Looking Beyond the Republic of Love or Hate in Turkey: Studies in Popular Music

Abstract

This paper tries to consider recent developments in popular music studies in Turkey by tracing contemporary debates, particular challenges and emerging themes. In order to achieve this task, firstly, history of popular music studies in Turkey is briefly presented in comparison to those of the Anglophone World. Secondly, recent developments are considered within the political context of last two decades in Turkey where hot discussions have revolved around underlying theme of ‟Republic”. In this mileu, the theoretical premises behind the lack of critical discourses about the neoliberal transformation and Islamization processes, and indifference to the struggles against them are discussed. Thirdly, recent achievements of popular music studies in Turkey are presented. As a result, we mainly tried to discuss why certain critical studies are lacking which diminishes plurality rather than the plurality of the existing ones.

Keywords

• popular music studies
• turkey
• early republican policies
• neoliberal transformation
• islamization