progress in the stream of history.
Kemal – cultural uniqueness was connected to a deep feeling for vatan, fatherland – constituted an emotional attachment to memories of ancestors. Idea ottoman society - “harmonious symbiosis” of ethnically and religiously diverse populations would later be replaced by focus on “the islamicpeople” after the minorties' nationalist movements.

Leaders developing turkish ideas in the ottoman empire → ziya gokalp 1876-1924 and yusuf Akcura 1876-1935, 2 contemporaneous ideologues who significantly contributed to the formation of the mdoern turkish national identity in the early 20th century.
Yusuf Akcura – tatar-turk, emigrated to istanbul following the russian occupation of crimea.Trips to russia, explored various turkic communities in the caucaus and was deeply impressed by the distinctions among the turkic tribes. Islam needed to be reformed in order to achieve the cultural modernisation of the turkic world. Long article – uc tarz-i siyaset. 3 forms of politics. Published 1904 turk, turkish newspaper in cairo. Discused ottomanism, pan-islamism and pan-turkism,...