An analysis of Kafdağı magazine in terms of Caucasian history and culture

Türkiye is a country with strong historical and cultural ties to the Caucasus region. One of the most significant reflections of these ties is the large diaspora formed by Caucasian communities that migrated from the region to Anatolia. This diaspora has strived to preserve its identity, culture, and history, and these efforts have paved the way for the emergence of various publications. Among these, periodicals focusing particularly on Caucasus history, culture, politics, and literature have played a critical role in the academic and intellectual discussion of these topics. The Kafdağı journal, which is the focus of this thesis, was published between 1987 and 1992 on behalf of the Ankara North Caucasus Cultural Association and made significant contributions to Caucasus studies in Türkiye during this period. This study aims to analytically demonstrate the historical, cultural, and intellectual impact of the Kafdağı journal in the field of Caucasus studies in Türkiye. In the study, all 58 issues published throughout the journal’s uninterrupted publication life were examined using the qualitative research methods of Thematic Analysis and Discourse Analysis. The journal texts were categorized and analyzed around main themes such as identity construction, strategies for return to the homeland, cultural memory, exile and assimilation, language awareness, and the reflections of the international conjuncture on the homeland. Through discourse analysis, the ideological and cultural background of the political and social dynamics of the period and the linguistic constructions of diaspora intellectuals were deciphered.