Modern Turkish Research Articles

From Missionary Teacher to Dysfunctional Technician: Teacher Training System in Turkey and Formations of Turkish Modernity

ABSTRACT This study deals with the history of teacher training system in modern Turkey starting from mid-19th century to present times. The goal of this study is to describe the historico-discursive formation of the system. I used an analysis of institutional, rhetorical and programme contexts to determine and define discursive phases. The results indicated that teacher training system in Turkey has three overarching discursive phases and three corresponding teacher types; enlightenment-secularization era, the roll-back and conservatism era, and neoliberalization era, corresponding to missionary-teacher, expert-teacher and dysfunctional technician-teacher types, respectively.

ҚАРЖЫ-САУДА ЛЕКСИКАНЫҢ СЕМАНТИКАЛЫҚ ДАМУЫ: ҚОР, ҚҰН ЖӘНЕ ТАУАР СӨЗДЕРІ

The richness of the vocabulary of the Kazakh language can be traced in the abundance and diversity of the vocabulary. Especially the large number of words related to finance and economics in the Kazakh language indicates that the Kazakh people have long been well versed in economics and finance. Among the Turkic peoples and languages, the Kazakh language is distinguished by the rich variety of skins and wool, a variety of names for clothing, food, ores, minerals, expensive fabrics, materials, jewelry and the preservation of words of indigenous Turkic origin. The article analyzes the terms and individual names of the financial and economic sphere used in the active vocabulary of the Kazakh language. The very first meaning and etymology of some financial, economic and trade terms in the Kazakh language is given on the basis of data from modern Turkic languages, starting from ancient and medieval Turkic written monuments. Materials from unrelated languages were also used for semantic connections between words and for additional evidence. In this research paper, among the Kazakh financial and economic vocabulary, native words are presented, mainly common to the Turkic languages. In particular, the history of semantic change of active words such as “kor”, “kun” and “tauar” is considered, conclusions about their origin are made.

Mosque Construction as Nation-Building: The case of Turkey

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the question of mosque construction and its interrelationship vis-à-vis nation-building in contemporary Turkey. The dynamics of a secular state ruling over a conservative society have always been conflictual in republican Turkey, and this ever since the modern state began initiating a number of radical secular reforms in the 1920s and the 1930s. Among those reforms, disruptive in a previously conservative society, were the dissolution of the caliphate and dismemberment of religious institutions, coupled with widespread Westernizing policies including the adoption of Western sartorial habits, emphasis on science and technology, and changing the alphabet from the traditional Arabic to the current modern (romanized) Turkish script. On the other hand, the advent of democracy and changeover of government in 1950 brought with it the emergence of a renewed religious discourse and a desire for more mosque construction in order to accentuate the Islamic facet of Turkish culture. Therefore, the religious dimension of Turkish identity has increasingly been buttressed by mosque construction by right-wing governments, reaching its zenith with the current Justice and Development Party (JDP) government (beginning in 2002). Coupled with the emergence of an illiberal democracy bolstered by Turkish populism, this article proposes to analyze the linkage between mosque construction and the building of an Islamic conservative Turkish nation contrasting the secular Turkish identity of the ancien régime.

Making the Modern Turkish Citizen: Vernacular Photography in the Early Republican Era

Making the Modern Turkish Citizen: Vernacular Photography in the Early Republican Era

Ömer Seyfettin’s Short Story “The Rainbow”: A Precursor of Transgender Narratives

