Turkey, Kemalism and the Soviet Union

Problems of Modernization, Ideology and Interpretation

Vahram Ter-Matevosyan

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9783319974026
• eBook ISBN: 9783319974033
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Eastern European History
• Index: History

This book examines the Kemalist ideology of Turkey from two perspectives. It discusses major problems in the existing interpretations of the topic and how the incorporation of Soviet perspectives enriches the historiography and our understanding of that ideology. To address these questions, the book looks into the origins, evolution, and transformational phases of Kemalism between the 1920s and 1970s. The research also focuses onperspectives from abroadby observing how republican Turkey and particularly its founding ideology were viewed and interpreted by Soviet observers. Paying more attention to the diplomatic, geopolitical, and economic complexities of Turkish-Soviet relations, scholars have rarely problematized those perceptions of Turkish ideological transformations. Looking at various phases of Soviet attitudes towards Kemalism and its manifestations through the lenses of Communist leaders, party functionaries, diplomats and scholars, the book illuminates the underlying dynamics of Soviet interpretations.

Conclusion

The evidence presented and analyzed in this study allows us to make a few generalizations and conclusions. Kemalism should be seen as a system of principles, ideas, and visions that sought to conceptualize strategies for development and modernization , initially expounded by Turkey’s founding leader, Mustafa Kemal . As this protean “system of principles” developed and was continuously transformed, it served as a source of legitimacy for the ruling elite (which sought to survive and sustain its power while indoctrinating society at large) and those who challenged it. In doing so, Kemalism reflected rival domestic and external influences that included ethnic nationalism (Turkish and Kurdish ) and a broad spectrum of political/religious ideologies (from radical nationalism , conservatism , and political Islam to democratic capitalism , secularism , and socialism ).

As a result, interpretations of Kemalism were shifting, contradictory, and contested. As discussed, the RPP had to constantly renew itself and its party ideology by seeking new directions. In some cases, radical turns were undertaken, as they were at the 1931, 1935, 1947, and 1966 RPP Congresses. In many instances, members of the ruling political elite and opposition, army , or intellectuals adopted unique and peculiar interpretations of Kemalism, which, in turn, produced constant disagreement among them over interpretations of Kemalism’s core meaning.

This work also examined the continuity of intellectual currents and movements from the late Ottoman Empire to the republican era. Some fashionable ideas and ideologies of previous decades were adjusted according to the needs and policy priorities of Republican Turkey, while others were excluded or ignored. In general, the early Kemalist era witnessed profound efforts to conceptualize different development strategies. Since the 1920s, the Kemalist elite tried to reach out to society with concise conceptual packaging. This study observed the same tendency both at the beginning of the nationalist movement and during the formative years of the Republic. The power of conceptualized and systemized political ideology (or system of thought), however, was initially downplayed. On the other hand, large-scale social and cultural reforms failed to generate the necessary level of support that the Kemalist regime needed in order to sustain its power. It required a better framework and more practical guidelines. The heavy reliance on party programs and People’s Houses were aimed at producing a conceptualized system of thought and at indoctrinating society, further. On the other hand, since its very inception, Kemalism as an official ideology was diversified, with varying interpretations even within the Kemalist elite. Hence, Kemalism was born with many faces, each looking in different directions.

After Atatürk ’s death, a bureaucratic interpretation of Kemalism followed, which coincided with the outbreak of WWII . The next three decades were a period of survival and adjustment for Kemalism. As indicated, the 1950 elections and major political developments that followed came to be seen as a watershed between the authoritarian -totalitarian past and a contested democratic future. For the Kemalist elite, the 1950s was a decade of retreat and rethinking. In the following decades, the social and ideological landscapes changed beyond recognition. Kemalist ideology, with its radical modernization strategies and top-down development models, faced increasing challenges. It ceased to be the monopoly of the Kemalist era ruling elite and affiliated bureaucratic circles. It was instilled in the popular mind as a flexible and convenient source of legitimacy for political undertakings. The 1960s–1970s were replete with such examples. Only critical ideological repositioning could expand Kemalism’s room for action. Until 1980, major developments indicated that contested democracy imposed visible constraints on Kemalist development models. Various interpretations of Kemalism in the l...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• Introduction
• Problems of Definition and Historiography of Kemalism
• (Trans)formation of Kemalism, 1920s–1930s
• Popularization of Kemalism: Intellectual, Contextual, and Popular Considerations
• Transformation of Kemalism’s Hegemony in the Post-Atatürk Era, 1940s–1950s
• Kemalism in the Second Republic, 1960s–1970s
• Problems and Perspectives of Existing Interpretations of Kemalism
• Soviet Interpretations of Kemalism in the 1920s
• Geopolitics and Complexities of Soviet Interpretations
• Back Matter