Soli

Pazar-hopping. Fresh produce from farms, affordable clothes and lots of stories. Market bags in hand, eyes on the stall on the right, Kornelia and Italo by our side. Let's start the tour. 

The showcase of neighborhoods

The neighbourhood: Rüstem Paşa. Locals: Gülin Özalp. Shop: Pandeli. Photos: Deniz Sabuncu.Rüstem Paşa has represented the most colourful side of socio-economic life for thousands of years, with its open-air bazaar, shops, market, inns, mosques, square and historical Egyptian Bazaar. This is a lively, highly energetic, and crowded neighbourhood. As soon as I pass through Karaköy and enter the Galata Bridge, I find myself in the middle of the movement. I feel that I have arrived in the neighbourhood. The Spice Bazaar, where the heart of the trade beats, is in this neighbourhood, and right next to it, Eminönü, where I can supply the basic needs of the shop, the movement of the ferries docking one after another, the rush of pedestrians are the trademarks of here. As lively and crowded as it is during the day due to trade, it is just as deserted and quiet at night.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/5/1670569680219.jpeg" style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h4 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Gülin</h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">Thanks to the abundance of street flavours and artisan restaurants, one wanders among saporous smells. The Spice Bazaar, which was known as a spice centre in the Ottoman Empire, has lost its fundamental function with the opening of shops by different tradespeople; however, there are still places, like Malatya Bazaar, where we shop here and there. The food and beverage culture is as active as the city itself. Some disappear, but new ones come into their place right after. Of course, there are also things that remain rooted and unchanging, such as bazaars and mosques. Pandeli, whose home has been Rüstem Paşa for 122 years, is one of them.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/5/1670569786046.jpeg" style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h4 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Mr Pandeli's special aubergine döner börek</h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The story of Mr Pandeli</h2>Mr Pandeli, a Greek from Niğde. As soon as he came to Istanbul, he started working in various professions other than portering, which was his father's profession. He first started selling meatballs and&nbsp;piyaz&nbsp;(a Turkish food with kidney beans, onion, and olive oil) in a portable car on Mercan Slope, behind the Spice Bazaar. When his&nbsp;piyaz's&nbsp;became very popular, the neighbourhood pushed him to open his own meatball shop. In this modest place in Çukur Han, he continues his passion for his father's profession and serves meatball bread to the porters. At the period of the World War I, the Hamal Lokantası was gradually becoming a frequent place for intellectuals, journalists, poets, writers, and politicians. Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, Hüseyin Cahit Yalçın, Orhan Seyfi Orhon, Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel, and Ahmet Haşim from Turkey; Queen Elizabeth II, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Queen Sofia, and Audrey Hepburn are just some from around the world who have tasted Pandeli.However, the effects of the war turned out severe, and Mr Pandeli had to return to Niğde. After the war, it reunites with its regulars in a 3-storey building at Yağcılar İskelesi in Eminönü. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is one of those regulars, too. When he was in Ankara, he used to miss Pandeli and sometimes when he would have guests in Ankara, the special orders he had made were delivered to him by train from Istanbul.This love and devotion, unfortunately, came to a stop again when the shop was looted during the Istanbul pogrom and Mr Pandeli gave up his profession. Later on, then-President Celal Bayar and Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, who heard the news from the newspaper headlines, persuaded Pandeli, and the upper floor at the entrance of the Spice Bazaar, where it is today, was allocated to Pandeli Restaurant by state order.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/5/1670569825957.jpeg" style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h4 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Spice Bazaar</h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Our regulars: Spice Bazaar’s shopkeepers</h2>Rüstem Paşa does not have particular regulars. This place belongs to all of us. With those who come every day, regulars, nomads, and the indispensable. Since the neighbourhood is a commercial centre, its energy is very high and there are always tourists, but for shops like ours to be sustainable, the primary job is to satisfy the local guests before the tourists. A significant part of our Pandeli regulars are the tradespeople of the Spice Bazaar. Fishmongers, spice shops, greengrocers and butchers, where we run to when the shop runs out of something. Since we prepare everything on a daily basis, our supplies are limited, and when we run out of stocks, the tradespeople come to our help. It is valuable to support each other and share the same table. This place can make people feel at home, thanks to Aslı Hanıms and Ahmet Beys, who have been coming here for generations and who tell their grandchildren ‘My grandmother used to take me here’ while climbing the stairs of the shop.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/5/1670569898554.jpeg" style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h4 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Papers folded by the team each morning and sea bass in curlpaper with its special recipe</h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The paper for the sea bass in curlpaper still comes from Athens</h2>After Hristo Bey's death, his daughter Sofia Hanım decided to take over Pandeli, which she had doted upon from Greece and which she had inherited from her grandfather. As regulars who have been coming here for years, we were very sad and refused to believe it, when we learnt that the shop would close. When they offered us to take over the business, we did not know what to do. On the one hand, we were not willing to close it down. On the other hand, the idea of maintaining a place that we loved so much was such a heavy responsibility.It has always been crucial for Sofia Hanım for the shop to meet its regulars. With her support, we continue to run Pandeli, sticking as much as possible to the old tradition. Even during the menu-tasting process, we had Sofia Hanım’s hand on us. One of Pandeli's original tastes, the paper for Mr Pandeli's own recipe, Sea Bass in curlpaper, still comes from Athens today. The paper has a special way of folding. Hristo Bey taught this technique to Özay Bey, who has been devoted to Pandeli since he was 13. Now, Özay Bey and I fold papers every morning before work. It has become a ritual. Most of our colleagues working at Pandeli have been here since the early days. We didn't want to dispel the team or lose that authentic spirit. Now, we are a resilient team that grows together. There is something we have been repeating since the first day:&nbsp;‘This place is not ours, it belongs to all of us, to Istanbul.’<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/5/1670569957382.jpeg" style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="0.67" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h4 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Mr Pandeli's special recipe: Cherry Tirit</h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">One of the important factors that make up the cuisine of Istanbul is the coexistence of different religious communities in the city. The food cultures of Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities have always been in mutual exchange with one another. Pandeli is a place that has not moved away from the historical peninsula where it was born and even earned a place in memories by identifying with the neighbourhood. Taking inspiration from Istanbul, there is an almost organic relationship between Istanbul and Pandeli.