Ömer Seyfettin, the founder of the modern Turkish short story and a widely read literary figure, published “The Rainbow” (“Eleğimsağma”) in 1917 in a magazine. The story revolves around a ten-year-old girl, Ayşe, and her gender transformation as part of a struggle against masculine hegemony and suppression. Although this transformation takes place through the protagonist’s dream, Seyfettin successfully showcases how gender roles and stereotypes become central in building respectful, acceptable, and powerful personas in society. The story also helps to question the so-called domestic roles of women by juxtaposing the responsibilities of the two genders based on existing cultural norms. To this end, this study aims to investigate how established gender roles in a patriarchal society are called into question and how gender fluidity defies stereotypical understanding of gender representation in a male-dominated society. The analysis of this gender transformation in the story will be made through the concept of performativity which has been introduced by Judith Butler. Though biologically female, Ayşe enjoys activities such as riding, wrestling, shooting, and playing in the streets, which are almost always associated with the male gender. Furthermore, she is subjugated to societal and religious pressure to act like a girl and cover her body. In this respect, Ömer Seyfettin’s “The Rainbow” can be hailed as a leading narration that puts gender performativity in the limelight at the beginning of twentieth-century Turkish literature.

Forms of Modernization of Islamic Education in Türkiye in the 19th Century AD

Discussion of the modernization of Islamic education in Türkiye is nothing new. This remarkable writing about Turkish history in every perspective, makes the specificity of this article about the history of education born in Turkey. The learning method for educational modernization carried out in Turkey shows that it has been going on for a long time because of modernization for other Muslim countries that have been paying attention to education for a long time. Based on this article, it is discussed, in order to trace the background to the emergence of educational modernization in Turkey. This is to find forms of modernization as was done during that time in the field of education. So the birth of educational modernization is the impact of this situation that occurs in the social, political and economic system in Turkey. The factors of European expansion, rigid bureaucratic systems, the progress of European countries were the culmination of social change in Turkish society, giving rise to the Modernization of Education. As a result, policies and orientations emerged that brought progress to Turkey in the timing and future of exchanges. Educational modernization is a school model established by the government and society to use the curriculum implemented in schools. The treatment is carried out by adding modern science, let religious sciences be in their position, and disappear and then reappear and ultimately integrate religious knowledge with modern science is a progressive action in advancing education. Education in the form of Turkish modernization began in the 18th century, continued in the 18th century, 19th century to 20th century; Establishment of schools, empowerment communities, curriculum development, and rationalization of liberation in Turkey.

The idea of forming an army of Turkic States in modern Turkish foreign policy

With the establishment of the unipolar format, the Republic of Turkey faced new threats of weakening its importance as a strategic ally of NATO in the Middle East region. The existing risks of Turkey's eventual transformation into a peripheral state of North Atlantic politics have prompted the Turkish leadership, represented by the new government headed by Erdogan, to take concrete steps to review and constructively change the country's foreign policy course. Turkish policy, based on the concept of pan-Turkism, is aimed at developing relations and promoting the concept of Organizing Turkic-speaking states and forming the "Army of the Great Turan".

Socio-Linguistic Analysis of The Problems of Vulnerable and Critically Endangered Turkic Languages in Kazakhstan

