Deutsch-Türkische Beziehungen im Kontext des Orientalismus und der Imagologie: Der Erste Weltkrieg und die türkische Kultur aus der Perspektive von General Kreß von Kressenstein

Abstract

In this study, guided by Edward Said's Orientalism theory, the memoir of German General Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein about his experiences in the Ottoman Empire was examined and it was aimed to determine the orientalist discourses in the memoir and to evaluate the effects of these discourses on East-West relations. The memoir was analyzed deeply using Said's theory of Orientalism and Philipp Mayring's Qualitative Content Analysis method. In addition, Orientalism, how the West perceives the Orient and the historical, cultural, and political roots of this perception are emphasized. According to Said, Orientalism is a discourse that the West constructs consciously as a product of its colonialism understanding to realize its own interests. In this research, based on this theoretical framework, the expressions in the memoir were examined in the context of themes that belittle Orientals and glorify Occidentals. The findings support Said's views, showing that Orientals are often portrayed as backward, inadequate, and primitive. On the other hand, it reveals that Westerners are portrayed as superior, powerful, and advanced. The backwardness of Ottoman society is emphasized, and the superiority of Western societies is underlined. According to Orientalism, this situation is seen as indicative of the tendency of Occidentals to marginalize and devalue Orientals. The orientalist expressions in Kress von Kressenstein's memoir also constitute a concrete example of Orientalism and thus contribute to a deeper comprehension of how the West perceives the Orient. This study also aims to contribute to Said's Orientalism theory and to a better understanding of the processes of shaping the image of the Orient. In addition, it is hoped that such studies will provide new insights into enhancing the perception of the Orient. As a result, this research adds a new one to the studies on Orientalism and East-West relations.