The Transformation of Ankara Sports Clubs' Activities into Recreational Leisure Activities and the Production of New Locales: 1922-1946

Abstract

In the early period of the Republic of Turkey, sports clubs played a critical role in the promotion of sports in the public sphere, particularly less widespread sports, and the transformation of sporting activities into recreational leisure activities. This was all done in line with the physical training policies of the state. During this period, Ankara sports clubs introduced different qualities to modern leisure activities within new ‘locales', and so played an active role in the transformation of urban space. They did this through the use of recreational leisure activities to emphasise a sense of belonging, entertainment, and recreation amongst the citizens. This study considers the sporting events, as well as the locales where they took place, that were organized by sport clubs in Ankara, the new capital. The period considered begins in 1922, when the institutionalization of sports began with the formation of The Turkish Alliance of Associations Promoting Exercise, until 1946 when the sporting activities were more comprehensively organised. Analysis of the transformation of sports activities into recreational leisure activities, as well as the role of sports clubs in redefining daily life and urban space, considers a variety, in terms of scales and qualities, of activities and locales. The Ankara daily newspaper Hakimiyet-i Milliye [which was renamed Ulus in 1934), was the main primary source used in this study, although certain weekly magazines, such as Resimli Uyanış, (Servet-i Fünun) and Gol Spor, were used to obtain further information and analysis of events and locations.

Keywords

• ankara sports history
• daily life
• recreation time
• sports clubs
• sports locales
• lexicon
• network analysis