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The Attempt of the Official Ideology to Secularize Theatre in Turkey Together with the Foundation of the Republic

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The Attempt of the Official Ideology to Secularize Theatre in Turkey Together with the Foundation of the Republic Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences 2(1): 1-8, 2017; Article no.ARJASS.30515 SCIENCEDOMAIN international www.sciencedomain.org The Attempt of the Official Ideology to Secularize Theatre in Turkey together with the Foundation of the Republic Banu Ayten Akin 1* 1Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Bodrum, Turkey. Author’s contribution The sole author designed, analyzed and interpreted and prepared the manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/ARJASS/2017/30515 Editor(s): (1) Shiro Horiuchi, Associate Professor, COC Promotion Office, Yamagata University, Japan. Reviewers: (1) Quratulain Shirazi, International Islamic University, Malaysia. (2) Chaibou Elhadji Oumarou, Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/17457 Received 14 th November 2016 Accepted 27 th December 2016 Short Research Article th Published 7 January 2017 ABSTRACT The Westernization programme was officially initiated and implemented in Turkey together with the foundation of the Turkish Republic. The first attempts to secularize performances had already started in the Tanzimat Reform Era (the political reforms made in the Ottoman State in 1839). In this period, our traditional plays Meddah (public storyteller), Karagoz (shadow play), Orta Oyunu (Theatre-in-the-round) were kept in the background. The adaptation of these exhibitive forms, which audience loved a lot during the Ottoman Empire, into Western Theatre that is based on illusion, created a serious problem. Karagoz shadow play characters, which were structured around Ottoman’s polyphonic structure, could not survive changes made in their composition. The characters of Orta Oyunu, who were in connection with audience having no offer from them, were defeated in frame stage. This deconstruction in traditional forms will cause our theatre, which turned its face to Western theatre, to be unable to use its own resources. Although secularization of performances is a true effort that walks with the effort to secularize society, it brought the problem of saving the traditional forms together with it. This study, periodically traces this in Turkish theater. Keywords: Turkey; theatre; republic; secularism; Karagoz. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: Email: [email protected]; Akin; ARJASS, 2(1): 1-8, 2017; Article no.ARJASS.30515 1. INTRODUCTION source of development and a power point. Hereafter, as the contractor of bigotry, the public Turkish Theatre, which managed to improve doesn’t want some of the values it owns to come during the founding of the Republic after 1923, is into the new state. Anatolian folk culture is a product of secular reforms. The birth of a loaded with Islam’s mystic comments as well as Turkish Theatre in accordance with Western line superstitions and vanities and it will be can not be made possible unless secularisation dangerous for a new regime it will involve in a of society is completed. In paralel with efforts to short time. seperate religion from society, theatre also becomes free by going out of religion’s The Hat Revolution that is based on taking off dominance. However, this transformation doesn’t the fez, is an intervention to signs that follow the same path that happened in the West differentiate muslim and non-muslim and also to as in the examples of Ancient Greek and English Islamic way of life. The daily newspaper Drama. Additionally, it doesn’t resemble the Cumhuriyet responds to these reactions by resistance that Kabuki and No Theatre in the saying on September 1, 1925 that ‘just like it East displayed against the West. It is a doesn’t make sense to show the world inner side disengagement from a sustainable chain. It of our head in order to prove we have changed doesn’t want to include the old into the new one our mind, it is equally easy to show the outer regardless of what they are; religious or side’ [3]. The West will accept the East in the traditional, urban or rural. Just as the collapse of amount the East resembles it. However, a kind of Eastern Despotism was realized through Westernization not having an Englightment modernization and secular reforms and just as Period and Industrial Revolution behind it, will substitution of public values and traditions with prepare ground for old institutions and people to the West began; theatre also advocates West reappear. In 1926, the last castle of sharia against East, to which it turned its back. (Islamic law) is abondened and replaced by Civil Secularization is a pushing power in order that Law. This sharp turning against the sharia that performance can get out of religion and turn into ignores woman freedom and equality with its theatre. Western Theater is settled instead of elements such as polygamy, divorce and private mimetic and dramatic tradition together with an life, is the