Objective Historiography has played a crucial role in nation-building projects across the world and Turkey presents a striking exampleof this phenomenon. In the country’s formative years (1923-1938), while the government took measures to create an officialformulation of Ottoman and Turkish history, dissident groups across the political spectrum produced its alternatives. In bothhegemonic and alternative historiography projects, gender and sexuality were of key significance. This research analyzesthe politics of queer historiography and archival practice in this period by focusing on the works of three intellectuals:Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar (1864-1944), Reşad Ekrem Koçu (1905-1975), and Rıza Nur (1879-1942). The project examineshow these prominent queer figures, who were born in the Ottoman Empire and witnessed the emergence of the nation-state,produced alternative and queer formulations of the past in the service of Marxist, neo-Imperialist, and fascist ideologies asthey negotiated the politics of citizenship and belonging. To understand these processes, the project uses multi-sitedarchival research, and presents critical biographies of the authors together with close readings of the texts and performancesthey created. As the first comprehensive study on queer historiography and archival practice in Turkey, this research brings anew perspective to the sexual dimensions of nation-building. With the aid of ethnography, the project also analyzes thecurrent efforts to redefine the official formulation of Turkey’s history, and how the works of queer intellectuals continue toinfluence both mainstream and alternative historiographical projects in the country. The project thus challenges some of thepopular trends in Ottoman and Turkish historiography, especially the gendered and sexualized aspects of oral historyprojects as well as their ramifications on the current historical justice efforts—including the Armenian Genocide. Fields of science social scienceslawhuman rightshuman rights violationshumanitieshistory and archaeologyhistoryhumanitiesother humanitieslibrary sciencessocial sciencessociologyideologies Keywords Sexuality Gender Turkey Historiography Citizenship Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2018 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2018 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator SABANCI UNIVERSITESI Net EU contribution € 145 355,52 Address ORTA MAHALLE UNIVERSITE CADDESI N 27 TUZLA 34956 Istanbul Türkiye See on map Region İstanbul İstanbul İstanbul Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 145 355,52
