Ankara (Book)

Ankara is a novel by Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, first serialized in 1933 and published in book form in 1934. Work encompasses a critical period spanning from the final years of the National Struggle to the first two decades of the Republic, examining the social and urban transformation of Ankara during this time.

Content of the Book

Novel consists of three parts. Author presents three distinct conceptions of Ankara through its three separate sections. In each section, the changing face of Ankara is portrayed through the different marriages of Selma Hanım.

First Section: Ankara during the National Struggle years is depicted as impoverished and backward. Selma Hanım, married to her first husband Nazif Bey, observes the spirit and determination of the National Struggle, the hardships of war, and the people’s resistance.

Second Section: The city’s development and modernization efforts during the early years of the Republic are examined. During this period, Selma Hanım is married to Major Hakkı Bey and pursues the new ideals of the era. In this section, Westernization and moral decay are criticized, particularly among figures such as Hakkı Bey and the circles surrounding him.

Third Section: In the third part of the novel, Selma Hanım is married to Neşet Fixed. The final section represents the author’s hope for the future and is utopian in tone. Yakup Kadri imagines Ankara’s evolution under the Republic up to the year 1943.

Yakup Kadri criticizes the superficial adoption of reforms without sufficient internalization by society. He also draws attention to the growing gap in living standards between the upper and lower classes. While evaluating the innovations and transformations brought by the Republic, the novel also offers a period panorama.