Art and vandalism in Türkiye

This dissertation provides a comprehensive analysis of vandalism against works of art in Turkey within its historical, political, and social contexts. The research examines developments from the late Ottoman Empire onwards, focusing in particular on how art and vandalism have intersected in Turkey from the proclamation of the republic in 1923 to the present day, how vandalism has been conceptualized, its legal implications, and how it has shaped art. On the other hand, it has been revealed that attacks on art cannot be limited to physical destruction alone, but also occur through mechanisms such as censorship, economic pressures, and ideological attitudes. The study first examines how cultural heritage was viewed up until 1923, touches on smuggling crimes, and explains how certain concepts related to the subject were established. Between 1923 and 1950, which covers the early Republican period, countless revolutions and modernization efforts took place in parallel with the establishment and structuring of the country. The study examines how art, which entered the public sphere, became vulnerable to vandalism due to the attitudes of the public. Between 1950 and 1980, the study examined how vandalism in art became intertwined with ideological and political polarization. In this context, it was revealed that Atatürk statues, as symbols of the ideology of the Republic and the construction of national identity, were protected on the one hand, while becoming the focus of political tensions on the other. After 1980, the commercialization of art alongside neoliberal transformations was conveyed, and it was revealed that in the 2000s, physical attacks were replaced by censorship and indirect interventions such as exclusion from the public sphere. This research, conducted using articles and books on the subject, newspaper archives, and digital media analyses, shows that vandalism in art is not merely individual acts or expressions of personal moods, but is directly linked to regime changes, social crises, and ideological struggles. In conclusion, it reveals that art in Turkey is not merely an aesthetic production field but has also continued to exist as part of social memory and political struggles. Until 1923, it is explained how the concept of cultural heritage was handled and how smuggling crimes found a place for themselves. It is emphasized that from 1923 to 1950, art, which was brought into the public sphere with the country's establishment and modernization moves, became open to vandalism due to the attitudes of the public. It examines how art vandalism was intertwined with ideological and political polarizations, especially in the period between 1950 and 1980. Atatürk statues were preserved as symbols of Republican ideology and the construction of national identity, but they were also at the center of political tensions. With the post-1980 neoliberal transformation, the commercialization of art came to the fore, and in the 2000s, physical attacks were replaced by indirect forms of intervention such as censorship and exclusion from the public sphere. Using articles and books on the subject, newspaper archives and digital media analyses, this research shows that art and vandalism is directly linked to regime changes, social crises and ideological struggles, rather than individual acts and personal moods. As a result, art and vandalism in Turkey reveals that art is not only a field of aesthetic production, but continues to exist as a part of social memory and political struggles.