The construction of Turkish identity in the novels of Hüseyin Nihal Atsız

Hüseyin Nihal Atsız occupies a significant place in Turkish literary history as a devoted and determined advocate of the Turkist ideology. Born in 1905 in Istanbul to a military family, Atsız lived through one of the most turbulent periods in Turkish history. The transition from the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey deeply shaped his intellectual worldview. In this period, when the multi-ethnic imperial identity was being replaced by a national identity, Atsız emerged as a thinker who emphasized the historical roots and cultural values of Turkishness. In his writings, he frequently underscored the importance of historical consciousness and identity awareness for the revival of the Turkish nation. In this regard, he is remembered not only as a literary figure and historian but also as one of the foremost ideological defenders of national identity. Throughout his life, he faced various hardships and punishments due to his views, yet he remained steadfast in his beliefs. With this unwavering stance, he became one of the most influential figures of the Turkist ideology. Through his essays, novels, stories, and poems, he approached the concept of Turkish identity from theoretical, historical, and cultural dimensions. He employed literature as an effective means in the construction of this identity. This study focuses on Atsız's novels by examining the form of Turkish identity he constructed and the ideological elements underlying this construction. Within this scope, the historical context, narrative structure, and ideological aspects of the identity model he presents in his fiction are analyzed in detail.