Changing Definitions of Turkish Peasantry in a Century-Long History: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

ABSTRACT From the beginning, the peasantry has played a pivotal role in the making of the Turkish national identity. Throughout the century-long history of the Turkish nation-state, the status and significance of the peasantry have shifted in response to strategic and pragmatic changes in national, international, and oppositional politics. This article aims to trace the changing meanings of the peasantry in Turkish politics in accordance with the changing characteristics of the peasantry as a class element in Turkish capitalism. In doing so, we seek to explore how the real and imaginary meanings of the peasantry align or diverge from each other in a century-long period. For the first time, the article presents a comprehensive table that identifies key elements of this interaction across different periods spanning a century of Turkey’s history. By elucidating the criteria that have influenced the peasantry’s development as a social class and its definition within the broader societal framework over this extensive period, provoking new inquiries into the peasantry’s enduring role as a dynamic force in contemporary Turkish society is anticipated.