TR
EN
ÜLKÜ TAMER AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE IN TRANSLATOR HISTORY
Abstract
Over the last decade, theoretical research in translation studies has focused on human translators and contributed to the emergence of “human turn” as an extension of “humanization” in translation history. In this article, we postulate that Ülkü Tamer, a renowned Turkish poet and translator, was an “agent of change” who crucially impacted the expansion of culture repertoire during the 1960s and 1980s. To identify Tamer as an agent of change, we first analyzed the core elements of his personal history and synthesized them into his sociological biography. We also analyzed the socio-cultural context, political events, literary movements, and historical developments between the 1960s and 1980s. to reveal the effects of external forces on his internal dispositions. We conducted qualitative content analysis of primary and secondary sources about his professional work to investigate his translator identity. In conclusion, Tamer distinguished his poet-translator identity by constructing his internal dispositions upon the external dispositions of his time. As an agent of change, he contributed to the definition of the established canon, prevalence of popular narrative forms, enlargement of the poetic genres in the Turkish language and wider access to global cultural heritage, which results in the expansion of Turkish literary repertoire.
Keywords
Kaynakça
- Abatay, B. (2018, April 3). Ülkü Tamer’in ardından... Biz de sana teşekkür ederiz! – Ülkü Tamer. Siirparki.com. http://www.siirparki.com/utameredair4.html
- Alper, E. (2009). Student movement in Turkey from a global perspective, 1960-1971 [PhD Thesis]. Boğaziçi University.
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- Başgüney, H. (2013). Literary production, currents and politics between 1960 and 1980 in Turkey [PhD Thesis]. Boğaziçi University.
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- Belge, M. (2018). Şairaneden şiirsele: Türkiye’de modern şiir. İletişim Yayınları.
- Bergantino, A. (2023). Translation history, translators’ stories. Perspectives, 31(4), 762–770. https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2022.2059298
Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Dünya Dilleri, Edebiyatı ve Kültürü (Diğer)
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yayımlanma Tarihi
16 Mart 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
1 Kasım 2025
Kabul Tarihi
10 Ocak 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 14 Sayı: 27