absolute victory for intellectuals who understanding of art policy, which puts European see the Westernization through woman’s position Orchestra in place of Mehteran (janissary band in at most. The transition of woman from private the Ottoman State), Western literature and position to social position secretly pushes male- poetry in place of Ottoman Poetry and, dominated mentality and Islamic views that have perspective in place of miniature art. some dogmatic rules and, that force covering the body, to be organized. It is the Republic and its revolutions that transformed the West’s modernization projection 2. SECULARIZATION OF PERFORMANCE into a secular nation-state creation by making TOGETHER WITH THE REPUBLIC Westernization and nationalism compromise. These revolutions put religious policies that they implement in frame of ‘secularism’ in the core of ‘Religion’ and ‘folk traditions’ have always been modernization idea. Meeting of two opposing determinative powers in Turkish Theatre. The concepts that are not possible to come together forms that are based on exhibitive understanding with Islam such as secular nationalism, involves such as Meddah (public storyteller), Karagoz and the risk of creating an East that is similar to the Orta Oyunu, are tottally different from the West’s West [1]. This new state has started to be theatre that is based on illusion. These forms will grounded after Tanzimat Reform Era mentality, face the danger of extinction in time as they are which takes Europe’s French language and the thought to have Arabic, Iranian and Egyptian elits, who can play the piano as role models and roots. It has been seen that traditional forms therefore creating a generation that speaks have not largely been given place in the French and plays the piano and later becoming Tanzimat Reform Era mentality. Namık Kemal contended with only one part of the whole. The completely rejects traditions like Orta Oyunu and biggest danger the East, which tries to resemble Karagoz. Even Gullu Agop, who defends not to the West, might come across is its being not able prohibit Karagoz and Meddah, is in favor of to resemble the West enough [2]. bettering these forms. On condition that these plays are bettered, they will form the basis of the The value difference between the official Ottoman Theater. However, when it comes to the ideology and public depicts the public as the Republic Era, these forms, whose names are not 2 Akin; ARJASS, 2(1): 1-8, 2017; Article no.ARJASS.30515 even found in Western theatre, will be mentioned after they lost their functions. These forms, so as to spread the revolutions [4]. hereby serving ideologically under the control of the state and stepping outside of belonging to Orta Oyunu went through some reforms in the the public, lost their attraction. Other than that; Tanzimat Reform Era. The first change was its underestimating what belongs to public, taking place on a framed stage instead of in an punishment and prohibition foster the death of open area determined by a rope. Orta Oyunu popular and oral culture. The Interior Ministry actors, by this way, were able to succeed in sent a circular letter to publishing houses and maintaining their jobs until a certain point. Orta writers related to what kind of an engineering Oyunu, which succesfully and humorously tells popular culture would be subject to: about the creation of various nations within the Ottoman Empire and their characters, the way It is desired ‘ to use the characters, whom the they speak, their clothes, their life at home, public knows well, in new cases and garden, bath, cafe and meyhane (literally wine therefore making heroes, whom the public house), their social life, their way of earning their are familiar with, live in adventures, which lives, their rakishness and womanizing, becomes advise in accordance with new Turkish Westernized by experiencing its first significant revolutions and modernization goals ’ [7]. transformation in Tanzimat Reform Era. Firstly; Kavuklu, one of the two main characters in Orta After this circular letter; changing their identities, Oyunu, takes off his quilted turban on his head, folk heroes are obliged to defend some ideas his loose robe on him, his waistcloth and his pointed at them. Adapting traditional forms like salwar. He becomes a comics mode that is semi- Karagoz and Orta Oyunu into today’s world is Western and semi-Eastern with his new looking included in this policy. involving fez, tight trousers and shoes. Karagoz being a rough villager in Ottoman, is a ‘This case, this clothing was not even the good and well mannered Turkish villager as seen imitation of the imitation. It was an out of in Iyilik Eden Iyilik Bulur (Do Good Things and season, disfigured, a different kind and a Good Things will Happen to You). Because what patchworked example of Western clothing suits human being is to favor. It is obligatory to styles and it was a foreign caricature read and write in Deli Dumrul (Mad Dumrul) but it showing us with turban covered on the hat is also necessary to cultivate the soil and earn after the revolutions [5]’.
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