The Importance Of Memory In Turkey

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Interest in memory has also been significant in Turkey, especially in academia and civil society. Esra Özyürek (2007) remarks that throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, citizens of Turkey have started sorting out the layers of history to understand and control the present (p. 2). On the other hand, Nükhet Sirman (2006) also notes the academic and popular preoccupation with memory in the late 90s but also indicates that there has always been an interest to memory in Turkey by reminding the memoirs written since the 1950s. What is significant about the recent interest is their recourse to oral material (p. 32). Leyla Neyzi (2010) informs that an interdisciplinary field, memory studies and oral history is a fledgling research area in Turkey …show more content…

Justice Commission to Research the Truth about Diyarbakır Prison was established in 2007 by the aim of turning Diyarbakır Prison into a museum by the Initiation of Generation 78 (78’liler Girişimi) and academics from various fields. The unofficial commission conducted interviews with 461 ex-prisoners to collect evidences and testimonies. The findings revealed the torture and degradation methods used in the prison. Symposiums were organized in Diyarbakır, Ankara and İstanbul. Center for Truth Justice Memory (Hafıza Merkezi) was set up in 2011 as an independent human rights organization by a group of lawyers, journalists and human rights activists. The objectives of the Center are manifested as uncovering the truth concerning past violations human rights, strengthening the collective memory about the violations, supporting survivors in their pursuit of justice. The center has published reports on enforced disappearances and set up a database for collecting the data of enforced disappearances in Turkey after …show more content…

Collective and individual memories which have not been told in official history and / or changed / repressed / implemented are publicly returning in recent years. As people start to speak up, share their stories and demand for alternative histories, cultural artifacts are also being produced for fulfilling this need and demand. My aim is not analyzing either all cultural artifacts or the ways they are being told in many narrative forms but to understand how such a demand engage with the way people tell their

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