Turkish Cinema

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to outline the history of the cinema in Turkey from the late Ottoman period to the present day. Questions provide to look at the history of Turkish cinema within the framework of the political, economic and social changes. For the readers not familiar with development in Turkey, are seen how the historical and social changes in Turkey affects Turkish cinema industry. This chapter underlines the important turning points- The Ottoman and Republic period, after the transition period from a single-party to a democratic system which led to a decadelong right-wing DP government, the 1980 coup d’état etc.- and also social movements—feminist, Kurdish, leftist, and Islamist movements. Not only historical and social changes, but also the reflection of these changes in films are also discussed. The reflections of political transformations in the Turkish cinema are handled within the framework of films that characterize the period.