The instrumentalization of music within the framework of ideologies and policies prevalent in Turkey during the admission process to the bipolar world order (1945-1989)

This study focuses on the effects of polarisation in the world during the Cold War Period following the end of the World Ward II on domestic policy of Türkiye and projections of major incidents in Turkish political history on music. Hundreds of sound recordings and tapes produced in the given period established the starting point of this study with a regard to and using the benefits of discology discipline in addition to printed texts, official documents besides other written and visual materials. With a different approach from those of the common, classic historiographies, this thesis aims to present a perspective with a focus on music on the bases of audial design as well as respective song lyrics whereby emphasizing the importance of discology studies within supporting, if not alternative history writing regarding the period elaborated. As a matter of fact, the political debates and dominant discourses experienced in Türkiye within the scope of bipolar world Order have an intricate interaction with the decisions adopted in foreign policy, and consequently, all political actions do affect the cultural and artistic life of the country. With her authentic sociological structure, Turkish Republic affected by the tensions of bipolar world also witnessed the struggle of large masses opposing the policies adopted by the Turkish governments. Within this context, the music in Türkiye was instrumentalized in Cold War Period in order to reinforce dominant discourses of both governments and opponent organizations and used as a tool of propaganda. During the Cold War Period which started following the end of the Second World War and finished symbolically with the demolition of the Berlin Wall, the governments of Turkish Republic applied parallel policies to developments in the world; keeping themselves distant to Eastern Bloc countries they had rather close links with the Western Bloc. As a result of political and economic rapprochement, Türkiye was influenced by the Western Bloc also culturally, where a significant European, American (USA) affiliation, especially with popular music genres since the 1950s, might be observed. However, the interest in culture and music of socialistic counties among organizations with leftist tendencies introduced a musical character and undertakings forming the so-called "revolutionist music tradition". Some members of the âşık tradition –Middle Eastern equivalents of troubadours or minstrels and folk poets– who are the conveyers of oral culture touched on political subjects by adopting mostly a critical attitude and took part in propaganda processes with the songs they recorded especially between 1960s and 1970s. Never the less, this path of sustainability of such an oral tradition in Türkiye was interrupted because of the fact that many of such politically engaged minstrels and folk poets were either arrested or were forced to flee from the country after the military coup dated 12th September, 1980. Within this context, this study also tries to highlight– or update the importance– of the achievements of these minstrels/folk poets in the given cultural history regarding their recordings reached and elaborated under the realms of the Discology discipline. Slightly different from the common historiographies this study moreover tries to emphasize that political conflicts in the world do not only affect the countries' internal and foreign affairs policies but also have drastic impacts on cultural and art practices–such as of Türkiye under the shade of the conflicts of bipolar world had in addition to political preferences. During the period under consideration, music as an effective tool of propaganda is used in the representation of and interwoven with the dominant policies or principal movements of thought advocated by the governments in charge in Türkiye as well as of those of the opposition groups, notwithstanding the folk poets. Arguing that the international rivalry affected musical practices of Türkiye during the Cold War Period, this study tries to highlight the examples of the instrumentalization of the music used both in political campaigns and principal movements of thought between the years of 1945 and 1989. Furthermore, with the inclusion of sound media such as records and tapes into the study, suggesting an alternative narration for the given period and creating a new perspective is aimed.