issues of musical identity during the foundation of the turkish republic (1923-1950)

In the early years of the Turkish Republic, music was a central topic in the cultural reforms that aimed to guide Turkey in the modernism and progressivism that defined the first half of the twentieth century. Several issues were involved, including the “change of civilizations” from an Ottoman and Eastern identity to becoming more like a Western European nation-state. This was a period that saw the establishment of Western-style music conservatories and the employment of musicians and musicologists to help establish a national classical music based on Turkish folk elements. At the same time, media outlets such as radio helped to shape and disseminate a national folk musical style. Private music making and cultural exchange with the West also played an important role in shaping a new Ottoman style. All of these elements worked together to form a rich and complex fabric of musical identity during the early days of the Turkish Republic.