Rüstem Paşa has been Pandeli’s home for 122 years.

Papers from Athens, food from shopkeepers, a star from Michelin

<hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;"><img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/5/1669982550708.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.80" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h4 fr-original-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Source: Beyoğlu Sineması</h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;"><h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Beyoğlu Cinema is back!</h2>Beyoğlu Cinema (Beyoğlu Sineması) was placed among the historic places that Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality&nbsp;(IBB)&nbsp;Cultural Heritage Department teams are renovating, alongside Muammer Karaca Theatre, Botter Apartment Building, and Metro Han.Beyoğlu Cinema, one of the oldest urban cinemas in Turkey, will be rented by IBB and will continue to be owned by Istanbulites through the efforts of IBB Heritage. Beyoğlu Cinema, which will continue on as one of the symbolic places of Beyoğlu's memory, will continue to be a movie theatre once the project is complete.What's going on in Beyoğlu?The project carried out for Muammer Karaca Theatre,&nbsp;which hosts Turkey's most important theatre artists on its stage, aims to be completed in a way to preserve the historical building's relationship with İstiklâl Street and its interior design in the memory of the city. After the project, the theatre will join Istanbul's cultural and artistic life as a meeting stop that lives 24/7.Botter Apartment Building, the first Art Nouveau building of the Ottoman Empire, also known as Casa Botter, stands out as the home of Botter Modaevi, the city's 'first fashion house' that brought European fashion influences to Pera. The building, which is one of the important parts of Beyoğlu's treasure with its history, story and spirit, reminded us of its glittering days in 2021 with the facade conservation. Work is underway to bring the apartment building back to the city as Casa Botter Art and Design Centre.&nbsp;Beyoğlu Spatial Strategy Plan, which includes a significant part of the city's historical and symbolic places, was shared with the public. The process, which started about 2 years ago with the motto 'Say your opinion, let's design the Beyoğlu of your dreams together', has produced the 'Beyoğlu Spatial Strategy Plan' after more than 300 events, one-to-one contact with thousands of people and large-scale participation in order to make the district more livable and earthquake-resistant, and protect its multicultural structure and cultural heritage. All developments within the scope of the plan, which is a vision document for the future, are shared on the site <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.beyoglusenin.ist/tr" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Beyoğlu Senin</a>.

