Provincial newspapers as a historical source: Büyük ci̇had and the great struggle for the muslim turkish nation (1951-53)

International Journal of Middle East Studies

Volumn 41, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 437-455

  Brockett, Gavin D ^a  

^a WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ISLAMISM; MASS MEDIA; RELIGION; SOCIAL HISTORY;

EURASIA; TURKEY;

EID: 70350655202     PISSN: 00207438     EISSN: 14716380     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0020743809091144     Document Type: Article

References (106)

1. See, for instance, Vatan, 24 and 31 December 1952,
2. and a publication, Malatya Suikastinin İç Yüzü (The Truth about the Malatya Assassination Plot), written by G. Ozansoy and H. Cemal Beydeşman and published by Vatan (n.d.).
3. Cumhuriyet, 23 and 26 December 1952.
4. For Yalman's own account of events, see his Yakin Tarihte Gördüklerim ve Geçirdiklerim (1945-1970) (The Things I Saw and Experienced in Recent History [1945-1970]) (Istanbul: Yenilik Basimevi, 1970), 275-300.
5. Long after the fact, Hüseyin Üzmez also published his own account: Malatya Suiktasi (Istanbul: Timaş Yayinlari, 1999).
6. See Büyük Cihad, 5, 12, and 19 December 1952.
7. See also Vicdan Sesi (Samsun), 10 December 1952,
8. and Yeşil Nur (Eskişehir) 19 December 1952.
9. Richard Mitchell, The Society of Muslim Brothers (London: Oxford University Press, 1969)
10. Joshua Teitelbaum, "The Muslim Brotherhood and 'The Struggle for Syria,' 1947-1958: Between Accommodation and Ideology," Middle Eastern Studies 40 (2004): 134-58
11. Marion Boulby, The Muslim Brotherhood and the Kings of Jordan, 1945-1993 (Atlanta, Ga.: Scholars Press, 1999).
12. Uri M. Kupferschmidt, "Literacy, Illiteracy and Censorship in the Tradition of the Muslim Brotherhood," in Printing and Publishing in the Middle East, ed. Philip Sadgrove (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 165-84.
13. It is discussed only briefly in the basic political histories of the period: Kemal Karpat, Turkey's Politics (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1959)
14. Feroz Ahmad, The Turkish Experiment in Democracy 1950-1975 (London: C. Hurst & Co., 1977).
15. For a critique of this, see Gavin Brockett, "Revisiting the Turkish Revolution, 1923-1938: Secular Reform and Religious 'Reaction,'" History Compass 3 (2006): 1060-72.
16. This is particularly evident in terms of the modern nation-state in the Middle East; historians of the late Ottoman Empire have used extensively newspapers and journals produced in many provincial capitals.
17. To date, analysis of the press during the single-party period is very sparse. The most important statistical source is Feridün Tülbentçi, Cumhuriyetten Sonra Çikan Gazeteler ve Mecmualar: 29 İlkteşrin 1923-31 İlkkanun 1940 (Newspapers and Journals Printed in Turkey Since the Republic [October 1923-December 1940]) (Istanbul: Başvekâlet Matbuat, 1941).
18. Between 1871 and 1880 only four serials were published in Ankara. See Haluk Duman, "Anadolu'da Türkçe Basin (1867-1922)" (The Turkish Press in Anatolia), Müteferrika Yaz, no. 13 (1998): 75-92.
19. Statistics are based on Türkiye Bibliyografyasi, 1952. Türkiye'de Çikmakta Bulunan Gazete ve Mecmualar (Newspapers and Journals in Print in Turkey) (Istanbul: Başvekâlet Matbuat Umum Müdürlüǧü, 1945).
20. For further discussion of the contribution of the provincial press to the emerging national print culture, see Gavin Brockett, "Provincial Newspapers, Print Culture and the Framing of the Turkish Nation, 1945-1954," Printing and Publishing in the Middle East, 207-32.
21. Although political histories of the period do address this debate, the actual newspapers and journals remain to be studied in any depth. Leftist publications included not only the better-known Tan, Görüşler, Marko Paşa, Yeni Dünya, and La Turquie but also Gün, Gerçek, and Sendika in 1946
22. Zincirli Hürriyet in 1947 and 1948
23. Hür Gençlik in 1947
24. Baştan in 1948
25. and Yeni Baştan in 1950
26. Beşer in 1949
27. Nazim Hikmet in 1950
28. and Nuhun Gemisi in 1949-50.
29. Pan-Turkist publications included Çinaralti in 1948,
30. Yeni Bozkurt in 1948,
31. Tanridaǧ in 1950,
32. and Orkun in 1950-52.
