Modern Turkish Research Articles

Intertextual Games - "My Name is Red" by Orhan Pamuk

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk is set in 16th-century Istanbul, but it has numerous narrative realities that link it to Iranian culture and significant works of classical Persian literature. My Name is Red includes numerous elements of the post-modernist novel and Persian classical literature; its characters enter Pamuk's novel in a post-modern “appearance.” As Umberto Eco notes, “Books always speak of other books, and every story tells a story that has already been told” (The Name of the Rose). Pamuk’s novel contains an extensive number of instances of intertextuality. Although the protagonists of Nizami Ganjavi’s love poem Khosrow and Shirin and Kara and Shekure of Pamuk’s novel appear to be completely different from one another, the narrators, including the protagonists, continually draw attention to their similarities. While the characters in Nizami’s poem are not central to the plot of Pamuk’s novel, they do play a significant role in it. Pamuk’s novel’s intertextuality elevates the discourse to the plane of worldview. With some familiarity with Eastern culture, the reader should be able to discern more than just the relationship between the two passages. Another allusion in My Name is Red is to the collective memory of modern Turkish society. Bakhtinian polyphony is a discourse between two (Persian and Turkish) and more cultures.

Ioanna Kuçuradi: The Ideal of Turkish Modernity in Turkish Philosophical Humanism

Abstract In 20th century philosophical anthropology and value theory in the Turkish philosophical scene have been philosophical buttresses of Turkish modernity. Inspired by Nicolai Hartmann and Max Scheler, Turkish philosopher Takiyettin Mengüşoğlu and his pupil Ioanna Kuçuradi created an academic tradition, which I call “Turkish Philosophical Humanism.” Turkish philosophical humanism stresses that to conserve the value of human being the constitutional law must be made in such a way that citizens can flourish as persons. In this framework I reflect on Ionna Kuçuradi’s academic and political engagement by taking into account her gender, ethnic and religious differences, differences in terms of which she did not describe or present herself. I am interested in the political ordeals she went through as she lived through the political pressures on academia in Turkey and her reflection on her own experience in terms of her personalism and value theory.

The appearance of common turkic phrasemes in modern turkic languages

The appearance of common turkic phrasemes in modern turkic languages

Efi Kanner. Men and Women in the Modernization Adventure: Turkish Modernization from a Gender Perspective

Efi Kanner. <i>Men and Women in the Modernization Adventure: Turkish Modernization from a Gender Perspective</i>

Making the Modern Turkish Citizen: Vernacular Photography in the Early Republican Era , by Ozge Baykan Calafato

Making the Modern Turkish Citizen: Vernacular Photography in the Early Republican Era , by Ozge Baykan Calafato

Inventing a Selfie Studio

Abstract Through a case study of Istanbul’s Foto Görçek, playfully dubbed ‘the world’s first selfie studio’, this article focuses on the changing photographic practices from the mid-1940s–1960s in modern Turkey, which experienced a dramatic political transition during the 1950s with the introduction of the multi-party regime following three decades of strictly secular Kemalist rule. This study explores how Foto Görçek challenged and transformed studio practices in Turkey, particularly during its increasing popularity in the 1950s–1960s, by allowing people to take up Elizabeth Edwards’ notion of the ‘theater of the self’, or when the self also takes on the role of the photographer. Accordingly, the article looks at the affordances of the photo studio as a space where citizens reimagined their desired selves and when new ways of imagining the self were made available to them. Moreover, this study investigates how such new imagined selves in the aftermath of the Second World War served to renegotiate a desired modern Turkish identity resulting from the rigorous state-controlled nation-building process during the 1920s–1930s.

THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONCEPT IN MODERN TURKIC LANGUAGES (on the materials of the Kazakh, Turkish and Uzbek languages)

