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Circulation of Humanism and Classicism During the Second World War in Turkey: The Case of the Painters’ Homeland Tours (1938–1946)

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Turkish Cultural Policies in a Global World

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Abstract

This chapter examines how a project for artists patronized by the ruling party came to be in line with the discourses of humanism and classicism during the Second World War in Turkey. In 1938, Hasan-Âli Yücel implemented a cultural policy entitled “Turkish humanism”. By conceptualizing Turkish humanism as nationalism taken to a universal level, Yücel aspired to bring nationalism and Westernist ideals together. Humanism was thus seen as key to Westernization. In the same period, the Republican People’s Party initiated and sponsored the “Painters’ Homeland Tours” project (1938–1946). Initially a result of populist, nationalist and patronizing state policy, these tours were also in line with Turkey’s international politics.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Established in 1932, People’s Houses ( Halkevleri) were social and cultural institutions with branches throughout the country, and though centrally managed they were controlled by the provincial branches of the RPP.

  2. 2.

    The Academy of Fine Arts was opened in Istanbul in 1882 by the renowned painter, archaeologist and bureaucrat Osman Hamdi.

  3. 3.

    In 1944, no tour was organized.

  4. 4.

    At the 1936 Party Congress, Prime Minister İsmet (İnönü) announced “the congruency between the state apparatus and the party organization to be official policy” by making the two intermingled, which meant in practice that the governor of a province would be the head of the local branch of the party (Zürcher 2004: 177).

  5. 5.

    According to this catalogue, in the period between 1938 and 1943, 675 paintings were completed. However, the catalogue held a simple registration by not supplying information regarding the type and size of the paintings .

  6. 6.

    Although the name of the ministry changed to the Ministry of Culture for certain periods in Turkish history, the ministry in question is the Ministry of National Education and art was part of its responsibility, similar to those countries that thought of culture and art as part of the nation-building project, such as France. The name of the ministry was Maarif Vekaleti (1923–27 December 1935), Kültür Bakanlığı (28 December 1935–21 September 1941), Maarif Vekilliği (22 September 1941–49 October 1946), Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (10 October 1946–1950), Maarif Vekaleti (1950–27 May 1960) and Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (since 28 May 1960). See the ministry webpage, T.C Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı, “Milli Eğitim Bakanlığının Kısa Tarihçesi”, http://www.meb.gov.tr/meb/tarihce.html.

  7. 7.

    Established in 1912, Türk Ocak ları were social and cultural institutions that had a nationwide organization network. Even though they originally aspired to carry out activities on the basis of promoting Turkish culture, they gained a political character after the Balkan Wars and the First World War (Üstel 2010: 72). The main reason for their closure in 1931 was their relative autonomy from the Kemalist government. Halkevleri were opened in 1932 by using the organization network of Türk Oca kları.

  8. 8.

    Hasan Âli Yücel implemented a large-scale “humanist” cultural programme during his ministry. It covered courses on Greek and Latin, translation of Western and Eastern sources, state pai nting an d sculpture exhibitions, village institute s and so on.

  9. 9.

    Another example of that was evident in the periodical is Yeni Adam. Painter Mahmut Cûda, since he worked for the periodical in 1939, made drawings in this manner. The periodical’s cover of issue 299 had the theme of “Return to Yourself” and featured a drawing by Cûda.

  10. 10.

    They signed a Non-Aggression Pact in 1941. Their relations became so strong that it was not easy to tell whom Turkey sided with during the war.

  11. 11.

    Five other principles of Kemalism are Milliyetçilik (nationalism ), Cumhuriyetçilik (republicanism), Laiklik (laicism), Devletçilik (statism/etatism) and İnkılâpçılık (reformism/revolutionism).

  12. 12.

    The state started the exhibitions as part of celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Turkish Republic but it didn’t continue owing to comments criticizing the disappointing quality of the artworks.

  13. 13.

    Soldier painters who signed their paintings as “servant of the Sultan” are of interest in terms of the relations between power and artistic patronage in the late Ottoma n Empire.

  14. 14.

    Namely, Society of Fine Arts , Societ y of Independent Painters and Sculptors, and the Grou p “d”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Galatasaray University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Bengü Aydın Dikmen

  2. İzmir University of Economics, İzmir, Turkey

    Bengü Aydın Dikmen

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  1. Bengü Aydın Dikmen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Marseille Member of INAMA Research Laboratory, Marseille, France

    Muriel Girard

  2. Sciences Po Rennes-ARENES (UMR 6051), Rennes, France

    Jean-François Polo

  3. Institute of Arab and İslamic Studies, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom

    Clémence Scalbert-Yücel

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Aydın Dikmen, B. (2018). Circulation of Humanism and Classicism During the Second World War in Turkey: The Case of the Painters’ Homeland Tours (1938–1946). In: Girard, M., Polo, JF., Scalbert-Yücel, C. (eds) Turkish Cultural Policies in a Global World. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63658-0_2

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