The Kemalist Turkey Magazine

La Turquie Kemaliste, launched in 1934, was a magazine established to introduce the Western public to Türkiye’s efforts toward modernization and contemporary transformation, in line with the founding principles of the Republic of Türkiye. This initiative began following the appointment of Vedat Nedim Tör to the General Directorate of Press in 1933. At the time, the General Directorate of Press had an extremely limited staff (only two people besides the director) and a restricted budget (10,000 lira annually).

Vedat Nedim Tör informed Interior Minister Şükrü Kaya that the organization’s structure and resources were inadequate; in response, Kaya granted Tör authority to restructure the staff, adjust the budget, and revise regulations. With this authority, Tör formed a small team consisting of Burhan Belge, Server İskit, and Nazlı Tektaş. A law enacted in 1934 defined the institution’s core missions as promoting Türkiye abroad and countering negative propaganda. The magazine was conceived within this framework.

La Turquie Kamâliste (Turkish Language Association)

Publication History

The magazine published a total of 49 issues between 1934 and 1948. Although its publication schedule was planned for quarterly release, political and administrative changes of the period prevented regular intervals; some issues were published as combined editions. Initially, the editorial content was prepared by Vedat Nedim Tör and Burhan Belge, while photographic contributions were enriched by Austrian photographer Othmar Pferschy. French translations were carried out by Nazlı Tektaş and Reşat Nuri Darago, with linguistic review provided by the French Cultural Attaché. The first issue was printed at the State Printing House to European quality standards, a move positively received by Prime Minister İsmet İnönü.

The editorial team of La Turquie Kemaliste comprised a broad and multidisciplinary group reflecting the intellectual landscape of the early Republican period in Türkiye.

Founding Process and Editorial Team

The magazine was initiated under the leadership of Vedat Nedim Tör, appointed to the General Directorate of Press. He co-signed many of the opening articles with Falih Rıfkı Atay and Burhan Belge. He was among the founding members of the team. Burhan Asaf Belge, serving as Deputy Director General and Chief Advisor of the General Directorate of Press, was a key member of the team. Falih Rıfkı Atay was one of the magazine’s principal writers, articulating the core tenets and details of Kemalist thought in his articles. Şevket Süreyya Aydemir, a contributor to the Kadro magazine, also contributed to the editorial team of La Turquie Kemaliste. Sadri Ertem, employed at the General Press Administration, contributed short stories to the magazine. Nazlı Tektaş handled the French translations and was among the founding members. Reşat Nuri Darago also translated content into French and was among the founding members. Server İskit, a member of the General Directorate of Press staff, was among the founding members. Othmar Pferschy, appointed as the photography expert of the General Directorate of Press, produced high-quality photographs for the magazine and was among the founding members.

The magazine featured contributions from numerous prominent Turkish writers including Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Asım Süreyya, Hasan Ali Yücel, Abidin Dino, Ahmet Haşim, Mümtaz Faik Fenik, İhsan Cemal Karaburçak, Ali Hüseyin İşbay, Fikret Adil, Tahsin Öz, Hamit Zübeyir Koşay, Hüseyin Namık, Remzi Oğuz Arık, İhsan Sungu, Hikmet Turhan Dağlıoğlu, Reşat Şemsettin Sirer, Baki Süha Ediboğlu, Nüzhet Baba, Hasan Halet Işıkpınar, Nihat İyriboz, Kemal Bayrakçı, Nusret Köymen, İsmail Hakkı Baltacıoğlu, Reşit Galip, Afet İnan, Nurettin Artam, and İsmail Hüsrev Tökin.

Foreign contributors to the magazine were primarily scientists and notable figures who settled in Türkiye during the Republican era: articles by Ord. Prof. Dr. Friedrich Falke, Prof. Dr. Albert Eckstein, Prof. Dr. Ernst Reuter, Dr. Gunnar Jarring, Herbert Riedel, Ernest Mamboury, Thomas Whittemore, Philip W. Ireland, Wilhelm Salomon-Calvi, Hubert Kleinsorge, Paolo Vietti-Violi, and Norbert von Bischoff appeared in its pages.

