Cinema and theater between the years 1923-1950 in Turkey

This thesis examines the development history of Western-style Turkısh theater and Turkish cinema in Turkey. It covers how Turkish theater and cinema get its current position, what phases it went through, its main features and its role in Turkey's modernization goal. The theater, which is assumed to be born out of religious ceremonies, is an art that takes place in Turkish history as in other civilizations. Theater in the West evolved from the Greek theater in the XVIII. After the century, it started to mature with its products in its field. The plays of the theater, which came to Turkey with foreign performance groups from Europe, are performed both with the text and on the stage in a certain decor. Traditional Turkish teather, on the other hand, is an art that develops more improvisationally, does not depend on a text and can be performed in any place suitable for the show. With the economic and social progress of Europe, the sensitiviy towards the West has enabled Western culture to find a response in Turkey. The theater, which was thought to be a palace entertainment at first, started to settle in the buildings built in today's Beyoğlu, in especially Pera, Istanbul, by through non-Muslims and foreign groups. In addition to Palace theater institutions, setting stages in the homes of the wealty people in İstanbul inititated the spread of the theater in Ottoman Empire. Turkish theater has taken part in two different types of stage life, traditional and western. Western-style theater has caused the traditional Turkish theater to be perceived differently, as it requires a text and frame stage in the play. In the first period, this distinction was not very clear on the stage, and in the following period, it began to be understood with Western theater works. Nevertheless, the traditional Turkish theater, which the people are used to, known and loved, continued to be the theater that the public showed interest not only in villages and towns but also in cities. A theater institution called Darülbedayi was established in 1914, but the outbreak of the First World War slowed down the activities of the institution. After the victory of the National Struggle led by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a change in the regime is seen in Turkey. Cultural interaction with Europe, which started naturally in the last century of the empire, was implemented as a state policy with the Republic. The proclamation of the Republic strengthened the Western style Turkish theater, because the cultural institutions of the West were brought to the fore in catching up with the modern World. Darülbedayi was reorganized, the institution was given a new identity, and especially after the 1930s, Turkish theater was gathered under the general title of Turkish theater was gathered under the general title of Turkish theater instead of being separeted as a Western style. Traditional Turkish theater contiuned to exist, but it did not receive state support as much as theater with text and stage. Darülbedayi in İstanbul joined the municipality after 1931, and in 1934 its name was changed to İstanbul City Theatre. The cast has expanded, but a school that provides education in the name of theater has not yet been opened in Turkey. The modern face of the republic, the capital Ankara's lack of a theater institution was dispersed with the establishment of the Music and Representation Academy in 1934. Academicians who will teach at the school were invited from Europe, and the necessary preparations for theater education were made with the reports they prepared. However, the school was able to start with a delay of two years. The music department was more dominant in the school, and the theater remained in the background in a sense. This problem will be resolved with the Ankara State Conservatory Law in 1940. Turkish theater has gained a separate field with the name of Tatbikat Sahne (The Pratice Stage) which can be considered as both an education and a practice stage, will be an important institution of Turkish theater for nine years. 1940 is a very important date in the adventure of the theater's autonomy. Nine years later, the Law on State Theaters will be enacted and the theater will be a fully independent art institution. As in İstanbul, the problem of the theater building in Ankara has still not been resolved. Despite all the shortcomings, Turkish theater gained its current appearance after the reforms that started in 1923. Cinema came to Turkey at the same speed, in parallel with the developments in the World, right after its emergence in 1895. In Turkey, the cinema machine is of foreign origin, but it is the citizens who deal with the cinema business in the first period. Foreigners did not come and establih a company, they generally marketed their cinema machines and films. The excitement, curiosity and interest that the cinema initially created as motion Picture recordings will start to leave its place to the themed films, then the cinema will gradually become an art. In Turkey, since the modernaization started from military institutions, a cinema department was established in the army in 1915 and this tradition has not been broken. Firsts for Turkish cinema will emerge after the 1920s, Kemal Film and İpek Film Companies will be important film production companies. The 1930s were perhaps the most sterile years of Turkish cinema, and by the 1940s, theater-based filmmakers would be replaced by names who were insterested in this art and were engaged in this business. Considering that after the 1940s, the cinema market was surroundded by Egyptian, Europian, but especially US films, it is striking hta Turkish cinema has foreign film pressure on it. Turkish cinema, which was overshadowed by a second war, would make its breakthroughs mostly in 1945 and after. Turkish cinema, with its actors, producers and directors, will not weaken; on the contrary, will be reborn strongly, despite this pressure from outside. Keywords: Darülbedayi, theatre, Turkish theatre, Istanbul City Theatre, Music and Repressntation Academy, Ankara State Conservatory, State Theatre, Turkish cinema, cinema, film.