Periodic Reporting for period 1 - IQRS (Imperial Queers, Republican Subjects: The Politics of Queer Historiography in Turkey)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2019-05-01 do 2021-04-30
Historiography has played a crucial role in nation-building projects across the world and Turkey presents a striking example of this phenomenon. In the country’s formative years (1923-1938), while the government took measures to create an official formulation of Ottoman and Turkish history, dissident groups across the political spectrum produced its alternatives. In both hegemonic and alternative historiography projects, gender and sexuality were of key significance. This research has analyzed the politics of queer historiography and archival practice in this period by focusing on the works of three intellectuals: Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar, Reşad Ekrem Koçu, and Rıza Nur.
IQRS has examined how these prominent queer figures, who were born in the Ottoman Empire and witnessed the emergence of the nation-state, produced alternative formulations of the past in the service of Marxist, neo-Imperialist, and ultranationalist ideologies as they negotiated the politics of citizenship and belonging. Specifically, the study aimed to answer the following main questions:
• What has been the role of historiography in nation-building in Turkey, and how has sexuality shaped the imaginations regarding the Turkish nation, its past, and its future?
• What are the characteristics of queer political projects across the political spectrum, how do such projects converge and diverge, and what are their limits?
• What are the politics of historiography in contemporary Turkey, and how do they materialize in everyday life?
• How would a queer perspective complicate the current historical justice efforts and the debates about violence in the name of honor in Turkey and its diasporas?
As the first comprehensive study on queer historiography and archival practice in Turkey, IQRS has attempted to bring a new perspective on the sexual dimensions of nation-building. With the aid of ethnography, IQRS has also analyzed the current efforts to redefine the official formulation of Turkey’s history. The research has demonstrated that the works of queer intellectuals continue to influence both mainstream and alternative historiographical projects in the country. The material studied has challenged some of the popular trends in Ottoman and Turkish historiography as well, especially the gendered and sexualized aspects of oral history projects. Finally, the biographies of the authors and close readings of their works have shown that the operation of honor as a disciplinary paradigm in Turkey is not only gendered but also sexualized. By demonstrating the relationship between honor and queer sexualities, this research and its outputs can make a critical contribution to the scholarly and public debates on violence in the name of honor in Turkey and its connected geographies.
IQRS has examined how these prominent queer figures, who were born in the Ottoman Empire and witnessed the emergence of the nation-state, produced alternative formulations of the past in the service of Marxist, neo-Imperialist, and ultranationalist ideologies as they negotiated the politics of citizenship and belonging. Specifically, the study aimed to answer the following main questions:
• What has been the role of historiography in nation-building in Turkey, and how has sexuality shaped the imaginations regarding the Turkish nation, its past, and its future?
• What are the characteristics of queer political projects across the political spectrum, how do such projects converge and diverge, and what are their limits?
• What are the politics of historiography in contemporary Turkey, and how do they materialize in everyday life?
• How would a queer perspective complicate the current historical justice efforts and the debates about violence in the name of honor in Turkey and its diasporas?
As the first comprehensive study on queer historiography and archival practice in Turkey, IQRS has attempted to bring a new perspective on the sexual dimensions of nation-building. With the aid of ethnography, IQRS has also analyzed the current efforts to redefine the official formulation of Turkey’s history. The research has demonstrated that the works of queer intellectuals continue to influence both mainstream and alternative historiographical projects in the country. The material studied has challenged some of the popular trends in Ottoman and Turkish historiography as well, especially the gendered and sexualized aspects of oral history projects. Finally, the biographies of the authors and close readings of their works have shown that the operation of honor as a disciplinary paradigm in Turkey is not only gendered but also sexualized. By demonstrating the relationship between honor and queer sexualities, this research and its outputs can make a critical contribution to the scholarly and public debates on violence in the name of honor in Turkey and its connected geographies.
IQRS was initially planned as a 24-month project. Because the researcher Dr. Rüstem Ertuğ Altınay was awarded an ERC Starting Grant in Month 3, however, IQRS was terminated after Month 10. During these ten months, the researcher completed the rigorous multi-sited archival and ethnographic research program associated with the project. He has also produced diverse outputs in the form of publications, lectures, conference presentations, workshops, teaching, mentorship, and service.
The researcher completed a scholarly essay in English and submitted it to an international peer-reviewed journal. He has also written an essay in Turkish and submitted it to an eminent website. Throughout the project period, IQRS and all connected activities were promoted through the Sabancı University Gender and Women’s Studies Center of Excellence (SUGender) Newsletter.
Dr. Altınay has delivered five invited lectures and one invited panel presentation at major universities in Turkey, Germany, and the United States: Kadir Has University, Sabancı University, Free University of Berlin, John Jay College, and Williams College. He has been invited to deliver other invited lectures in the United States and Turkey. The dates of these events will be determined according to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Altınay also presented his work at five international conferences and workshops in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Turkey, and the USA. As part of IQRS’s educational and public outreach activities, the researcher designed and taught two workshops for teachers and graduate students at his host institution Sabancı University and New York University. Dr. Altınay also shared the findings of his research in the classroom setting at Williams College and Sabancı University.
