Contribution
Description: This paper explores the challenges that 'Europe' poses to the Turkish historical narrative. Prospective EU members need to readjust their national-historical narratives to the "unfolding" Europe (Schissler & Soysal, 2005). In the (possible) accession process around Turkey's membership of EU, what transformation of the Turkish history textbooks' national narratives might be required? The proposed paper explores the nature of these challenges.
The core of the Turkish historical narrative was established in the nation-building period of the 1920s and 1930s (Lewis, 2002). The new Republic was established as a secular, 'modern', nation-state and there were social, political, structural and cultural reforms to undertake to create the nation's future. Second, in line with the nation-building process, the nation needed to be seen as homogenous. Building a national consciousness by means of historical narrative was one of the significant parts of the process of nation-building.
Thus the 'new' Turkish national narrative was shaped to show "Turks" to be a great nation, with great civilizations from prehistoric times. However, it might be argued that some notions such as Ottoman Empire, Europe, Islam, in a sense, neglected.
Methodology: The paper reports an interpretative analysis of Turkey's evolving national narrative as seen in secondary school history textbooks. The primary focus is on how the topics of 'land' and 'nation' have been portrayed in the Turkish national narrative of the 1930s, the 1950s and 1960s, and, finally, on the present narrative (see LaSpina, 2002). The discussion will conclude with an exploration of the portrayals that will be exposed in the contemporary narrative as 'Europe' becomes an explicit component in the mix - both as a historical topic in and of itself and as a set of expectations spelled out in, e.g., accession treaties and discourse (see, e.g., Gallagher, 1996).
Conclusions: I conclude the 'Europe' as an historical topic and as a set of mandates and expectations will pose major problems for the teaching of history in Turkish schools, framed as it is by a core narrative that emerged in the conditions of the collapse of the Ottoman empire and the need of new Turkish state to create a nation in a land with a complex and rich history. Turkish history textbooks/ curriculum might be required to readjust its national narrative in terms of EU aspirations.
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