Özet:

This article examines the connections between the representation of hegemonic masculinities in Turkish popular culture and the rising tide of political authoritarianism in Turkey by comparatively examining two historically-based TV series produced in the 2010s, Magnificent Century (2011– 2014) and Resurrection: Ertuğrul (2014 – 2019) with a focus on the representation of two central male characters in these series: Prince (Şehzade) Mustafa and Ertuğrul. Magnificent Century was recurrently condemned by high-ranking government figures for its alleged demeaning misrepresentation of Turkish history. The fourth season of Magnificent Century coincided with the Gezi Park protests of 2013, and during this time, the series started to get a more critical perspective towards governmental power abuses and oppression. It is also during this fourth season that Prince Mustafa emerged as the central character of the series until his death and his scene of execution has become one of the greatest media events of recent Turkish television history. The series’ portrayal of Prince Mustafa draws extensively from left-wing memories of loss and repression in Turkey, and the series’ criticisms of power abuse implicate the contemporary Turkish government as well. For instance, Ottoman people who protest Prince Mustafa’s murder are referred to as “çapulcu,” “marauders” several times in the series, which is the same expression used to disparage Gezi Park protestors. In contrast, Resurrection: Ertuğrul was screened by state channel TRT with endorsements from government officials, who publicly praised the series on multiple occasions. Resurrection: Ertuğrul tells the story of Ertuğrul, a tribe chieftain, who resurrects the glory of a polity in disarray in the early beginnings of what would later become the Ottoman Empire, paralleling the contemporary Turkish governments’ emphasis on revival and resurrection. In the portrayal of Ertuğrul and his men, Islam is recurrently presented as the ultimate marker of national identity. However, the close-textual analysis showcases that, despite their thematic and ideological dissimilarities, both series converge in positing the male leader and his loyal militarist men as the building blocks and guardians of the national polity. Additionally, in the portrayal of Ertuğrul and Prince Mustafa, we find a paradoxical embrace of militaristic, authoritarian displays of power, but also an emphasis on rebelliousness to established authority, and male victimization, which, I argue, constitute the essential constituents of contemporary hegemonic masculinity in Turkey. Hence, I argue that some of the essential components of hegemonic masculinity we encounter in political discourse can be traced to the arena of popular culture where it is reproduced and magnified.