Language:
English
Year of publication:
2005
Titel der Quelle:
Kabbalah; Journal for the Study of Jewish Mystical Texts
Angaben zur Quelle:
13 (2005) 109-139
Keywords:
Yalçin, Soner.
;
Küçük, Yalçın
;
Dönmeh
;
Antisemitism History 20th century
;
Antisemitism History 21st century
Abstract:
Discusses the bestselling, purportedly investigative, book "Efendi: Beyaz Türklerin Büyük Sιrrι" ("Efendi: The Great Secret of the White Turks") by the journalist Soner Yalçin, published in Turkey in 2004, in terms of its propagation of a conspiracy theory regarding the negative influence of descendants of Jews in the Turkish political sphere. The concept "White Turks" has appeared only in the last 10-15 years, representing a social group with an urban, Western, cosmopolitan character, adhering to the principles of the Republic and of Atatürk. They are depicted as having intermarried with Sabbateans (or Dönmes), of Jewish origin, and are blamed, inter alia, for the establishment of the secular Turkish Republic and for anti-"Black Turk" (traditional Muslim) values and institutions. Shows that the book's alleged novelty in regard to the idea of the "Judaizing" of Turkey is not new, but dates from the 1960s. Yalçin expresses Islamist rejection of Western values supposedly introduced into Muslim society by former or hidden Jews. Highlights the role of the publishing conglomerate in hyping the book and the large-scale failure of Turkish intellectuals to challenge the work's questionable ideas and presentation.
Note:
An earlier version appeared in "Birikim" (June 2004).
URL:
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