Occidentalism in Turkey: Questions of Modernity and National Identity in Turkish Radio Broadcasting

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80. Narrating Islam: Interpretations of the Muslim World in European Texts GerdienJonker and Shiraz Thobani (eds) 9781 84511 9782

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OCCIDENTALISM IN TURKEY Questions of Modernity and National Identity in Turkish Radio Broadcasting

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MELTEM AHISKA

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92. Orientalism and Conspirary: Politics and Conspirary Theory in the Islamic World Arndt Graf, Schirin Fathi and Ludwig Paul (eds)

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TAURIS ACADEMIC STUDIES an imp.rint of

I.B.Tauris Publishers LONDON • NEW YORK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Illustrations

Vll

Acknowledgements ix Published in 2010 by Tauris Academic Studies An imprint of LB.Tauris & Co Ltd 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010 www.ibtauris.com

1. Introduction: Radio Technology and the Imaginaries of Modernity and Nation 1 2. Occidentalism: History and Theory 29

Distributed in the United States and Canada Exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010

3. The Studio and the 'Voice of the Nation' 65

Copyright © 2010 Meltem Ahlska

4. London Calling Turkey: Dialogic yet Competing Truths 93 The right of Meltem Ahlska to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Library of Modern Middle East Studies 79 ISBN9781845116538

A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library A full CIP record for this book is available from the Library of Congress Library of Congress catalog card: available Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt. Ltd. Camera-ready copy edited and supplied by the author

5. Radio Talks: The Forever Young Nation 129

6. Radio Dramas: Familiarising the Modern Nation 159 7. Conclusion: Further Reflections on Occidentalist Hegemony .183

Notes 197 Sources and References 239 Index 263

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. p.64. Back cover. Radyo, vol.1, no.3, 15 February 1942. 2. p.92. Sound engineers Muzaffer Harunoglu and Suat Osmanoglu at work in the studio. Radyo, vol.3, no.31, 15 June 1944. 3. p.128. Comic strip by Ramiz. Radyo, vo1.2, no.14, 15 January 1943, p.23. 4. p.157. Comic strip by Ramiz. Radyo, vo1.2, no.16, 15 March 1943, p.21. 5. p.158. The 'magical door' of radio drama: Two actors, Vahyi Oz and Re§at Altay are seen using the 'magical door' in the radio studio during the production of a radio drama. The door was regarded as 'magical' by radio producers since it could be utilised for performing a variety of acts.

Radyo, vol. 1, no.8, 15 June 1942, p.14. 6. p.182. Cover page. Radyo, vol.1, no 4, 15 March 1942.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

'One who goes too far East, because of geography, arrives in the West. The reverse is also true,' says the Turkish poet Ece Ayhan. I made a detour of a similar kind. This book on Occidentalism in Turkey is primarily based on a PhD thesis that was submitted to the Sociology Department of Goldsmiths College, University of London, in 2000. In order to write this thesis, I had to pass through various orientalisms and occidentalisms, both in Turkey and Britain, discovering the many and fragmented selves within my 'Turkish' present. However, the journey did not end there. I re-wrote my thesis to be published as a book in Turkish in 2005. Informed by many insightful and positive critiques that the book had generated in Turkey, I revisited the manuscript yet again to re-write it as a book in English. The re-thinking and re-formulations in each phase meant travelling in between languages and different intellectual and academic contexts, which introduced me to the realities of both physical and mental borders. However, it also gave me the best of gifts: the possibility of sharing the concerns of critical thinking across contexts that seek a future life beyond existing borders. I would like to thank a great many people who have helped in this long process, although it is not technically possible to cite all their names here. I feel a deep gratitude to my former supervisor, now colleague and friend Andrew Barry, who has always provided support as well as new and challenging ideas. I would like to thank Ali Rattansi, Celia Lury, Deniz Kandiyoti, Les Back and Vikki Bell for their valuable comments that helped me in re-shaping my thesis. I also thank John Keane, Nicholas Garnham and Paddy Scannell for giving me the first inspiration to conduct this research. I owe a debt of gratitude to Ay§e Oncu for her encouraging support, and Zafer Yenal for being there for illuminating conversations. I am greatly thankful to Alisa Lebow, Asena Gunal, Elif Kale, Nadir Ozbek and Orhan Koc;ak for reading parts of the manuscript(s) and providing the most insightful comments. Yet, I know that I could not do justice to most of them.

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OCCIDENTALISM IN TURKEY

I would like to thank Ay§e