Turkish Literature

Abstract

Despite the Westernizing, laicist and benevolent dictatorship of Kemal Atatürk, who died in 1938, and who has never been replaced by a politician of equal calibre, Turkey remains helplessly torn between Islamic conservatism and Western ways. After the so-called Democratic Party was returned to power in the 1950 elections the clock was put back: facilities for peasant education were withdrawn, the constitution was undermined, and many writers were imprisoned. And despite the bloodless coup of 1960 and the subsequent developments, Turkey’s problems have not been solved — nor are things made easier for socially progressive (not necessarily communist) forces in the country by Russia’s immediate presence, which has always been felt as a threat. All the main political parties are associated with strong feudal interests. The predicament of the modern Turkish writer is not enviable: as well as his situation in society, he has to contend with the language problem — which continues to undermine creativity in Turkey. The position in 1984 is by no means stable: Turkey seems unable to accommodate democracy for long.