At Sabancı University, the researcher informally served as a mentor for interested graduate students as well as junior scholars. He also performed service work for Sabancı University and contributed to the broader scientific community as a peer-reviewer for four eminent scholarly journals.
Dr. Altınay’s most important achievement during the project period was the ERC Starting Grant he was awarded for the project Staging National Abjection: Theatre and Politics in Turkey and Its Diasporas. He decided to implement the project at Kadir Has University, where he now holds his first permanent position.
The researcher’s MSCA-IF fellowship and his ERC Starting Grant have been recognized by two EU FP (Horizon 2020) Success Awards from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. For his ERC project, he has also been the recipient of the Council's Transfer Award.
Dr. Altınay’s internationally successful profile, where the MSCA-IF fellowship played a key role, also resulted in a prestigious Young Scientist Award (BAGEP) from the Science Academy Society of Turkey.
The researcher was awarded a Summer Visiting Fellowship at the John Jay College, City University of New York for Summer 2020. The fellowship has been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The researcher completed a scholarly essay in English and submitted it to an international peer-reviewed journal. He has also written an essay in Turkish and submitted it to an eminent website. Throughout the project period, IQRS and all connected activities were promoted through the Sabancı University Gender and Women’s Studies Center of Excellence (SUGender) Newsletter.
Dr. Altınay has delivered five invited lectures and one invited panel presentation at major universities in Turkey, Germany, and the United States: Kadir Has University, Sabancı University, Free University of Berlin, John Jay College, and Williams College. He has been invited to deliver other invited lectures in the United States and Turkey. The dates of these events will be determined according to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Altınay also presented his work at five international conferences and workshops in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Turkey, and the USA. As part of IQRS’s educational and public outreach activities, the researcher designed and taught two workshops for teachers and graduate students at his host institution Sabancı University and New York University. Dr. Altınay also shared the findings of his research in the classroom setting at Williams College and Sabancı University.
At Sabancı University, the researcher informally served as a mentor for interested graduate students as well as junior scholars. He also performed service work for Sabancı University and contributed to the broader scientific community as a peer-reviewer for four eminent scholarly journals.
Dr. Altınay’s most important achievement during the project period was the ERC Starting Grant he was awarded for the project Staging National Abjection: Theatre and Politics in Turkey and Its Diasporas. He decided to implement the project at Kadir Has University, where he now holds his first permanent position.
The researcher’s MSCA-IF fellowship and his ERC Starting Grant have been recognized by two EU FP (Horizon 2020) Success Awards from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. For his ERC project, he has also been the recipient of the Council's Transfer Award.
Dr. Altınay’s internationally successful profile, where the MSCA-IF fellowship played a key role, also resulted in a prestigious Young Scientist Award (BAGEP) from the Science Academy Society of Turkey.
The researcher was awarded a Summer Visiting Fellowship at the John Jay College, City University of New York for Summer 2020. The fellowship has been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
IQRS’s potential scientific and social impacts are entangled. One of the most important findings of IQRS is the diversity of queer historiographical projects, and how they have been influential across the political spectrum. The project's study of ethnic and religious discrimination and racism in queer historiographical and political projects is significant in the face of the ongoing global protests against racism and the legacies of slavery and colonialism. IQRS aims to demonstrate how sexuality and race intersected in defining the politics of belonging in Turkey. The project thus has the potential to make a critical contribution to public debates on race in and beyond Turkey.
As an empirically grounded and theoretically informed research project, IQRS can fundamentally advance our understanding of the politics of historiography in contemporary Turkey. The project’s findings reveal the recent efforts to redefine Turkey’s official historiographical narrative as well as the historical justice efforts involving Turkey.
A finding of IQRS that is of vital significance is the critical intervention the project aims to make in the scholarly and public debates on honor [namus] by bringing a queer perspective on the functioning of honor as a disciplinary paradigm in Turkey and its connected geographies.
Throughout the project period, Turkey has witnessed a proliferation of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes. With its continuing scholarly outputs and public outreach efforts, IQRS aims to contribute to the struggle against LGBTIQ+ rights violations and discrimination, and support social and historical justice efforts.
As an empirically grounded and theoretically informed research project, IQRS can fundamentally advance our understanding of the politics of historiography in contemporary Turkey. The project’s findings reveal the recent efforts to redefine Turkey’s official historiographical narrative as well as the historical justice efforts involving Turkey.
A finding of IQRS that is of vital significance is the critical intervention the project aims to make in the scholarly and public debates on honor [namus] by bringing a queer perspective on the functioning of honor as a disciplinary paradigm in Turkey and its connected geographies.
Throughout the project period, Turkey has witnessed a proliferation of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes. With its continuing scholarly outputs and public outreach efforts, IQRS aims to contribute to the struggle against LGBTIQ+ rights violations and discrimination, and support social and historical justice efforts.