One of the priority tasks of modern linguistics and the humanities is the study of language in the framework of the anthropocentric paradigm. The purpose of this article is to determine the degree of study of the concept, which is the main unit of cognitive linguistics and cultural linguistics in modern Turkic languages (Kazakh, Turkish, Uzbek). The article also touches upon such a complex phenomenon as the concept sphere, which has a national character. The importance of the need for in-depth conceptual research in the comparative aspect of the Turkic languages (Kazakh, Turkish, Uzbek) is determined. Nowadays, fundamental research is carried out in the study of the concept in Kazakh and Uzbek linguistics, but Turkish linguistics cannot yet be included into this list. However, the issue of the theoretical study of the concept in the Turkic languages (Kazakh, Turkish and Uzbek) in general, diachronic and synchronic analysis of the structure of the concept, identification of the concepts of the ancient Turkic worldview found in the written heritage and the problem of the need of their comprehensive analysis were considered. The importance of supplementing the linguistic reservoir of Turkic languages (Kazakh, Turkish, Uzbek) with comparative research was identified. During the research, the works of domestic and foreign scientists were analyzed, works on the study of the concept and the concept sphere in modern Turkic languages (Kazakh, Turkish, Uzbek) were selected and the obtained scientific information was synthesized. Research on this direction in the Kazakh, Turkish and Uzbek linguistics has been classified. The results of the study are used in comparative research in the field of cognitive linguistics in the Turkic languages, giving lectures on the discipline of «Cognitive linguistics» for students and applicants of the specialty of philology and Turkic studies.

A Lefebvrian Perspective on Turkish Modernization, Everyday Life, and Cinema Relationship in the Early Republican Era

Sinema görsel ve işitsel anlamda etki gücü yüksek; tutum ve davranışların yerleşmesinde etkili bir sanat formudur. Erken Cumhuriyet olarak kabul edilen, Cumhuriyetin ilanından 1950 yılına kadar geçen süre devrimlerle birlikte gündelik hayat içerisinde köklü dönüşümlerin yaşanması açısından önemli bir zaman dilimine karşılık gelmektedir. Bu bakımdan, gündelik hayat pratiklerinde gerçekleşen bu devrimci yaklaşımın yaşandığı dönemde sinemanın edindiği yeri açığa çıkarmak bu çalışmanın temel amacını oluşturmaktadır. Bu amaca ulaşmak adına öncelikli olarak, dönemin ruhunu oluşturan Türk modernleşmesine gündelik hayat çerçevesinden bir bakış yerleştirilmiştir. Ardından, dönemin kurucularının sinemaya ilişkin tutumuna yer verilerek çalışmanın tarihsel bağlamı konumlandırılmıştır. Erken Cumhuriyet döneminde sinema ve gündelik hayat ilişkisini açığa çıkarabilmek için iki yönlü bir sorgulama gerçekleştirilmiştir. Birincil olarak, fiziki bir mekân olarak sinemanın ve seyir pratiklerinin gündelik hayat içerisindeki yeri, ikincil olarak sinemada seyri gerçekleşen anlatılar dolayısıyla gündelik hayata yansıyanlar ve bu yansımaların kamusal etkileri. Çalışma kapsamında gündelik hayat kavramı Lefebvreci anlamıyla ele alınırken sinemanın yeri ve anlatılarının gündelik hayatla ilişkisi ise ideolojik analiz yöntemi tasarımı kullanılarak irdelenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, sinemanın modernleşme adımlarının atıldığı bu dönemde devlet destekli bir proje olarak yürütülmemesine karşın gündelik hayattaki değişimlerin gerçekleşmesinde önemli bir etkiye sahip olduğu tespitine varılmıştır.

Factors that Shaped the Art of Turkish Painting in The Republic Period

The roots of current Turkish painting can be traced back to the early 20th century. Until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, painting did not emerge as one of the most important and influential art forms in Turkish culture. However, as a result of the historical processes spanning from the late period of the Ottoman Empire to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the paradigm shift brought about by the Republic facilitated the formation and establishment of a unique art form known as Western style painting in the Turkish nation. The transformation from subjects of a monarchy to citizens of a nation, and from subjects to individual identities, which took place during the Republic era, enabled Turkish painting to acquire a national character through the influence of state patronage and the power of reforms. Although the Westernization movement and educational reforms that began during the Ottoman period led to a new formal direction influenced by the forms of the Western worldview, as well as the unique content of the Ottoman state’s worldview, it was during the Republic era that Turkish painting found its characteristic forms and expressions. While the formal patterns of painting were influenced by Western styles of the time, the subject matter and content reflected the intellectual and revolutionary world of modern Turkish society, allowing for the emergence of a distinctive form of painting art under these circumstances.

