Translation and Politics of Identity: Türkiye in the Eyes of Europe (1999-2008)

Abstract

This thesis examines the English and French translations of Turkish literature, viewing the world translation system as a transnational cultural system, following Johan Heilbron (1999, 2010). It aims to explore how the Turkish identity is (re)framed in the mass media, considering Türkiye’s historical background and its socio-political dynamics with Europe. Using Niklas Luhmann’s Social Systems Theory (1990, 2012, 2013), particularly his concepts of communication, autopoiesis, systemic differentiation, and observation, the study analyzes translations in their broader socio-political context. It also employs social narrative theory by Margaret Somers and Gloria Gibson (1993, 1994) to understand media discourse from 1999-2008. The thesis focuses on the discourse surrounding two bestselling novels by prominent Turkish writers: Snow by Orhan Pamuk and The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Şafak. It analyzes the narrative strategies in press articles and the paratextual elements of translations in the British and French subsystems of the European system, aiming to uncover how translation and media representations shape the portrayal of Turkish identity. The findings suggest that the ‘narrative of difference’ based on comparing Europeanness and Turkishness centers on the ‘bridge’ metaphor, indicating the hybridity of Turkish identity as both Eastern and European. The study emphasizes that the European perception of Türkiye and Europe’s self-referential reproduction (systemic autopoiesis, survival, and autonomy) are influenced by mass media representations of Türkiye. These representations, constructed through translational and paratextual data, highlight the differences between Europe and the Turkish Other. The thesis concludes that this narrative influences the global reception of Pamuk and Şafak. Pamuk is widely regarded as an internationally consecrated writer, often considered a classic, especially within the French subsystem, while Şafak’s status in the global literary landscape leans more towards popular literature, with relatively less recognition in the British and French subsystems.