Representations of Intellectual in 1980S Turkish Cinema
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REPRESENTATIONS OF THE INTELLECTUALS IN 1980s TURKISH CINEMA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY YİĞİTALP ERTEM IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES SEPTEMBER 2014 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Meliha Altunışık Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Necmi Erdoğan Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Necmi Erdoğan Supervisor Examining Committee Members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Necmi Erdoğan (METU, ADM) Instructor Dr. Özgür Avcı (ATILIM, PR) Instructor Dr. Barış Çakmur (METU, ADM) ii I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name : Yiğitalp Ertem Signature : iii ABSTRACT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE INTELLECTUALS IN 1980s TURKISH CINEMA Ertem, Yiğitalp M.S., Department of Media and Cultural Studies Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Necmi Erdoğan September 2014, 256 pages This study aims to analyze the representations of the intellectual identity in 1980s Turkish Cinema in the context of the socio-political transformation that took place during this period. Employing a thematic analysis based on the common and distinctive themes regarding the representations of intellectual figure, this study examines the mental states and political orientations of the protagonists in a group of films that are exclusively about the lives of intellectual characters. What this study offers is that the cinematic representations of intellectual in the 1980s are charged with decisive depoliticization and emotional/intellectual depression with only exceptional cases where intellectuals take critical stances to the military coup and socio-political transformation that took place afterwards. Keywords: intellectual, turkish cinema, the 1980s in turkey, thematic analysis, representation iv ÖZ 1980’LER TÜRKİYE SİNEMASINDA ENTELEKTÜELLERİN TEMSİLLERİ Ertem, Yiğitalp Yüksek Lisans, Medya ve Kültürel Çalışmalar Tez Yöneticisi: Doç. Dr. Necmi Erdoğan Eylül 2014, 256 sayfa Bu çalışma, 1980’ler Türkiye sinemasındaki entelektüel karakterlerin temsillerini, dönemin toplumsal ve siyasi dönüşümleri bağlamında incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Entelektüel figürüne dair ortak ve ayırt edici temalar üzerine kurulan bir tematik analiz vasıtasıyla, bu çalışma, özellikle entelektüel karakterlerin hayatını konu eden bir grup filmdeki ana karakterlerin ruh hallerini ve politik yönelimlerini incelemektedir. Çalışmanın iddiası, 1980’lerdeki entelektüel temsillerinin, askeri darbeye ve sonrasındaki sosyo- politik dönüşüme eleştirel yaklaşım geliştiren istisnai birkaç örnek dışında, yoğun bir depolitizasyon ve duygusal/düşünsel bunalım ile yüklü olduklarıdır. Anahtar kelimeler: entelektüel, türkiye sineması, türkiye’de 1980’ler, tematik analiz, temsil v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am sincerely grateful to my advisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Necmi Erdoğan and exceptional scholars of my department Prof. Dr. Raşit Kaya and Barış Çakmur for their gentle criticisms, inspiring teachings and enriching contributions. I would like to present my special gratefulness to Dr. Özgür Avcı for his invaluable supervision, critique, guidance and moral support from the very beginning of this study until its finalization. His knowledge and meticulous approach to the academic research inspired me more than anyone. Sincere thanks go to Dr. Deniz Özçetin and Şükrü Argın for their substantial comments on the thesis especially during my ideational crises. I would like to express my gratitude to my dear friends, İsmail, Murat, Hüseyincan, Kadir, Recep and Müslüm for their support, especially during the long hours we spent in the METU library. While writing this thesis, each of them helped me in different aspects of my life. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have these friends. Very special thanks go to Görsev who patiently listened to me when I was lost and always kindly encouraged me. My mother, Alev Ertem, deserve ultimate thanks for her life-long efforts to stand by me against all challenges. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ iv ÖZ .............................................................................................................................. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................... x ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Significance ............................................................................................... 10 1.2. Method of Analysis .................................................................................... 12 1.3. Method of Sampling .................................................................................. 15 2. “INTELLECTUAL” IN THE MIRROR OF THE INTELLECTUALS ........................ 20 2.1. Theoretical Approaches to Intellectual .......................................................... 20 2.1.1. The Early Appearances of Intellectual ................................................... 22 2.1.2. Denomination of Intellectuals ................................................................. 28 2.1.3. Categorization of Different Perspectives ................................................ 30 2.1.3.1. Intellectuals as Class-in-Themselves, New Class and Professional- Managerial Class (PMC) .............................................................................. 32 2.1.3.2. Intellectuals as Classless ................................................................ 41 2.1.3.3. Intellectuals as Class-Bound ........................................................... 48 2.1.4. How to Think of Intellectuals in the Context of the Current Study .......... 58 3. CINEMA AND SOCIETY IN THE 1980S: A BIG TRANSFORMATION ............... 64 3.1. Sociopolitical Transformation in Turkey ........................................................ 65 3.1.1. The Repressive Years of Military Rule ............................................... 65 vii 3.1.2. Motherland Party Years: Genesis of the New Right in Turkey ........... 67 3.2. Cultural Atmosphere ..................................................................................... 74 3.3. New Tendencies in Literature ....................................................................... 82 3.4. Trajectory of Intellectuals in Turkey .............................................................. 91 3.5. Retreat of the Left and (Its) Intellectuals ..................................................... 103 3.6. Turkish Cinema in its Historical Context ..................................................... 111 3.6.1. Social Realism, Yeşilçam and Critics until the 1980 ............................ 113 3.6.2. 1980s: Fall of Yeşilçam and New Quests ............................................ 118 3.6.3. The Intellectual’s Films ........................................................................ 127 4. THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF INTELLECTUAL FIGURES .................................... 131 4.1. Mental States .............................................................................................. 133 4.1.1. Professional Discontent ....................................................................... 135 4.1.2. Isolation and Uncommunicativeness ................................................... 140 4.1.3. Romanticism ........................................................................................ 143 4.1.4. The Charm of Depression .................................................................... 150 4.1.5. Cheating and Betrayal ......................................................................... 152 4.2. Political Orientations ................................................................................... 153 4.2.1. Mandatory and Voluntary Escapism .................................................... 156 4.2.2. Political Consciousness ....................................................................... 166 4.2.3. Cynicism of Intellectuals: Loss of Meaning, Inability and Despise ....... 179 4.2.4. Individual Resistance ........................................................................... 190 4.2.5. Feminism and Women’s Movement ..................................................... 193 4.2.6. Critique of the Coup: Ruination of Personal Lives ............................... 198 4.2.7. Prologues of Intellectuals: Political Pessimism and Emotional Optimism .......................................................................................................