Varlik
Eurozine
Varlik
2009-03-20
Summary for Varlik 3/2009
Tahir Abaci
From resistance to aesthetics: the outlook of an "intervened" art
The article analyses the impact of the military interventions of 27 May 1960, 12 March 1971 and 12 September 1980, investigates the reactions of Turkish artists to these periods of military rule, and provides an outlook of the present situation.
Göksel Aymaz
A united intervention against reason
Aymaz says, "Mass culture is an orderly 'eclipse of reason' that has some partial freedoms despite everything. However, with intervention begins a life that regularly violates the rules of reason. Having mentally prepared society for the totalitarian rule of a military regime prior to a coup, mass culture then exploits its expansive area of impact and takes on the role of bringing a certain stability to the constant violation of the rules of reason."
Altay Ömer Erdogan
Our most "distant" near history: "There the horse rears again!"
Erdogan discusses the aftermath of the 12 September coup in numbers, and says, "While the Turkish society has not yet reached a reckoning with the past experiences, new items have been added to the bill until the present day. 12 September continues to have impact. The existence of so-called 'leftists' still hoping that good will come out of military interventions, on the other hand, is downright appalling!"
Cenk Gündogdu
Poetry across a history of interventions
An analysis of the growth of Turkish poetry cast over by military interventions since the 1960s.
Seref Bilsel
Ordunun Dereleri, Aksa Yukari Aksa...
Borrowing the title from a well-known folk song, the article discusses the reaction of poetry to military interventions.
Betül Dünder
Interventions and the unforgetting literature
Dünder says "Those who ended up as 'sisters' within mixed-gender organisations evolved into 'women' when they stepped out into the street -- a significant beginning -- and some stepped into poetry. (The 1960 coup had gathered female storywriters in the same prison ward, while the 1980 coup united them in the streets.)" and discusses the distinguishing characteristics of the three military interventions.
Sabri Kuskonmaz
From Umut (Hope) to 12 September: an overview of the structures and impacts of interventions
The article investigates the turn of events preparing the interventions that took place every ten years and describes how filmmaking in general was influenced by military interventions.
Mehmet Akif Ertas
An overview of the adventures of dissenting and protest music throughout military coups
Ertas identifies the sources and masters of protest music, and says, "Because protest musicians were influenced by prominent figures like Ruhi Su and Sümeyra Çakir, who gained popularity throughout the 12 March to the 12 September period, and generally sided with the Turkish Workers' Party to help spread the leftist discourse from the centre to the periphery, their efforts were once heavily inspired by political dissention. However, in line with the location of dissention on the political fault lines of Turkey, some of these names subsequently entered the orbit of social democrat, lumpenproletariat, markedly antisocial and bureaucratic music, matching why and what they were protesting against."
Turgut Çeviker
Sketches against tanks: coups and cartoons
Çeviker reminds the reader that the cartoon stems from political dissidence, tells of the activities of cartoonists and humour magazines during times of military rule in Turkey and says: "Cartoonists supporting the government have always existed. They take shots not at the government, but at dissidents. In the dark days leading up to and following the 12 March 1971, some newspapers ran 'informant cartoons'." But this was not enough for these cartoonists; they made cartoons that applauded the usurpers and condoned their dark acts.
Sedat Demir
Interview with Buket Uzuner
Buket Uzuner speaks of her latest novel, Yolda (On the Road).
Feridun Andaç
A view of Orhan Duru's story -- writing from within the 1950s generation
A comprehensive essay on the literary adventure of Orhan Duru, a '50s generation storywriter who recently passed away.
Hasan Bülent Kahraman
The literature of silence and eroticism
Kahraman continues to publish his diaries in Varlik. He investigates Oktay Akbal as a political writer and a man of literature, makes remarks on 'the novel as a sociological event in Turkey', and offers his views on the art of the novel.
Tülin Er
Interview with Ahmet Ümit
The detective novelist Ahmet Ümit comments on his latest novel Bab-i Esrar (The Gate of Mystery), and claims that the death of the renowned Sufi, Shams-i Tabrizi, whose involvement with Mavlana was well-known, had an underlying political agenda.
Haydar Ergülen
Making a long sentence...
The poet Haydar Ergülen discusses a poetry event he organised at a primary school and provides poetry samples by the students.
Mahmut Temizyürek
Metin and Cengiz as a syntax and an exclamation
A discussion of the poetry of Metin Cengiz, a poet of the '80s generation, within the poetry of the post-12 September era.
Mehmet Rifat
Fragments of point of view
An investigation of the "narrator" with regards to the novel
A. Mümtaz Idil
Honoré de Balzac
An essay on the life and personality of Balzac.
Martin Puchner
Worldly literature
Delivered by Puchner at the "World Literature in between" symposium held at the Istanbul Bilgi University as part of the seventy fifth anniversary of Varlik, the paper discusses the concept of world literature, and explains his concept of "worldly literature".
Çigdem Ülker
Cities of the Mediterranean -- diaries of Nice and Cannes
An article of poetic impressions of Nice and Cannes, and scenes from the cultural lives of these cities.
küçük Iskender
Rimbaud's logbook
An assessment of works from aspiring poets and writers.
Kemal Sahingözlü
Literary detective
Having been to Germany prior to the Frankfurt Book Fair, our detective shares his impressions of the House of Literature in Berlin, and offers a humorous view of current events in literature.