An Overview of Language Issues Addressed in the Journal of Turkish Thought

Year 2025, Volume: 12 Issue: 1, 1 - 17

Gökhan Güneş

Abstract

The Journal of Turkish Thought is a significant intellectual publication in the history of Turkish intellectualism and publishing, issued by Peyami Safa in 63 volumes between 1953 and 1960. The journal not only featured prominent figures who contributed to the development of Turkish intellectual and literary circles but also engaged in a profound philosophical discussion of the concept of civilization. In this context, topics such as Westernization, the search for identity, the East-West conflict, and cultural dilemmas—central issues in the historical trajectory of Turkish society—were examined from a multidimensional perspective. Fields such as language, religion, culture, science, art, and philosophy, regarded as the fundamental components of Turkish civilization, were extensively covered in the journal. Particularly, the issue of language was addressed as a decisive factor in the construction of civilization, both in a universal sense and specifically in the context of the Turkish language. This approach transformed the journal into a pioneering platform that developed a civilizational perspective and a vision for the future through the lens of Turkish language issues. In this study, the articles published in the 63 issues of the journal were analyzed using document analysis, a qualitative research method. As a result of the analysis, 12 texts focusing on the issues of the Turkish language were identified and classified into themes authored by eight different writers. The primary topics of discussion in the journal included the relationship between language and identity, efforts toward linguistic simplification, the Turkification of foreign words, the status of Ottoman Turkish, tendencies of linguistic deterioration, and the challenges of term production. This study compares these historical debates with the ongoing issues of the Turkish language, revealing both the enduring and evolving dynamics of these discussions.

Keywords

Journal of Turkish Thought, Turkish Issues, Language Issues, Language and Identity, Language and Culture

Türk Düşüncesi Dergisinde Ele Alınan Dil Meselelerine Bir Bakış

Abstract

Türk Düşüncesi dergisi, Peyami Safa’nın 1953-1960 yılları arasında 63 sayı halinde yayımladığı, Türk entelektüel ve yayıncılık tarihinde önemli etkiler bırakan düşünce dergisidir. Dergide, Türk düşünce ve edebiyat dünyasının gelişimine katkı sunan önemli isimlerin yanı sıra, medeniyet kavramı felsefi bir derinlikle tartışılmıştır. Bu bağlamda, Türk toplumunun tarihsel sürecinde merkezi bir mesele olan Batılılaşma, kimlik arayışı, Doğu-Batı çatışması ve kültürel ikilemler gibi konular çok yönlü bir bakışla irdelenmiştir. Dil, din, kültür, bilim, sanat ve felsefe gibi alanlar, Türk medeniyetinin temel bileşenleri olarak dergide geniş yer bulmuştur. Özellikle dil meselesi, medeniyetin inşasında belirleyici bir unsur olarak hem evrensel hem de Türkçe özelinde ele alınmıştır. Bu yaklaşım, dergiyi Türkçenin sorunları üzerinden medeniyet perspektifi ve gelecek tasavvuru geliştiren öncü bir platforma dönüştürmüştür. Araştırmada, derginin 63 sayısında yer alan yazılar, nitel araştırma tekniklerinden doküman incelemesi yöntemi ile irdelenmiştir. İnceleme sonucunda, Türkçenin sorunlarını merkeze alan 12 metin tespit edilmiş ve bu metinler sekiz farklı yazar tarafından kaleme alınan temalar çerçevesinde sınıflandırılmıştır. Dil ve kimlik ilişkisi, dilde sadeleşme çabaları, yabancı kelimelerin Türkçeleştirilmesi, Osmanlı Türkçesinin konumu, dildeki bozulma eğilimleri ve terim üretimindeki zorluklar, dergide öne çıkan başlıca tartışma konuları olmuştur. Çalışmada, bu tarihsel tartışmalar Türkçenin devam eden meseleleri ile karşılaştırılarak hem süreklilik gösteren hem de değişen dinamikler ortaya konmuştur.

Keywords

Türk Düşüncesi Dergisi, Türkçenin Meseleleri, Dil Meselesi, Dil ve Kimlik, Dil ve Kültür

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