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Literary License: the State and the State of Publishing in Contemporary Turkey
Abstract
Why are pivotal moments of political transformation in modern Turkey marked by both severe censorship and an explosion of cultural production? This paper will examine the roles of censorship and literature in recent political events, primarily the 2013 Gezi Park protests and the July 2016 failed coup and its aftermath. Present studies of the political upheaval in Turkey fail to consider the fundamental role of literature to the protest movements and how authors and publishers use literature to circumvent censorial restrictions on traditional media. Current President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has adopted authoritarian tactics to check popular opposition, such as violently suppressing demonstrators gathered in peaceful protest of the government-ordered demolition of ?stanbul's Gezi Park, purging roughly a third of civil servants for alleged ties to the unsuccessful coup, and a continued assault on free speech through censorship, prosecution, the government takeover of the mainstream media, and scores of arrests. Yet, these efforts have precipitated a surge of new literature. From satirical literary journals and dystopian fiction to collaborative poetry movements shared through social networks, Turks under an increasingly autocratic government are using literature to popularize revolutionary thought. This paper focuses on three seminal publishers-Yap? Kredi Yay?nlar?, ?leti?im, and Metis-to argue that publishing houses function as critical and often overlooked centers of collaboration in the broader networks that mobilize political resistance. Founded amidst severe censorship in the aftermath of Turkey's brutal 1980 coup, these publishers share an ideological drive that is reflected in their individual mission statements and ranges from the restoration of Turkey's literary heritage to the more political. While the current conditions have forced many Turkish authors and journalists into exile abroad, these publishing houses continue to operate within Turkey and increasingly serve as vital hubs to a growing Turkish transnational literary network. Select publications, including reclaimed classics and new works of transgressive fiction, have been seized as symbols of resistance, such as Sabahattin Ali's 1943 novel Kürk Mantolu Madonna (Madonna in a Fur Coat), which has topped Turkey's bestseller's list for over three years. This paper will bridge area studies and world literature studies to investigate the antagonistic coexistence of censorship and literature through three representative publishing houses working through the contemporary social transformations in Turkey.
Discipline
Literature
Geographic Area
Turkey
Sub Area
Publishing