Abstract
Inspired by one of Esmeray’s narratives of marginalization, which the Turkish singer-actor “unmarginalizes” by means of her storytelling, Melike Sayoglu analyzes the formation of the Turkish nation-state, the experiences of Turkish ethnic groups, and the government’s attempts to respond to these various ethnic groups. In foregrounding the silenced narratives of the African Turks by means of one of Esmeray’s songs and various governmental laws, the chapter details how relationships between majority and minority groups are best determined in conversations between both parties.
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Notes
- 1.
For a thorough discussion of the invisibility of African Turkish people, see Durugönül 2003.
- 2.
One of the leading experts on life stories is Alfred Hornung, a topic he explores and exemplifies in Chap. 10 of this volume.
- 3.
Unless otherwise indicated, all translations from the Turkish are mine.
- 4.
Suggesting a connection to her family’s African ancestry, Karakartal means “Black Eagle.”
- 5.
The Official Gazette, the Turkish Republic’s national journal, has published new legislation and official announcements since 1920 (Resmi Gazete).
- 6.
The Mor Gabriel Monastery (Deyrulumur) property is located in Mardin, a city in the more traditionally Muslim eastern part of Turkey.
- 7.
This is an often used Turkish idiom: one’s fate is written on one’s forehead.
- 8.
Here, Esmeray makes a kissy sound.
- 9.
Mucuk is an onomatopoeic expression in Turkish for kiss, the equivalent of “mwah” in English. Both the kissing sound and the pinch seem to be part of this superstitious practice.
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Sayoglu, M. (2018). Diversity and Inclusion in Turkey: Citizenship and Belonging. In: Gertz, S., Huang, B., Cyr, L. (eds) Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education and Societal Contexts. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70175-2_5
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