CULTURE, SPACE, AND GEOGRAPHY: THE TRANSFORMATION OF A DISCIPLINE IN TÜRKİYE

Abstract

The roots of geography as a spatial science in Turkey extend far beyond the Republican era. Geography, due to its examination of the distribution of both natural environment and human activities, is a multidimensional discipline. Especially in the last 20 years, issues such as migration, earthquakes, global warming, and climate change, which have come to the forefront more intensively, once again emphasize the importance of geography. Additionally, within the discipline of geography, it is also important to reflect the culture's perspective on space. The aim of this study is to examine the historical development of Turkish geography in the context of the interaction between culture and space; to reveal the main developmental trends of geography in Turkey within the dominant paradigms; and to identify the new trends in the discipline today. It should be noted that since the beginning of the 20th century, Turkish geography has embarked on an effort of establishment and organization, during which the effects of environmental determinism in geography were observed. Starting from the 1930s, the teaching of foreign geographers at universities in Turkey and their academic contribution in training students have facilitated the emergence of an important tradition, accompanying the modernization of Turkish geography to world standards. The fact that these foreign geographers were generally physical geographers has ensured significant progress in physical geography in Turkish geography until the 1970s. The period from the mid-20th century to the end of the 20th century witnessed a period of rise, especially in the field of physical geography in Turkish geography. From the late 20th century to the present, Turkish Geography has entered into new quests and orientations. In this recent period, the importance of the relationship between space, culture, and geography has further increased. In line with the requirements brought by this increasing importance, Turkish geography is continuing its efforts towards a new definition and direction.