Abstract:

This article seeks to examine the nationalist ideology present in La Turquie Kémaliste, a propaganda periodical primarily published in French, with partial content in English and German, during Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's presidency in Turkey. The periodical’s main objective is to appeal to a Western urban audience by highlighting the modernity of the new republic, offering a critical analysis of orientalist viewpoints towards Turkey, and promoting the nation’s tourist attractions. While intensely criticizing orientalist ideas and attitudes of the time, the publication carefully avoids anti-Western or Occidentalist sentiments, adhering to the principle of 'westernizing despite the West' within Ottoman-Turkish modernization. The visually rich content of the magazine facilitates an analysis of the official narrative of national history, with a pronounced emphasis on the dichotomy between the 'Ancien Régime' (Ottoman Empire) and Republican Turkey. However, the periodical proudly presents Ottoman cultural heritage in a limited and selective manner, tailored for tourism. The periodical provides valuable insights into Kemalism, a distinctive form of Turkish nationalism, by exploring a wide range of themes.

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