Aposto Istanbul

'Pera is not a district of Beyoğlu in its current bureaucratic definition.'

'Being from Pera is so much about nostalgia'

Parallel to liberalism, conservatism, Islamism, or socialism; the origins of nationalism can be traced back to the late Ottoman Empire. The modernisation/westernisation movement which began in the Ottoman Empire with the Tanzimat reforms aimed at restoring the empire, which had lagged behind Europe economically and technologically, to its ‘former glory,’ while seeking ways to keep the state together against nationalist movements in the Balkans and increasing pressure from Russia. The intellectuals and statesmen of the period proposed four different solutions to these searches: Ottomanism, Islamism, Turkism (in Yusuf Akçura's words, 'Üç Tarz-ı Siyaset', can be translated as three kinds of policies), and Westernism. As the subject of this article, I will discuss how Turkism was dealt with in the late Ottoman period, its intellectual leaders, and its transformation and articulation within the Republican regime.Tanıl Bora, who has made extensive studies on political ideologies in Turkey, defines Turkish nationalism in his book&nbsp;‘Cereyanlar’ as follows:‘The self-presentation of Turkish nationalism has always been a narrative of delay. In this narrative, the reason for lagging behind modernisation is the delay in the realisation of nationality and nation-building. This haste has led Turkish nationalism to be shaped by a strong perception of threat and a concern for survival. It is a common characteristic of all nationalisms that emerged after the ones in Western Europe to some degree. The difference between Turkish nationalism is that, like most late nationalisms, it was shaped not in the effort to gain independence, but in the anxiety and trauma of losing an empire.’<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The birth of Turkism</h3>As Tanıl Bora puts it, the delay in the realisation and construction of the nation was, according to some of the late Ottoman intellectuals, the sole cause of both the defeat in the Balkan Wars and the disintegration of the empire. The loss of Rumelia, which was the backbone of the Ottoman Empire, as a result of heavy and protracted wars led the nationalist intellectuals of that period to search for new answers to the question ‘What is the homeland?’ and the concept of ‘Turan,’ the red goal (Red Apple) of Turkism, was derived. The lines of Ziya Gökalp, one of the founders of Turkish nationalism, ‘Homeland is neither Turkey nor Turkestan for Turks. Homeland is a great and eternal country, Turan,’ became a significant slogan for Turkish nationalism and the definition of the ideal of a homeland for a long period.Ziya Gökalp and Yusuf Akçura are two significant figures with founding roles in the development of Turkish nationalism as an ideology. Akçura (former director of Turkish Historical Society) advocated the idea of unity among Ottoman, Tatar, and Central Asian Turks against the Russian Empire's oppression and assimilation policy against the Turkic peoples of Russia and Central Asia in the early 20th century. Gökalp's nationalism, on the other hand, can be described as more localised as it appealed to the Turks in Anatolia. One of the most distinctive features of Turkism, which began to emerge in the last periods of the Ottoman Empire, is the distance between the first and the idea of Islamism. The Islamism of the period, which advocated that the Sultan should use the power of the caliphate to become the leader of the world's Muslims, also saw the loss of the Balkans and the large share of Muslims in the Empire's population distribution as an opportunity to prevent the disintegration of the state. Turkism, on the other hand, included the Turkic peoples of both Russia and Central Asia, rather than the Arab population of the Empire, within the definition of a nation, and argued that a Turkic Union would be the only salvation of the state.<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Early Republican nationalism</h3>The Republic of Turkey, established after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, inherited many institutions and traditions from the Ottoman Empire, as well as the dominant ideologies of the period. As a manifestation of the ideological conjuncture of the period, the young Republic, built on the concept of the nation-state, also adopted a nationalist ideology.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/8/0/1664102009989.