33. Ismail Kara, "Cumhuriyet Türkiyesi'nde Dini Yayinciliǧin Gelişimi Üzerine Birkaç Not" (The Development of Religious Publishing in the Republic of Turkey), Toplum ve Bilim, 29-30 (1985): 153-78. The government also used school texts to stress its own version of Turkish-Islamic history.
34. See Barak Salmoni, "Islam in Turkish Pedagogic Attitudes and Education Materials: 1923-1950," Turkish Studies Association Bulletin 24, no. 2 (2002): 23-61.
35. Hamza Türkmen, "Hareket Dergisi (1939-1982)" (The Magazine Hareket [1939-1982]), in İslamcilik (Istanbul: İletişim, 2004), 715-20.
36. Caner Arabaci, "Eşref Edib Fergan ve Sebilürreşad Üzerine" (Concerning Eşref Edib Fergan and Sebilürreşad), in İslamcilik, 96-128.
37. There is no comprehensive analysis of Büyük Doǧu at present. For limited information, see Bütün Yönleriyle Necip Fazil (Necip Fazil from Every Perspective (Ankara: Türkiye Yazarlar Birliǧi, 1994),
38. and Cemil Koçak, "Türk Milliyetçiliǧinin İslam'la Buluşmasi: Büyük Doǧü" (Büyük Doǧü: The Meeting of Turkish Nationalism and Islam), Milliyetçilik (Istanbul: Iletişim, 2002), 601-13.
39. For statistics on publications according to subject, see Türkiye Bibliyografyasi for 1950 and 1952. Kara, "Cumhuriyet Türkiyesi'nde."
40. Baydoǧan regularly advertised these in his Müslüman Sesi, published in Izmir after 1948.
41. For details concerning Nursi's activities in these years, see Necmeddin Şahiner, Bilinmeyen Taraflariyla Bediüzzaman Said Nursi (The Unknown Sides to Bediüzzaman Said Nursi) (Istanbul: Nesil, 2001).
42. Fahrettin Gün, Sebilürreşad Dergisi Ekseninde Çok Partili Hayata Geçerken İslâmcilara Göre Din, Siyaset ve Laiklik (1948-1954) (Religion, Politics, and Secularism According to Islamists in Sebilürreşad During the Transition to Multiparty Life, 1948-1954) (Istanbul: Beyan Yayinlari, 2001).
43. M. Ertuǧrul Düzdaǧ, Volkan Gazetesi (The Newspaper Volkan) (Istanbul: Iz Yayincilik, 1992).
44. Yeşil Nur's subtitle changed from "Siyasi" to " Dini, Içtimai ve Siyasi" with its seventh issue on 6 June 1951. Its first four issues were described as gayri siyasi (nonpolitical). Yeşil Nur published reasonably regularly between May 1951 and 17 August 1951 (six issues), between 28 December 1951 and 23 June 1952 (eleven issues), and occasionally between 31 October 1952 and 3 April 1953 (five issues).
45. Vatan, 22 January 1953. Yeşil Nur (Eskişehir), 9 January and 3 April 1953.
46. Interview by the author with Kemal Bülbül, Samsun, 16 March 2002. Bülbül used Vicdan Sesi to publish his own poems and often published additional sections with his literary works.
47. Cumhuriyet, 24 December 1952.
48. These rates were very similar to those of the other Samsun newspapers.
49. This was Ahali Matbaasi. Büyük Cihad began to be printed there as of its seventeenth issue on 6 July 1951.
50. In his interview Bülbül recalled that Baǧişlayici had died at a young age in an automobile accident. He could not be more specific. On 21 December 1951 Büyük Cihad reported that Baǧişlayici had traveled to Istanbul to participate in an Islam Democrat Party meeting. Efforts were under way to establish a branch of the Islam Democrat Party in Samsun, but it does not appear to have actually opened.
51. Bülbül went by the surname Kavaklioǧlu, although this does not appear in the newspapers. On Bülbül's life, see Irfan Ünver Nasrattinoǧlu, Samsunlu Aşik Kemali Bülbül (The Samsun Poet Kemal Bülbül) (Ankara: Esengür Matbaasi, 1976).
52. This differs in some details from an autobiographical vignette, "K. Bülbül Kavaklioǧlu Kimdir?" Vicdan Sesi (Samsun), 31 January 1953. I have taken the latter to be the most accurate source.
53. Bülbül was not the managing editor for the brief period between issues fifty-nine and sixty-eight.
54. Torun first appeared on 1 January 1951.
55. Cumhuriyet, 6 January 1953.
56. Information on Atilhan's life is found in Rifat Bali, Musa'nin Evlatlari Cumhuriyet'in Yurttaşlari (The Children of Moses, Citizens of the Republic) (Istanbul: Iletişim, 2001), 211-56.
57. Büyük Cihad also provided a biography of Atilhan's early life: "Cev at Rifat Atilhan Kimdir?" 7 September 1951 and 14 September 1951.
58. Islami Saran Tehlike ve Siyonizm (Istanbul: Cemal Azmi Matbaasi, 1952)
59. Türk Oǧlu Düşmanini Tani! (Istanbul: Ak-Ün Basimevi, 1952).
