PhD defence
The Radical Party and the Making of Kemalism (1901-1939)
- R.C. Çakırlar
- Date
- Wednesday 14 May 2025
- Time
- Location
-
Academy Building
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden
Supervisor(s)
- Prof.dr. E.J. Zürcher
- Prof.dr. N. Clayer
Summary
This dissertation examines the relationship between France and Ottoman Empire-Turkey from approximately 1890s to 1939 in a global context. Specifically, it focuses on the role played by the French Republican, Radical, and Socialist-Radical Party (Parti républicain, radical et radical-socialiste) as well as Radical ideologues and politicians during the period of the Committee of Union and Progress (İttihat Terakki Cemiyeti) and the Republican People’s Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Fırkası). The study culminates in the establishment of Kemalism as the official ideology of the Turkish Republic.
The dissertation traces a sequence from 'ideas' to 'relationship' and back to 'ideas.' It begins by introducing Radicalism as a distinct political current, followed by an analysis of the relationship between French Radical Republicans and Ottoman-Turkish politicians. Finally, it discusses the political and intellectual consequences of these relationships. These interactions were reciprocal, continuous, and frequent. Radical actors and their Ottoman-Turkish counterparts acted as political and intellectual transmitters between the French Third Republic, the Ottoman Empire, and, later, the Turkish Republic. In France, the Radicals positioned themselves as defenders of the Young Turk opposition, Ottoman Constitutionalism after the 1908 revolution, and the Turkish Republic after 1923. They also played a key role in the making of Kemalist ideology, which was reflected in the Six Arrows. The six principles (republicanism, populism, nationalism, laicism/secularism, statism, and transformism) were adopted at the Congress of the CHP in 1931 and incorporated into the Turkish Constitution of 1937. This dissertation offers a nuanced, process-oriented, connected, and dynamic overview.
PhD dissertations
Approximately one week after the defence, PhD dissertations by Leiden PhD students are available digitally through the Leiden Repository, that offers free access to these PhD dissertations. Please note that in some cases a dissertation may be under embargo temporarily and access to its full-text version will only be granted later.
Press enquiries (journalists only)
+31 (0)71 527 1521
nieuws@leidenuniv.nl
General information
Beadle's Office
pedel@bb.leidenuniv.nl
+31 71 527 7211