Gifting books, bribing elites, reaching the masses: Italian fascist propaganda in Turkey, 1923–38

Abstract

This article explores Fascist Italy’s attempts in the interwar era to influence Turkish perceptions of fascism and Italy. The techniques to be reviewed include interviews by diplomatic personnel, the gifting of books, film screenings, the sending of photographs and captions to Turkish outlets, and the use of intermediaries. The article will focus on Yunus Nadi’s [Abalıoğlu] financial entanglement with the fascist regime in 1931 and 1932. It will throw light on how documents in the Italian state archives illustrate that Cumhuriyet’s coverage of fascism was influenced by financial considerations. The discussion will also seek to highlight the Turkish service of Radio Bari, the Arabic broadcasting of which dominated discussions in the literature. The conclusion will review the methods and consider why some, such as the use of local ‘fascist’ groups, proved unsuccessful in Turkey, whereas others, like radio, offered much promise in reaching out to the wider public.