The main goal of the article is to reveal the importance of preserving the use of native Turkic-speaking languages that are endangered such as Crimean Tatars, Tuvan, Balkars, Kumyks, Karachay, Nogai, Gagauz, Sakha and Khakass in Kazakhstan to pass the linguistic practices to the future generation before these ethnic groups disappear. The war times, the period of Great Famine, Stalin's repressions, deportation, all these events had their toll not only on Kazakhs, but also on all the Turkic peoples in general. The Turkic peoples who inhabited the Kazakh land during those hard times still live in our country. The state language of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the Kazakh language. Despite the fact that Kazakhstan is multi-ethnic, there are no obstacles for representatives of the ethnic minorities as to use their native tongues. These ethnic groups have less representation demographically as a reason their linguistic usage and practice is vulnerable. In this regard, the results of the national population census of 2021 in the Republic of Kazakhstan Statistical collection demonstrates the changes of the ethnic group from 2009 to 2021 (https://stat.gov.kz/national/2021/). The population has changed drastically. The problems of the vulnerable and critically endangered Turkic languages spoken by relevant ethnic minorities in Kazakhstan have been considered in this article.This article provides a general overview of how the oldest family classification affected the endangered Turkic languages in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, systematic grouping can be started by works of Arat. Arat proposes classifying a group of Turkic languages as “dialects” and “sub-dialects”, using the term “Turkic dialects” for modern Turkic languages from 1947 to 1951. But Arat's own classification of Turkic languages and subsequent classifications have not yet been consistently discussed in a comparative context. The article also provides an overview of the main works of such famous Turkologists as Talat Tekin’s “New classification of Turkic languages”, Benzing’s “Classification of the Turkic Languages” based on Samoilovich's classification and Karl Menges’s “Turkic languages and peoples”.The current state of the Turkic languages, the main problems of the vulnerable and critically endangered Turkic languages spoken by ethnic minorities has been considered in the article and also a socio-linguistic study of the situation in Kazakhstan, being the subject of research, has been conducted. The percentage based indicators and frequency analysis were performed by collecting data during the study using both qualitative and quantitative analytical methods. Hence, a 14 questions questionnaire was prepared with purpose of data gathering on the usage of the language and its application on day today life. The questionnaire was distributed in 2020 to collect data from 150 participants in ethnic groups. The data collected was found to be insufficient thus an alternative research method was applied to process the data. Interviews were conducted to analyze the qualitative aspects of the research. Audio recordings have been made during the interviews and recordings have been analyzed in the article. Regarding the research analyses, a concept has been formulated as to vulnerable and critically endangered Turkic languages spoken by relevant ethnic minorities in Kazakhstan.As a result of the analysis, the article discloses the similarity and differences of endanger Turkic languages in phonetic, morphological, syntactic and semantic terms, determining the level and scope of the use of native languages in Kazakhstan by Turkic ethnic communities.

FIVE SYLLABIC POETS: ARCHITECTS OF A NEW COUNTRY

The study is devoted to the Five Syllabic Poets who were active in the early twentieth century, during the transformation of the Ottoman Empire into the Turkish Republic. This period was marked not only by important political and social changes, but also by dramatic transformations in the cultural sphere, including literature. The Five Syllabic Poets, also known as the “Five Silabists”, aimed to create a new, authentic Turkish poetry that reflected the spirit and needs of modern Turkish society. They made a significant contribution to Turkish literature, noting their approach to poetry and their desire to make it accessible to a wide audience. The Five Syllabic Poets sometimes made use of the materials of folk literature, which were used in a decorative style. The beauties of the country, the realities of Anatolia with its people and landscapes, their personal feelings, especially the national and historical. The fact that all five poets express a number of folk literature motifs in the treatment of these subjects shows their sensitivity to this issue. The poetry of these poets also reflects the impact of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s reforms on the literary process, indicating important changes in the consciousness of Turkish society during the period of transformation. The analysis of the works of the Five Syllabic Poets allows us to better understand and evaluate the historical context and cultural transformations in Turkey at the turn of the century.

КАТЕГОРИЯ ПРИНАДЛЕЖНОСТИ И ПОСЕССИВНОЕ МЫШЛЕНИЕ ДРЕВНИХ ТЮРКОВ (на материале рунических памятников письменности)

The proposed article substantiates the possessive thinking of the ancient Turks and explores the category of belonging in various texts of the Old Turkic language, formed by synthetic morphological means, that is, through possessive affixes. On the basis of various researches of scientists, the authors indicate the relevance of the subject of possessive constructions in the ancient Turkic language, as affixes of belonging have “inalienable” properties of belonging, inherent only to the Turkic worldview of the most ancient times. Despite the extensive research on possessive forms, there are types of possessiveness that require more detailed study. This is necessary to enrich theoretical 27Том 3, No2, 2024 Язык и литература: теория и практикаISSN 2957-5567 (Print) 2957-5575 (Online)and historical data on the main pathways of formation and reasons for their emergence, grammatical methods of their formation, and their use as a means of expressing syntactic relationships. The authors have set the goal of the research to identify the peculiarities of possessive thinking among ancient Turks, as reflected in possessive affixes, and to examine how both the person and number of the subject of “inalienable” possession are expressed. The analysis focuses on the specific feature of the worldview of the nomads of the Great Steppe, which is linked to the means of expressing possession that emerged through grammatical reflection and has been preserved in all modern Turkic languages. On the empirical material of runic written monuments, the nature of origin and functioning of affixes of belonging in the Old Turkic language is revealed

THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND FORMATION OF ADVERBIAL SUFFIXES -YP, -IP (based on the monuments of Mamluk Kipchak)

There has been no in-depth, comprehensive and systematic study of the history of one of the complex grammatical categories of verbs-the category of adverbs, although it is found only slightly in some monuments and textbooks concerning the history of a particular language. One of the urgent problems of Kazakh Turkological science is a comprehensive study of the Turkic languages of any linguistic unity in historical periods, a comprehensive study of them from a synchronous and diachronic point of view and determining the level of historical continuity in comparison with our modern language.The article examines the grammatical function of the adverbial suffixes -yp, -ip, -up, -üp, -p in the Mamluk-Kipchak language, their influence and phonetic variants on the meaning of the word to which it is attached, the history of development and formation. The research is based on the materials of 5 monuments written in the Mamluk-Kipchak language and extant to the present day. The research work is based on the main method of studying the historical development of language - the comparative historical method.Phonetic variants of adverbial forms with suffixes -yp, -ip, -up, -üp, -p the order of attachment to the root, various semantic gradients in the main and indirect meanings, all of them do not differ much from modern Turkic languages, including Kazakh. Some features have been preserved in the modern Oguz language, and some in Kipchak. Even small differences between them can be considered as a natural phenomenon that arises during the historical development of the language.

HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF NARROW VOWELS IN THE TURKIC (KIPCHAK) LANGUAGES

On the basis of comparative historical methods, the degree of proximity and common features of related Turkic languages are determined. The phonetic and phonological structures of the Kazakh and related Turkic languages belonging to the Kipchak group are studied in a diachronic aspect. The universal phonological phenomena of narrow vowel phonemes based on the laws of synharmonism and the agglutinative structure of the Turkic languages are described on the material of the Kazakh, Karakalpak, Tatar, Bashkir, Nogai, Karachay-Balkar languages of the Kipchak group.The aim of the study is to identify common and distinctive features of the phonetic and phonological structures of the Kazakh and related (Kipchak) Turkic languages through comparative historical methods. The system of vocalism of related Turkic languages is compared with each other, their similarities and differences are revealed, and as a result, the stages of the historical development of phonetic systems are established, the ways of the emergence and formation of phonemes are described. As a result of comparing the vocalism of the narrow (y, i, u, ü) vowels of the Turkic languages of the Kipchak group, common and distinctive features in the phonological systems of related languages are determined. The results obtained in the course of the study are of great theoretical and practical importance. The study of the languages of the Kipchak group, which make up a large branch of modern Turkic languages and languages of written monuments of the ancient Turkic era from the point of view of diachronic phonology, opens up great prospects in the study of general patterns in other areas of linguistics.

A Classification Essay on Islamic Poetry in New Turkish Literature

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to define Islamic poetry, explore its analytical methodology, and provide examples that illustrate its thematic concepts within modern Turkish poetry. Methods: To achieve these objectives, the study employs the document analysis method, which is a qualitative research approach. The analysis focuses on modern Turkish poetry, examining examples across eight distinct categories of Islamic poetry. Results: The analysis of Islamic poetry within modern Turkish literature reveals its diverse manifestations across various thematic categories. These include Islamist Poetry, Turkish-Islamic Poetry, Sufi Poetry, Islamic Mystical Poetry, Islamic Metaphysical Poetry, Islamic Cultural Poetry, Religious Poetry, and Islamic Romantic Love Poetry. Each category is exemplified with a poem, showcasing the rich tapestry of Islamic sensibility, motivation, and thematic concepts present in modern Turkish poetry. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study highlights the enduring influence of Islam on Turkish poetry, both historically and in contemporary times. Through the exploration of Islamic poetry across different thematic categories, the study illustrates the depth and breadth of Islamic sensibility within modern Turkish literature. The researchers' conclusions drawn from the analysis further contribute to our understanding of the role of Islamic poetry in shaping cultural and literary discourse in Turkey.

