Abstract:

The issue of identity in Turkish literature is an important subject  to be discussed in various circles from Tanzimat to the present day, but has not yet been completely resolved. The notion of identity firstly bring to mind the idea of belonging. Tanzimat is an important turning point in our social, political, cultural and literary life. Therefore it is not possible to solve this subject without knowing the nature and aesthetic of the classic literature which is belonging to the previous turn of the Tanzimat and understanding what the main aim of the Turkish literature in Western influence is. While adressing this subject, personalities such as Yahya Kemal, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Sabri Ülgener, Kemal Tahir, Nurettin Topçu, Cemil Meriç, Mehmet Kaplan, Erol Güngör and Hilmi Yavuz, who are prominent figures of the Republican period Turkish literature and thought World, and their ideas must be considered. In this article, especially these days which we are prepared to enter the European Union, we are paying attention to the issue of identity while considering the historical process and what are the main points that constitute identity. 

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