Utopia in Turkish novel during the Republican Period (1923-1950)

The written examples of utopia, which is as old as the history of humankind, have been around since Plato's time. Utopia gained the character of genre when Thomas More wrote his titular work Utopia in 1516. In utopias, those who are not content with the existing political, social and individualistic circumstances of their own period design alternative ideal orders within different times and spaces. These attempts to eliminate unfavorable living conditions aim to bring better living possibilities in a given society. This study consists of three chapters including the introduction and conclusion sections. The introduction part is an overview of the meaning, sources and historical background of utopia with an additional touch on the concept of dystopia and its historical background as well. The analysis chapters cover utopian novels in Turkish literature written between the years 1923 and 1950. These selected novels were examined thematically by taking into consideration the characteristics of each period. Similarities and differences of the given periods and their relations of politics-society-individual were sought to be explored in these novels. Available previous studies were also referred in the examination of the selected texts. Keywords: Utopia, Turkish republican period, novel, dystopia