Mehter bands as a musical appearance of the ideology of neo-Ottomanism since 1980s

The main problem of this study is to understand whether mehter bands as musical appearances of ideology of neo-Ottomanism are reproducing this ideology or not. This problem is formulated by a question of how different social and political agencies articulated mehter bands as a complex site of hegemony to their own ideologies, instead of reproducing neo-Ottomanism. Therefore, the aim of our study is to investigate the struggles on the articulation processes of mehter bands. A fieldwork consisted of 5 mehter bands in Balıkesir and 1 mehter band in Aydın with 8 observations and 13 interviews in overall is made. This thesis consists of four chapters. Theoretical famework of the study based on hegemony and neo-Ottomanism is presented in the first chapter. The second chapter presents the history of mehter bands which also discusses the relation between jannisary and Bektaşi sect, and recent regulations on standardization of mehter bands. Mehter bands are considered within the contexts of Neo-Ottomanism and hegemony by discussing the fieldwork in Balıkesir in the third chapter. The fourth chapter presents the case study of Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Women Mehter Band. Founded by a mainstream oppositional party, the band demonstrates oppositional practices against the conception of mehter bands by the governtment in power. This struggle is discussed within the concept of hegemony in terms of musical and non-musical properties of the band. As a result, it is founded that the number and appearances of mehter bands are increased both in daily life and political practices due to the ideology of neo-Ottomanism of the government. However, it is also founded that each appearance and practice of mehter bands does not correspond to reproducing this ideology, literally. Instead, it is discussed that there are struggles both within this ideology and against it as a struggle for hegemony.