Research and Scientific Conclusions about the Linguistic and Stylistic Features of the Work ‘Divan-i Hikmet’

In this article, the author analyzes local and foreign publications of research and scientific data on the linguistic and stylistic features of the work of Divani-i Hikmet, which is considered one of the common heritages of the Turkic peoples. In particular, he analyzes the views of scientists such as A. Vamberi, A. Nazhip, T. Mentsel, E. Bertels, A.K. Borovkov, A.N. Kononov, N. Baskakov, F.M. Koprulu, E. Rustamov, G. Aidarov, A. Kurushzhanov, M. Tomanov, K. Eraslan, M. Orazov, G. Musaev, A. Guzel, R. Syzdykova, L. Kadyrov, A. Mukhtarov, U. Sanakulov, U. Tursunov, B. Urunboev, A. Aliyev about linguistic features of hikmets. Initially, having considered the divergence of opinions regarding which branch of the Turkic languages the “Divan-I Hikmet” belongs to, the author connects this connection with the large number of versions of the monument and the fact that the versions differ from each other in content and language. Further, he notes the fact that the version of “Divan-I Hikmet”, written under Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, did not reach our days, caused controversy among scientists. Meanwhile, the author believes that the allegations that Yasawi’s hikmets were written in the ancient Turkic language or in the Karakhanid period are unfounded, and the construction of one or another branch of the modern Turkic language is the result of forgetting some features of this language or language groups. In this regard, in order to prove or disagree with the views and conclusions of some scientists, expressing his opinion, basing himself on concrete examples, he compared some phonetic, morphological and lexical and grammatical features of Divani-i Hikmet with their use in ancient monuments and modern Turkic languages.

The Role and Effects of the Ottoman Sultans in the Formation of Modern Turkish Theatre: Inspiration, Construction and Revival

Tarihi çok eskilere dayanan Türk tiyatrosu temelde “geleneksel” ve “modern” olmak üzere ikiye ayrılmaktadır. Osmanlı’nın son yüzyılına kadar etkinliğini sürdüren geleneksel tiyatro kalıpları Avrupa ile kurulan temaslar akabinde yerlerini giderek Batı tarzı tiyatro anlayışına bırakmış, bu değişim “esin, inşa ve ihya” kavramlarıyla nitelenebilecek süreçler sonrasında gerçekleşmiştir. Osmanlı’nın 17. yüzyıl itibarıyla yürütmeye başladığı Batıyla temasa geçip ilişkileri geliştirme politikası III. Selim ve II. Mahmud dönemlerinde oldukça etkili bir hale gelmiş, Batı tarzı sanat ve tiyatro ile tanışıklık da gerçek anlamda ilk bu dönemlerde olmuştur. Bu noktada özellikle Avrupa’ya gönderilen elçilerin gözlem ve bilgi anekdotlarından oluşan Sefaretnamelerin oldukça etkili olduklarını söylemek gerekir. Batıyı tanıma ve bilme noktasında önemli işlevlere sahip olan bu sefaretnamelerin bir diğer özelliği de 19.yüzyılda inşa edilecek olan modern Türk tiyatrosunun kuruluşuna izlek ve esin kaynağı olmalarıdır. Kuşkusuz modern Türk tiyatrosu III. Selim ve II. Mahmud’un eğilimleri akabinde Batı tarzı sanatı tanıma, bilme ve esinlenme aşamalarını yaşamış, fakat inşa ve ihya süreçlerini “3A dönemi” olarak adlandırdığımız, padişahlar Abdülmecid, Abdülaziz ve Abdülhamid dönemlerinde gerçekleştirmiştir. Batı tarzı Türk tiyatrosunun inşasında üçlü sacayağı görevi yürüten sözü edilen padişahlar yenilikçi ve Batılılaşma yönünde ortaya koymuş oldukları irade ve yönetim anlayışı ile Türk tiyatrosundaki bu keskin makas değişiminin mimarları olmuşlar, katkı ve kazanımlarıyla modern Türk tiyatrosunun daha kuruluş aşamasında “altın çağ” yaşamasına yol açmışlardır. Batı tiyatrosu ile Geleneksel Türk tiyatrosu arasındaki iki temel fark bu dönemlerde giderilmiştir. Batı tiyatrosunun iki karakteristik yapısı söz konusudur. Biri metne dayalı olması diğeri de oyunların sahnede (tiyatro salonu) sergileniyor olmasıdır. Modern tiyatronun koşulu olan bu iki etmen üç padişahın döneminde etkin bir şekilde yerine getirilip hem metinli tiyatroya geçilmiş hem de tiyatro binaları yapılarak oyunların artık sahnelerde oynanması sağlanmıştı. Yanı sıra, modern Tük tiyatrosuna ait hemen tüm ilkler ve yenilikler bu dönemlerde gerçekleşti. Yine, saraydaki sahne sanatlarına ilişkin oluşumlar ile özel ve azınlıklara ait çok çeşitli tiyatro grupları bu dönemlerde ciddi saray desteği görmüş, padişahların ‘ihsanları’ sayesinde tiyatro yaşamlarını sürdürebilmişlerdi. Ayrıca Batı tarzı sahne gösterilerinin uluslararası ilişkilerin ve diplomasinin araçlarından biri olarak kullanılması ve bunun bir devlet kültürü haline gelmesi de sözü edilen padişahlar dönemine aittir. Hülasa, Türk tiyatrosunun modernleşmesine ve dram sanatına dönüşmesine ilişkin tarihsel veriler ve gerçeklikler ışığında yapılacak her türlü değerlendirme, kuşku yok ki, inşa ve ihya sürecinde padişahları başat özne olarak konumlandırmayı bilimsel bir gereklilik olarak dikkatlere sunacaktır.