Articles in the magazine were signed or unsigned and authored by Turkish or foreign subject experts. The majority of unsigned articles were prepared by the magazine’s editorial office or by reporters within the General Directorate of Press.

Content and Themes

The magazine aimed to communicate to the outside world Türkiye’s social, political, and economic transformation, producing content that highlighted processes of modernization, secularization, and Westernization. Key themes included modern architecture, the construction of Ankara as the new capital, advancements in women’s rights, educational reforms, industrial investments, cultural transformation, and evolving historical perspectives.

In the magazine, Ankara was positioned as the “city of the future,” embodying the ideals of young Türkiye. Examples of modern urban planning, state buildings, planned development projects, and architectural progress were presented to Western audiences with accompanying visual materials. Writers such as Falih Rıfkı Atay frequently described Ankara’s energy and atmosphere.

The magazine systematically addressed progress in women’s rights and the new public roles assumed by women. Women’s participation in education, professional achievements, and access to political rights were presented as indispensable components of the modernization process. The female figure was idealized within a profile that matched, rather than lagged behind, Western counterparts.

The magazine regularly covered the Republic’s educational policies, cultural initiatives, and industrial investments. Modern school buildings, humanitarian reforms in prisons, and the first national census were featured, emphasizing Türkiye’s planned development goals.

La Turquie Kamâliste (TCK)

Historical Perspective

In line with its editorial policy, the magazine adopted a distanced yet selective approach to the Ottoman past. Writers such as Reşit Galip criticized Ottomanism and Pan-Islamism while foregrounding elements of Turkish history rooted in the pre-Islamic era. Ottoman cultural heritage, however, was presented primarily in terms of its tourism potential.

Rejecting Western orientalist perspectives, the magazine emphasized that Türkiye was not a picturesque or exotic land but a modern nation-state. Writers such as Vedat Nedim Tör and Burhan Asaf Belge instrumentalized these critiques to underscore Türkiye’s modern identity.

The rare mention of the military in the magazine was interpreted as an effort to project to the outside world a civilian and peaceful image of Türkiye. Especially during İsmet İnönü’s presidency, the message conveyed was that Türkiye pursued a policy free of conflict and expansionism.

Editorial Team

Of the 2,165 images published in the magazine, 1,040 depicted historical elements, while the remainder illustrated the contemporary Republican structure. Thanks to the professional contributions of Othmar Pferschy, the visual quality was exceptionally high. The editorial team included figures from the Kadro magazine circle such as Vedat Nedim Tör, Burhan Belge, Şevket Süreyya Aydemir, Falih Rıfkı Atay, and Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, alongside intellectuals such as Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Sadri Ertem, Ahmet Haşim, and Afet İnan.

The magazine’s primary language was French at its inception, with some issues containing content in German and English. By the late 1940s, as relations with the United States strengthened, English became more prominent. This linguistic shift was viewed as a strategic choice aimed at direct engagement with Western public opinion.

Change of Name

The magazine was published under the title La Turquie Kemaliste for its first five issues. Starting with the sixth issue, in accordance with the Turkish Language Revolution, the word “Kemal” was replaced by its proposed Turkish equivalent “Kamâl,” and the title became La Turquie Kamâliste. However, this change was short-lived; beginning with issues 21–22 dated December 1937, the magazine reverted to its original name.

Significance and Historical Legacy

La Turquie Kemaliste is an important communication tool not only for presenting the current state of the Republic of Türkiye but also for conveying its aspirational goals. Atatürk’s vision of “surpassing the level of contemporary civilization” was systematically and visually enriched through this magazine and presented to the international public. It is regarded as one of the few institutional efforts that shaped how the young Republic of Türkiye wished to be perceived in the Western world.