Cultural identity of Turks of African origin (Afro-Turks)

Bibliogr. s. 268-270

The main aim of the article is to analyze and assess the impact of government policy and the representation regime on the cultural identity of the Turkish community of African origin (Afro-Turks). The article examines the identity of Afro-Turks in the late Ottoman Empire and in the Republic of Türkiye. From a methodological perspective, the work employs the concept of Cemal Kafadar's "lid model". The author characterizes the cultural identity of Afro-Turks through Stuart Hall's perspective, emphasizing how it is shaped by historical constructs and contemporary conditions. With the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye, the urban elites involved in the political project of forced westernization perceived Afro-Turks as a geographically peripheral and marginalized community. The identity of Turks of African origin is shaped by the traumatic nature of the colonial experience, symbolic violence and paternalistic dependencies maintained in elite families. The Republic of Türkiye was one of the last countries in the world to formally abolish slavery, a fact that intensifies post-colonial discourse among Afro-Turks. The traditions of Afro-Turks are currently preserved by the Africans Culture and Solidarity Society, which was founded in Ayvalık in 2006. The government positively evaluated the efforts of Afro-Turks to promote their culture beyond community borders, seeing this as an opportunity to increase Turkish political activity in Africa.