The structure of conditional sentence in the newspaper journalistic style of standard Turkishl

The article is devoted to the use of various means of expressing the functional-semantic field of condition by reference to the Turkish press of the 20th – 21st centuries, which is considered the most “democratic” and flexible style of standard language. The structure of complex sentence in modern Turkish has not been so far in the focus of researchers, which determines the topicality and scientific novelty of this paper. The aim of the study is to determine the basic tendencies in Turkish syntax in the diachronic aspect during the last century, using the methods of comparative and quantitative linguistics. The research results show that in the newspaper journalistic style of the modern Turkish language preference is being given to morphological (forms of conditional mood and, less frequently, conditional modality) and lexical-syntactic (constructions made with verbal forms and auxiliary words) means of expressing condition. It is noted that periphrastic forms of conditional mood and modality are not used in the 21st century. There is a decrease in number of lexical means originating from Arabic and Persian, which can be the result of the evolution of the Turkish mass media language; moreover, writers refuse to use conjunctions due to them being optional in a Turkish conditional sentence. In addition, in the Turkish press of the 21st century, means that express substantival instead of adjectival meaning and do not contain temporality are used with higher frequency. Previous studies carried out on the topic of sentences of concession, reason and comparison in the Turkish press show similar results.

Bound productivity in stem-formation and categorial separation

This study argues that individually unproductive processes of morphology can be highly productive for certain other tasks in sequential productions when they occur in combination with certain other processes. Unlike the relevant literature, which generally treats -(y)I as a phonological piece of the agentive suffixation in Modern Turkish, -(y)ICI, the study argues that -(y)I in instances like kır-ı-cı (break-nominalizer-agentive) ‘breaker/offending, hurtful’, is a stem-formative, creating novel stems required for further operation, -CI. Importantly, the -(y)I nominalization, with no semantic motivation, provides numerous (bound) V-(y)I- forms which are unattested in isolation without further derivation. Thus, the recognition of such a stem-formative is crucial. It shows that (i) form, meaning, and categorial separateness is necessary, and (ii) bound derivations and bound productivity can constitute a good part of the grammar. The study supports the formal analyses via the experimental findings of a recent survey of the productivity of a group of paradigmatic nominalizations including -(y)I in Turkish, and concludes that stem-formative operations may output “preforms”, which are bound but productive derivatives fulfilling the formal conditions of forthcoming operations, and that semantics-free stem-formations may involve categorial modifications. This leads us to categorial separation and its possible autonomy in grammar.