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="1.62" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">The fact that nationalist ideology was very strong in Turkey and the Balkan countries in the 1920s paved the way for the population exchange between Turkey and Greece. The Republican regime, which adopted the concept of a homogeneous nation, sent the majority of the minority population with this exchange and relatively achieved its goal of a homogeneous population. The Kurdish population was the only people who remained outside the homogeneous Turkish nation. The other nations in Anatolia could easily be included in the definition of the ‘Turkish nation’ due to their small population size and the relative unity of language and culture.Professor Doctor Murat Somer from Koç University defines early Republican nationalism as ‘positive nationalism and negative nationalism.’&nbsp;<blockquote fr-original-style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(37, 44, 60); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px;" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(37, 44, 60); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; border-left-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box;">‘Positive nationalism tries to produce a unifying and inclusive answer to the question 'Who does the nation consist of?’ It focuses on building a society by giving citizens a common identity and denominator to different minority groups that do not see each other as part of the same group without rejecting their differences. Negative nationalism, on the other hand, focuses more on exclusion and separation. By claiming to be based on an already existing society and identity, it tries to exclude those who are outside that people and identity.’</blockquote>Somer argues that these two types of nationalism initiated the Republic. Republican-era Turkish nationalism can be defined as positive nationalism in the sense that it was able to unite many people with different ethnic identities in Anatolia under the Turkish identity.&nbsp;On the other hand, there was also a negative nationalism that excluded Kurds, Alevis, and Circassians by not accepting them with their own identities. As we enter the second century of the Republic, the only way to ensure social peace despite the polarization of society around ethnic identities and political ideologies is through the revival of an inclusive and unifying positive nationalism, Professor Doctor Murat Somer points out.<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Turkish nationalism, which takes the fight against communism as its motto: 1970s</h3>After the Second World War, Turkey joined the US-led Western camp politically and economically and entered a period in which ideologies transformed as politics transformed. Established as a defense alliance against the Soviet Union, NATO was also the flag bearer of the liberal-capitalist Western world's fight against communism. In 1952, Turkey became a member of NATO, and the Soviet threat made anti-communism the essential reference point of politics and the dominant ideology.From the 1940s onwards, Turkish nationalism adopted the fight against communism, and formed an ideological alliance with the political regime, and began to transform its discourse and actions accordingly. Especially in the 60s and 70s, with the strengthening of leftist movements in Turkey, in parallel with the global trend, Turkish nationalism accelerated its street organizations and added a paramilitary force to its political power. The Anti-Communist Associations, the National Union of Turkish Students (MTTB), and the Grey Wolves (Ülkü Ocakları), as the violent street organizations of Turkish nationalism (widely known as ‘ülkücü’), gained an importance in the political atmosphere of the period. The 1970s can also be considered the beginning of a period in which Turkish nationalism and Islamism formed a coalition, and as a result, nationalism split into different camps.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/8/0/1664102084978.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="0.93" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The era of developmental nationalism and Islamist nationalism: 1980s</h3>The September 12 military coup led to political, economic, and ideological structural transformations in Turkey. In other words, the September 12th coup was carried out to realise these structural transformations. In the 1970s, as political violence and street incidents spiraled out of control, street organizations of both left-wing and right-wing groups paved the way for major incidents of violence.