60. Also advertised in Büyük Cihad on 10 July 1951 were Filistin Cephesinde Yahudi Casuslari and Farmasonlar: İslamiyeti ve Türklügü yikmak için Nasil Çaliştilar.
61. Büyük Cihad, 27 April, 25 May, and 28 September 1951. İslam Dünyasi and Volkan were two religious-nationalist publications to draw attention to the plight of Palestinian Muslims. Sebilürreşad and Büyük Doǧu were also notable for their anti-Semitism.
62. Büyük Cihad, 16 March 1951.
63. Büyük Cihad, 23 March 1951.
64. E. Tyan "Djihad," Encyclopedia of Islam, 2nd ed.
65. "Türkiye bir müslüman devletidir ve müslüman kalacaktir."
66. Büyük Cihad, 23 March, 11 May, and 18 May 1951.
67. Büyük Cihad, 4 May 1951.
68. "İrtica Yaygarasi" initially appeared on 1 March 1951 in Komünizme Karsi Mücadele (Zonguldak) but was reprinted by numerous periodicals, including Yeşil Nur on 28 December 1951. It appeared in Büyük Cihad on 16 March 1951 and in Sebilürreşad 144 (Istanbul), February 1953 under the title "İrtica Yoktur Efendiler."
69. Information on the Büyük Do ǧu Cemiyeti can be found in the pages of Büyük Dogü (Istanbul), 1 July 1949.
70. The best information on the Türk Milliyetçiler Derneǧi can be found in the pages of its journal, Mefkure (Ankara).
71. For party programs, see Tarik Zafer Tunaya, Türkiye'de Siyasi Partiler (Political Parties in Turkey) (Istanbul: N.p., 1952).
72. Although it was not an official organ of the Islam Democrat Party, it is important to note that the pages of Büyük Cihad constitute the most important source as to its activities. See also Haluk Karabatak, "İslam Demokrat Partisi" (Islam Democrat Party), Tarih ve Toplum 130 (1994): 196-205.
73. Discussion along these lines dominated the party's seventh congress in November-December 1947. See Yedinci Kurultay Tutanaǧi (Ankara: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, 1949).
74. This law was passed on 16 June 1950. See press coverage for the period and assembly debate in TBMM Tutanak Dergisi 9.1.9.178-87 (16 June 1950).
75. See, for instance, Cumhuriyet, 18, 24, and 27 March 1951.
76. Cumhuriyet, 13 and 18 March and 18 May 1951; 16 September 1952
77. Hürriyet (Istanbul), 14 March 1951
78. Samsun, 17 March 1951
79. Demokrat Eskişehir, 17 March 1951
80. Sabah (Antakya), 7 October 1952.
81. Demokrat Eskişehir, 16 March 1951.
82. Akisler (Çorum), 20 September 1952
83. Zafer (Ankara), 19 September 1952. Zafer defended the Democrat Party on this matter.
84. Gurses (Gaziantep), 18 October 1952
85. also Ulus (Ankara) 13 and 17 October, 15 and 22 September 1952.
86. Büyük Cihad, 12 September 1952.
87. Büyük Cihad, 3 October 1952.
88. Büyük Cihad, 10 and 24 October 1952.
89. Cumhuriyet, 14 and 17 October 1952
90. Ulus (Ankara), 16 and 26 October 1952
91. Yeni Sabah (Istanbul), 17 October 1952
92. Gündüz (Giresun) 11 December 1952
93. Cumhuriyet, 24 October 1952.
94. See Sebilürreşad (Istanbul) 137 (October 1952) and 138 (November 1952).
95. Büyük Cihad, 24 October 1952.
96. Ustaoǧlu was later banned from the Democrat Party, prosecuted, and sentenced to six months in prison. Samsun, 13 December 1954.
97. The text of Menderes's speech delivered in Kayseri is in Ayin Tarihi (November 1952), 68.
98. Samsun Postasi, 20 February 1953.
99. TheGreat East Association had already closed itself in June 1951. TheAssociation of Turkish Nationalists was closed on 22 January and the Nation Party in July.
100. This law had originally prohibited the use of religion to threaten the security of the state. The new law, 5435, was ratified by the assembly on 10 June 1949. For debate in the assembly, see TBMM Tutanak Dergisi 8.20.104.572-98 (8 June 1949).
101. TBMM Tutanak Dergisi 9.9.104.303-24. Law 5816 was ratified by the Grand National Assembly on 25 July 1951.
102. This was the "Vicdan ve Toplanma Hürriyetinin Korunmasi Hakkinda Kanun," 6187, ratified by the assembly on 24 July 24 1953.
103. For assembly debate, see TBMM Tutanak Dergisi 9.24.115.1043-144 (23 July 1953).
104. On the trials see Cumhuriyet, 18 July 1954. Zafer (Ankara), 4 August 1953.
105. Here the work of Michael Meeker is particularly important: A Nation of Empire: The Ottoman Legacy of Turkish Modernity (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2002).
106. Ahmad, The Turkish Experiment in Democracy, 162, 171.