Putting out the candle: Sufism and the orgy libel in late Ottoman and modern Turkey

ABSTRACT This article examines a religious libel, well-known in Turkish as ‘putting out the candle’ (mum söndürmek), that levels the accusation of orgiastic activities against Bektashi Sufis and Kızılbaş-Alevis. Dating back to at least the second century B.C.E. the accusation of debauchery following the extinguishing of candles has had a long and varied history in the Mediterranean that knows neither linguistic nor confessional boundaries. In the early twentieth century, the orgy libel was transformed by Turkish authors and propagated via modern fiction, particularly in novels and short stories. I argue that this change in authorship and genre had the effect of adapting ancient slanders and giving them new dimensions of appeal and credibility among modern audiences. Namely, modern Turkish literature wielded the orgy libel to entertain the public, support the reform and suppression of Sufi lodges, and express patriarchal views about women’s roles in society.

Revisiting Turkish Modernity or Uneven and Combined Development?

Revisiting Turkish Modernity or Uneven and Combined Development?

Using Case Forms for Expressing Temporal Relations in Modern Turkish Language

Many languages, including modern Turkish, employ lexemes with spatial meaning to express temporal relations. However, the Turkish language stands out for its use of case forms of nouns both to describe the spatial position and movement of objects and to establish the temporal reference of actions and events. These differences are systemic, suggest that native Turkish speakers perceive spatial and temporal phenomena in a unique way, and determine the historical change in their models of time perception. They challenge the belief that spatial relations prevail over temporal ones in the perception of the surrounding world by peoples with nomadic roots but highlight the necessity of considering materials from other Turkic languages. The results obtained show that facts from different linguistic levels should be involved to analyze how temporal relations are conveyed.

Ancient Typical and Modern Character of Some Consonant Phonemes in “Diwani Hikmet”

The article discusses some consonants within lexical and morphological units used in the Kokshetau version of “Divani Hikmet”, written in the Arabic-Persian alphabet around the end of the 17th century. It starts with writing models and characteristics in different positions, their archetypes in ancient texts, and also addresses phonetic phenomena such as voicing assimilation, devoicing assimilation, assibilation, apocope, haplology, gemination, syncope, etc., depending on the anlaut, inlaut, and auslaut positions of the consonants under study, as well as the reasons for these phonetic phenomena. Accordingly, the article uses confrontational (descriptive), synchronic (comparative), diachronic (historical), and contrastive (comparative) methods, in the process of conducting a scientific analysis of consonants in texts from Orkhon-Enisei (7th-8th centuries), Karakhan (10th-12th centuries), Khorezm (11th-13th centuries), ancient Anatolia (13th-15th centuries), ancient Kipchak (13th-16th centuries), in Turkic texts written during the Chagatai era (13th-19th centuries), and in modern Turkic languages. To achieve the set goal, it is necessary to comprehensively study the works of foreign and domestic scientists.