&nbsp;Nationalist groups, who considered it their duty to fight against the communist movement, were at the vanguard of political violence during this period with the driving effect of the Nationalist Front coalitions in government. After the September 12 coup, the military government controlled both left and right organizations with executions and imprisonment, but conservative nationalism became the dominant ideology of the new regime. With the influence of the US policy of using Islamism as an ‘antidote’ against communism, Turkish nationalism and Islamism were to create a conservative-nationalist symbiosis. Although the more conservative and Islamist groups within the ‘Nationalist Work Party’ (MÇP), the nationalist party of the period, tried to create a transformation within the party for a while, they left the MÇP in 1992 and founded the Grand Unity Party (BBP) under the leadership of Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu. While the MÇP (and its successor, the MHP), under the leadership of Alparslan Türkeş, adopted a more Turanist and secular nationalism, the BBP which was under the leadership of Yazıcıoğlu, became the representative of Islamist nationalism.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/8/0/1664102152830.png" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="1.79" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">On the other hand, the Motherland Party (ANAP) under Turgut Özal could be seen as the representative of developmental nationalism. Adopting a liberal-conservative ideology, the ANAP led by Özal represents a more worldly and milder nationalism with its approach to economic development. Özal’s quote, ‘It is not nationalism to boast about the past because Mehmet the Conqueror did this, or Yavuz Sultan Selim did that. Nationalism is the ability of societies to boast of their deeds at that moment. Can you compete with the world? Do you have better painters, artists, merchants, politicians?’ can be seen as a summary of developmental nationalism.<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The resurgence of nationalism: 1990s</h3>By the 1990s, global and local developments paved the way for the resurgence and strengthening of Turkish nationalism. Both Turgut Özal and Süleyman Demirel enthusiastically embraced the idea that Turkey could lead the Turkic Republics in Central Asia, which had gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Turkey, as a democratic and secular country, would be a role model for the new Turkic Republics, and a Turkic union would be formed by strengthening political-economic-commercial ties.&nbsp;Süleyman Demirel, the Prime Minister of the time, expressed this idea with these words ‘A Turkey with one end at the Adriatic Sea and the other at the Great Wall of China has emerged.’ With Russia boosting its influence over the former Soviet Republics and the Turkic Republics, in addition to not welcoming Turkey's leadership, it soon became obvious that this ideal was nothing but a &nbsp;dream. Another significant agenda item of the 1990s was the escalation of the armed struggle against the PKK and its transformation into a low-intensity war. Both the war in the southeast and the increasing number of martyrs led to a revival of Turkish nationalism and the refilling of the enemy profile left vacant by the collapse of communism.<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The dominance of Islamist-nationalism and secular nationalism as a reaction: 2000s</h3>In the 2000s, we see that Islamism became the dominant ideology for a long time after the AKP came to power. But after 2015, Islamism and nationalism formed a coalition again, and Islamist nationalism became dominant. In the first years of the AKP’s rule, Turkish nationalism assumed a softer identity due to the wind of EU membership and the Kurdish initiative. Then, with the arrest of high-ranking military officers in the Ergenekon-Balyoz investigations, the failure of the Kurdish initiative, and the resurgence of the fight against terrorism, nationalism started to climb again. In parallel with the AKP's coalition with the MHP, we can say that the Islamist-nationalist alliance became the dominant ideology.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/8/0/1664102231800.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="1.50" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">We also see that secular nationalism, as a reaction to conservative nationalism, has started to find a response in society and politics and has been on the rise in recent years.&nbsp;Following the 1980 military coup, the Turkish-Islamic synthesis, the main ideology of the new political regime, underwent an ideological transformation and evolved into a secular nationalism with the urbanization of the Turkish population, the deepening integration of younger generations into the world, the increase in the number of university graduates and the adoption of a more secular lifestyle. In this new nationalist ideology, the consciousness of Turkishness in the previous version of the Turkish-Islamic synthesis remained more dominant, while the emphasis on Islam decreased, creating a new synthesis that was more integrated with the world and more secular.

