ABSTRACT
Current theories of nationalism provide inadequate frameworks to fully explain the emergence of Turkish nationalism, its unique characteristics, and its cultural foundations. A rhetorical approach offers a way to overcome these limitations and examine Turkish nationalism in its own cultural, historical, political, and rhetorical context. Understanding the rhetorical forces behind Turkish nationalism is vital to understanding today’s Turkey and its founding philosophy, Kemalism, because the political narratives that developed during Turkey’s formative years remain at the heart of the country’s numerous problems as well as their solutions. The chapter first provides a brief overview and critique of the current theories of nationalism. Then it introduces the concept of an ideograph, discusses the role political myths play in the construction of national identities, and proposes a rhetorical approach to explore the Turkish case by furthering Charland’s argument that in telling the story of a people, the people come to be. The chapter ends with a brief introduction of the study’s main texts, such as Nutuk, the Orkhon Inscriptions, the Dede Korkut stories, epic tales, and statements from current political figures.