ETYMOLOGY OF SOME TURKIC WORDS IN THE WORK SHEZHIRE-I TERAKIME

The study of monuments of historical writing in the linguistic aspect is of great importance for linguistics. The research article analyzes the etymology of the words qaryndas, elshi, eñbek and baila- verb found in the work «Shezhire-i terakime». The use of these words in ancient Turkic written monuments, medieval heritage and modern Turkic languages is described. The main goal of the study was to determine the etymology of Turkish words. Hypothetical opinions of Altaic and Turkic scientists are given during the research. The work of Abulgazy Bahadur Khan “Shezhire-i terakime” is a medieval work written in the Chagatai language. Its lexical layer consists of Turkic, Mongolian, Arabic, and Persian words. Also, the mixed use of Oghuz, Kipchak, Karluk-Uighur elements in the language of the work indicates that the Chagatai language was a common written language for the Turkic peoples. Therefore, the lexical-semantic study of the historical work, which we took as an object, and the determination of the etymology of Turkic words in it speaks of the relevance of the study. To differentiate theoretical conclusions, the article uses the method of analysis, the method of semantic analysis, the descriptive method, and the historical- comparative method.

Sociological Evaluation of the Exception of Turkish Modernization

Türk modernleşmesinin veya Batılılaşmanın temel sorusu modernleşmenin bir zorunluluk mu, yoksa bir tercih mi olduğuyla ilgilidir. Lale Devri’nde başlayan ve bir zaruret/zorunluluk olarak ortaya çıkan Türk modernleşmesinin temel amacının devleti kurtarmak olduğu görülmektedir. Türk modernleşmesi, padişah ve üst düzey devlet bürokrasisi tarafından başlatılan ve hala devam eden tercihten ziyade zorunlu olan ve henüz tamamlanamamış bir devlet projesidir. Amaç içinde bulunulan zaruret halinden kurtulmaktır. Modernleşmeye, imparatorluğun parçalanma sürecine girdiği, prestij ve toprak kaybettiği bir zaruret ortamında başlanmıştır. Bu durum travmatik bir süreci de beraberinde getirmiştir. Bu travmanın etkilerini bugün bile birçok alanda görmek mümkündür. Çalışmada bu etkilere değinilmiş ve Türk modernleşme sürecinin istisna veya zaruret halleri değerlendirilmiştir. Bu bağlamda çalışmada, modernleşmeye zaruret olarak bakmanın sürece etkileri, zaruret halinin ne olduğu, geçici veya kısa bir zaman dilimini ifade eden zaruret halinin niçin devam ettiği veya uzun sürdüğü, bunun sebepleri, istisna hali psikolojisinin günümüzdeki toplumsal etkileri ve bu halden çıkış yollarının neler olabileceği gibi konular tartışılmaktadır. Makalenin amacı, Türkiye’nin modernleşme sürecini ve bu süreçteki istisna hallerinin sosyolojik boyutlarını ana hatları itibarıyla ortaya koymaktır. Makalenin temel problemi, Türk modernleşmesinin istisna hallerinin neler olduğu ve bunların sosyolojik olarak nasıl ele alınabileceğidir. Bu çalışma, literatür taramasına dayalı tasviri bir yöntemle ele alınmıştır.

Turkic Ethnic Realities in the Medieval Manuscript of Kipchak Origin

The purpose of our work was to analyze the ethnic realities of the Kipchak language in order to
 establish its similarities and differences with modern Turkic languages for which this medieval
 language was a proto-language. The written medieval manuscript in Arabic “Al-Tuhfa al-Zakiyya fi al-
 Lugha al-Turkiyyah” (Genuine wonder about the Turkish language) was one of the most important and
 most valuable source for studying the Kipchak language. The main feature of the work was that the
 original version was written in the Kipchak, as the anonymous author pointed out on the first page of
 the manuscript, stored in Istanbul, in the Beyazit state library. When studying objects that were far
 apart from each other in a temporary sense, such as medieval and modern languages, we used the
 comparative-historical method, and as a result concluded that in some cases there were only phonetic
 differences, while the syntactic and semantic commonality of lexical and phraseological units persisted.
 To classify ethnic realities, the statistical method of analysis was used. Ethnographic, cultural and
 mental realities testified to direct kinship and a single nomadic culture of the speakers of the languages
 of this group and provided an opportunity to restore the historical stages of the development of the
 Turkic languages from the Middle Ages to the present day.