Spektrum

Abdullah Esin

Turkish nationalism from its birth to today: From Turanism to Islamism

A guide by&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://instagram.com/kenancruz?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Kenan Cruz Çilli</a>.Hey Istanbulite! As the 17th annual Istanbul Biennial continues to attract visitors from far and wide, we’ve prepared a short list of sites that you can visit alongside key Biennial exhibitions. Check out the list below:Sveti Stefan Bulgarian Church (Balat):&nbsp;Have you ever visited a church made entirely of iron? Well if you haven’t been to Balat, the chances are you haven’t! The Sveti Stefan Bulgarian Church in Balat is one of the only religious structures in the world to be built entirely of iron. Check out this unique structure and be mesmerised by the stunning stained-glass windows in its interior. The church will definitely take you on a trip to the past, showcasing the historic wealth and prosperity of Istanbul’s Bulgarian Orthodox community.Nusretiye Clock Tower (Tophane): The Nusretiye Clock Tower was one of the very first clock towers to be built in the Ottoman Empire. Though it was abandoned for many decades, it was recently restored by a team of experts who uncovered several metres of the tower that had previously been covered in dirt and debris. The tower now stands at the heart of the newly opened water-front Galata Port.The Theodosian Walls (Zeytinburnu): Istanbul’s mighty Theodosian Walls were built over 1500 years ago, safeguarding the city of Constantinople for just over a millennium. Nowadays, the walls remain standing as a true testament to the long and fascinating history of Istanbul. A small section of the walls was recently restored and can now be visited alongside the brand new Visitors’ Centre by Mevlanakapı.Hemdat Israel Synagogue (Yeldeğirmeni):&nbsp;If you watched the hit Netflix series The Club, then you may have wondered where parts of the show were filmed. The Hemdat Israel Synagogue takes you on a journey to another Istanbul with breath-taking plastered walls and ceilings. The synagogue’s name also has a unique story: it was built with permission from the Sultan at the time, Abdulhamit II. The synagogue’s name, Hemdat Israel, roughly translates to “Compassion of the Israelites” – a word-play on the name of the sultan and a symbol of the Jewish community’s gratitude to the sultan.

An alternative trip for the 17th Istanbul Biennial.  Some tips that you don't know about Sveti Stefan Bulgarian Church, Nusretiye Clock Tower, The Theodosian Walls, and Hemdat Israel Synagogue. 

For places to pair with your trip to the 17th Istanbul Biennal

        

"Being from Pera is as much about nostalgia, respect, and sadness for the past as it is about a great joy of living in the present and an incorrigible optimism for the future."

<h4 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">A weekly city guide for Istanbul lovers who want to make this city their neighborhood. Hand-picked events, local news, recommendations and more.</h4><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;">Journey through a genius Ottoman mind: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.sakipsabancimuzesi.org/en/exhibitions-and-events/exhibition/16" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">The Prince’s Extraordinary World: Abdülmecid Efendi</a> &nbsp;<ul fr-original-style="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">What is it? Exhibition. Beautifully curated selections from the extensive library of artworks from Ottoman Prince Abdülmecid.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Where? Sakıp Sabancı Museum</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">When? The exhibition is open for visits until 28 August.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Why should you go? To witness a snippet of the late Ottoman palace art, all created by the last caliph of the empire.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Duly noted:&nbsp; You should check another exhibition that focuses on the calligraphic art of the late Ottoman Empire, <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.sakipsabancimuzesi.org/en/exhibitions-and-events/exhibition/65" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Prince Abdülmecid Efendi and the Art of Calligraphy</a>.&nbsp;</li></ul><p contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="custom-button-wrapper fr-deletable" fr-original-style="text-align:center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><a bgcolor="#000000FF" color="#FFFFFFFF" contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="custom-button-link" fr-original-style="background-color:#000000FF !important;color:#fafbfc !important" href="https://apos.to/i/meet-paul-osterlund-and-brace-yourself-for-a-dive-into-kurtulus" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; color: rgb(250, 251, 252) !important; text-decoration: none; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Read more</a><p contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="custom-button-wrapper fr-deletable" fr-original-style="text-align:center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><a bgcolor="#000000FF" color="#FFFFFFFF" contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="custom-button-link" fr-original-style="background-color:#000000FF !important;color:#fafbfc !important" href="https://apos.to/n/aposto-istanbul" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; color: rgb(250, 251, 252) !important; text-decoration: none; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Subscribe</a>

Ottoman Empire ile ilgili hikayeler