Friendship in Turkish cultural history between 1970-1990

Course Objectives:

This course offers a fresh perspective on Turkish cultural history by comparing two post coup d’état eras: the March 12 and September 12 military interventions. We will explore how the transformation of friendship patterns and circles during these periods reflects broader social dynamics, relationships, and the cultural environment. The course is centered around two main questions. First, we will examine the kind of artistic production environment that the friendships of writers and artists created during the selected period. In what ways did these friendships shape the cultural and literary landscape, and what partnerships emerged as a result? Second, we will investigate how we can trace the evolution of friendship relations through the outputs of the cultural environment. Various manifestations of friendship and related intimacies—such as companionship, sisterhood, brotherhood, camaraderie, fraternity, and solidarity—arise from the diverse needs and desires of communities and individuals. Consequently, we will question the importance of friendship and how our modes of befriending influence the socio-political atmosphere and culture with the help of some philosophical texts on friendship. To achieve these aims, we will watch selected Turkish movies, analyse popular Turkish songs, and read literary works to observe the socio-political changes that occurred between 1970 and 1990.

Course Content:

This course examines friendship, companionship and fraternity as ways of connecting to the world and the world, focusing on the production of Turkish cultural history between 1970 and 1990. Friendship is the only way to become a community and to establish an ethical relationship with each other and the world. So when we consider the period between 1970 and 1990 with all its potentials and losses, how could friendship have established our capacity and ideal to achieve a more pluralistic, inclusive and democratic society?