Monuments as “Sites of Memory”: Remembering the Forgotten Ottoman Past of the Modern Turkish Republic through Elif Shafak’s The Architect’s Apprentice

Monuments as “Sites of Memory”: Remembering the Forgotten Ottoman Past of the Modern Turkish Republic through Elif Shafak’s The Architect’s Apprentice

WESTERN PORTRAYAL IN “FORBIDDEN LOVE” BY HALID ZIYAUŞAKLIGIL JOINT RESEARCH PAPER

The great Turkish writer Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, who lived between 1865 to 1945, kept his literary fame for decades after his death. This came as a result of his contribution in the modern Turkish Literature. The reason behind this fame is due to his unique works. HalidZiya is considered one of the most important Turkish writers in the twentieth century. He enriched the Turkish literature with several literary works. He is considered in the first position among writers and authors because of the variety of his writing in addition to poetry, especially in the field of writing novels, and short stories. This variety came, in the first place, as a result of his passion toward French literature and the impact of it on him. He had a good knowledge of the western literature. He is considered on of the first Turkish novelists who wrote in the European (Western) style. He wrote literary works that bear the western literature concept. Halid Ziya occupied a high position in the field of prose. He became famous after publishing his novel “Aşk-ı Memnû” or “Forbidden Love”. It is considered one of the most important work among his novels in the history of modern Turkish Literature. Halid Ziya owned a good knowledge in the structure of the Turkish literature and its directions. The novel “Forbidden Love” is considered the best example in the field of literature because it showed his wide scope of knowledge successfully. He explored in this novel a detailed and analytical study of the Turkish grammar. We depend mainly in our research paper on this novel. It studies the different changes in time in the novel which is clear in the field of prose and the artistic work in the TV series nowadays. The novel “Forbidden Love” embodied main characters who are Nihal, Bahlool, Bihter, Adnan, and Basheer. The novel revolved on

Turkish Modernization And The Republic on the Axis of Democratization

Toplumsal yenileşme hareketleri, siyasi sistemler içerisinde kitleleri yakından ilgilendiren vakalardır. Değişim süreçleri içerisinde sosyal hayatın gelişmesi için kurgulanan yenilik hamleleri zaman zaman yönetimsel anlamda müdahaleler şeklinde de gerçekleştirilir. Siyasal değişimi hedefleyen bu uygulamalar daha ziyade ideologların talepleri doğrultusunda toplumun ihtiyaçları çerçevesinde hayata geçirilmişlerdir. Bütün bunlar tepeden inme emirlerle baskılama şeklinde olabileceği gibi, belli bir süreç içerisinde zamana yayılmak suretiyle de olabilmektedir. Oldukça sancılı olan toplumsal değişim ve dönüşümler hedef kitle içerisinde önemli sorunlar doğurabilir. Değişim süreçleri sırasında ve sonrasında kaotik ortamların ve polemiklerin yaşanması kaçınılmazdır. Toplumsal değişim hareketleri oldukça hassas uygulamalar olduğundan özellikle rol modeller üzerinden yürütülme esası üzerine oturtulmuşlardır. Demokratikleşme ekseninde batılı kaygılarıyla gerçekleşen Türk modernleşme hamleleri, uygulama sürecinde ve sonrasında zaman zaman toplumsal tepkiyle karşılanmıştır. Bu tepkileri azaltma adına egemen irade hayata geçirilen yenilikleri güvence altına alma gayesiyle yasalar çıkarmışlardır. &#x0D; Makalede modernleşme hamleleri, Türk-İslam toplumu olma özelliği taşıyan bir coğrafyada monarşiden cumhuriyete geçiş aşamaları, uygulanma metotları ve oluşan tepkiler şeklinde ele alınacaktır. Makale içerisinde tarihi süreçte görülen Türk devrimlerinin topluma modernleşme mantığı ile getiriliş süreçleri ve bu yenilik faaliyetlerinin kamuoyu nezdinde ne şekilde makes bulduğu irdelenecektir. Çalışma arşiv vesikaları başta olmak üzere, dönemi ilgilendiren basın yayın organları, hatıratlar ve literatür kaynakları esas alınarak kamuoyu tepkileri çerçevesinde irdelenerek hazırlanmıştır.

Transience and the modern Turkish interior

Despite the expansion of research in modern interiors around the world and a more inclusive dialogue with regards to geography, ultimately, the field is still lacking theory and methods derived from its own specific needs rather than being adapted from architectural research, and a focus on its transient nature that is likely to lead to more impactful research and preservation results. Modern Turkish interiors research have also expanded greatly with individual, as well as projects or research groups like docomomo_tr interiors and DATUMM (Documenting and Archiving Modern Turkish Furniture) that create awareness through various forms of scholarly (documentaries, archival work) and popular (public exhibitions, popular books and magazines, newspaper pieces, and films) output. Although transience and thus a race with time is at the core of modern interiors research and several struggles are common worldwide, socio-cultural and economic reasons result in a faster pace in Turkey, creating an urgency to implement innovative methods and approaches fitting contemporary prerequisites of the field.

