Turkist practices in the Second World War and their reflections in the press (1939-1945)

The idea of Turkism emerged during the modernization process of the Ottoman Empire and has continued its influence in various forms since its emergence. The strict measures taken by the government against the press during the Second World War led to significant changes in the discourses and views on Turkism. As a result, war conditions and government policies led to significant differences in the way Turkism was perceived.Between 1940 and 1943, the idea of Turkism was on the rise. During these years, there was an increase in Turkist practices and discourses. Nationalization activities, language festivals and language congresses were given great importance in the country, practices were carried out for minorities to speak Turkish and the public was directed to the use of local goods. The press supported these practices with columns, slogans and articles. Another important practice that emerged during the Second World War was the Wealth Tax. Although the tax was criticized for the way it was implemented, it has an important place in terms of the effects of the war on the national economy. The attitude of the press towards this tax before the tax and when it came into effect was also an important factor in the process. In 1944-1945, as a result of the pressures brought about by the war, a change occurred in the policy pursued by the government. This change affected the perception of Turkishness within the country. In these years, there was a noticeable decrease in nationalization activities, Turkish language, culture, art and language practices. The press, which supported these practices, took a stance against Turkism and Turkic practices. It started to give very little coverage to the activities carried out, especially the practice of speaking Turkish, language congresses and festivals. The continuity of the policies realized in these years could not be ensured. The Wealth Tax was liquidated in 1944 as a result of the foreign policy pursued. In this thesis, Cumhuriyet, Tan, Vakit, Tanin, Akşam, Ulus and Son Posta newspapers were analyzed. In addition to these sources, national press, Turkist and leftist journals of the period, parliamentary minutes, the Turkish Diplomatic Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey, the Republican Archive of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, and memoirs were utilized. Copyrighted works have also been utilized.