Grammatology and Turkish Literary Modernity

Abstract

This study examines Nergis Ertürk's Grammatology and Turkish Literary Modernity (Oxford University Press, 2011), which interrogates the impact of linguistic reforms on literary expression during Turkey’s modernization from 1850 to 1950. Erturk argues that efforts to standardize language for national homogeneity marginalized its dynamic, heterogeneous nature. By drawing on Derrida's grammatology, she reveals how writing became a site of contestation and control, particularly in the context of Ottoman modernization and Republican nation-building. The book critiques the suppression of linguistic diversity and the erasure of subaltern voices in favor of a monolithic national identity. Ertürk contends that this process not only reshaped literary production but also influenced broader cultural and social formations. Through an analysis of key texts and historical documents, she demonstrates how language reforms sought to purify and homogenize Turkish at the expense of its rich multivocality. This study highlights the tension between linguistic standardization and the preservation of cultural pluralism, offering insights into the complexities of modernity in Turkey.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)