Imperialism and literature: An imperialism-oriented reading of modern Turkish literature

Postcolonial theory perceives the world as divided between the coloniser and the colonised, thus indirectly reproducing the centrality of the West. For this reason, in literary studies, postcolonial theory fails to cover the literatures of those nations which were not colonised in a typical sense but rather occupied by Western imperialism, as was the case with Ottoman Turkey. This necessitates a convergent theoretical framework that might help evaluate the fictionalisation of the intersecting dynamics of oppression, violence, exploitation, and resistance in relation to the hegemonic narratives of imperialism and shape a new perspective regarding the politico-cultural dimension of imperial discourse. This article, in this respect, will critically develop the theoretical foundations of imperialism-oriented literary theory and construct it as an interdisciplinary field that has a potential to contribute to contemporary postcolonial theory and to encompass the intersectional dimensions of imperialism and imperial discourse for the articulation of the fictionalisation of imperialism-related issues in the under-considered corpus of modern Turkish literature.

The Role Of Nationalism İn Turkish Modernization During The Republican Era

İşlevsel boyutta büyük bir öneme sahip olan Türk milliyetçiliği, millî birlik ve beraberlik duygusu ile ülkenin bağımsızlığını güçlendirmiş ve modern devletin oluşumunda rol oynamıştır. Cumhuriyet’in ilânıyla birlikte Türk toplumu, yeni bir kimlik arayışına girmiş ve milliyetçilik bu hususta belirleyici olmuştur. &#x0D; Farklı etnik, dinî ve kültürel gruplar Türk milleti olarak adlandırılmış ve aidiyet esas alınmıştır. Türk milletinin tarihi, dili ve kültürü gibi temel dinamikleri referans alınıp toplumun ortak amaç doğrultusunda topyekûn hareketi söz konusu olmuştur. &#x0D; Çağın ihtiyaçlarına uygun refleks gösterilmiş, modern, çağdaş ve laik saikler üzerine, ihtivası millet olan Türkiye Cumhuriyeti inşa edilmiştir. Benimsenen modern çizgi, siyasal ve kültürel alanda birtakım değişikliklere yol açmışsa da modernleşme, milliyetçilik ve batılılaşma kavramları birbiriyle bütünleşmiştir. Türk medeniyetini, geri kalmışlıktan kurtarmak amacıyla, Türk adet, örf, vb. ihlali söz konusu olmaksızın Batı’nın referansıyla birlikte, Türk kimliğinin modernliği ve çağdaşlığı vurgulanmıştır.&#x0D; Modernleşme kavramı ve millet bilincinin idrakıyla toplumun ortak paydayla hareket edebilmesi kolaylaşmış ve sağlıklı toplum görüntüsü mümkün hâle gelmiştir. Milliyetçilikle modernleşme arasındaki organik bağ, Batı endeksli; kültürel, endüstriyel, bilimsel bir gelişmeyi ifade etmiş, kurulan millî devletin varlığı ve vizyonu Batı ve modernizmiyle eşleşmiştir. &#x0D; Modernizmin, millî devlet yapısıyla ilişkilendirilmesi, milliyetçiliğin Türk toplumundaki önemini arttıran bir etken olmuştur. Milliyetçiliğin Türk toplumunda görmüş olduğu kabulün, ileri medeniyetler içerisinde yer alabilmesine dolayısıyla meşruî bir kazanıma yol açmıştır.

The Turkic middle voice system: deponency and paradigm reorganization

Abstract The goal of this paper is to recharacterize the distribution of two suffixes in Common Turkic, the reflexive -(I)n and the reciprocal -(I)š. Despite having quite distinct sources (the former as a suffix employed in the derivation of intransitive verbs, the latter a plural marker), these two suffixes have fallen into a somewhat overlapping distribution in the modern Turkic languages. They share a range of middle-like functions, and so they are characterized here as a bipartite middle voice system. Many of these functions have become peripheral, however, and the system increasingly consists of a class of verbs with deponent paradigms.