Abstract:

Writers and artists who witnessed the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye played an important role in the formation processes of national consciousness and national identity, and by focusing on issues concerning the society in their works, they dealt with the problems experienced by the Anatolian people, village and town life, and the changes that came with the revolutions from different aspects. During the foundation period of the Republic, steps towards art and literature were adopted as a state policy. Although Türkiye had turned to the West in the process of modernization, in the 1930s, it attempted to establish a national identity and adopt a unique attitude in nation-building. In this context, educational institutions and exhibitions were opened and work were given in order to increase national consciousness in the field of art and literature. Along with the steps taken with the desire for Westernization, these works were used as communication tools to build national consciousness and inform the public. In the nation-building process, writers and artists assumed the task of leading public opinion, and the works were used as propaganda tools. This study includes a descriptive analysis of the works representing the period in order to understand how works of art and literature were used in the adoption of the principles and reforms of the Republic of Türkiye and the formation of national identity. It has been seen that themes in different categories gained importance in each of the fields of painting, architecture, and sculpture; the portrait of the nation that was intended to be built was drawn directly in novels, poems and theater works.

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