Çakır Ceyhan Suvari - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Çakır Ceyhan Suvari

Border Crossing, 2024

Eleven cities in Turkey were affected by two major earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on Febru... more Eleven cities in Turkey were affected by two major earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023. Official authorities announced that 15 million people were affected by the earthquakes. With these earthquakes, which are together called “the disaster of the century”, not only were people’s homes and workplaces destroyed, but their cultural spheres were also turned upside down. Family structures, habits, values, social memories, social relations, customs, and beliefs, that is, the cultures to which they owe their sociality, were also severely damaged. Unfortunately, as in most other development projects in our country, “culture”, which is the basic value that distinguishes humans from other living creatures, is not taken into account in disaster management projects. Any project that, is planned without considering the sophisticated needs, expectations, and habits of neither individuals nor society, cannot achieve the intended purpose, and even brings a greater financial burden on the country's’ economy. In this research, the cultural damage caused by recent earthquakes in Hatay is attempted to be detected, and solutions for repairing such damage, and rebuilding social harmony are proposed. For this purpose, an anthropological fieldwork was conducted in Hatay's’ Antakya, Defne and Samandağ districts between May 31 and June 4, 2023, and a series of interviews and conversations were held with the earthquake victims.

The most distinguishing feature of the Yezidi religion is its ethno-religious character. For Yezi... more The most distinguishing feature of the Yezidi religion is its ethno-religious character. For Yezidi belief and its practices and symbols have heavily influenced the Yezidi culture and shaped its organizational structures. Its exclusive character, confining the privilege of being a Yezidi only to those born of Yezidi parents, further supports the conception of ethnoreligion. This article draws upon the author’s fieldwork among the Yezidis of Viranşehir (Şanlıurfa), Mardin and Batman in Turkey.

Alevilik ve Yezidilik pratikte birbirlerinden farkli iki din olarak bilinmektedir. Her iki inanc ... more Alevilik ve Yezidilik pratikte birbirlerinden farkli iki din olarak bilinmektedir. Her iki inanc hakkinda pek cok arastirma yapilmis, tezler hazirlanmistir. Soz konusu arastirmalar hem Alevilik hem de Yezidilik hakkinda farkli gorusler ortaya koymaktadir. Soz gelimi Yezidiler ile ilgili yapilan calismalarda Yezidilik, Şeytana tapan cahil ve dinsiz insanlarin hurafelerden olusturduklari bir sapkinlik, Islam dininden sapmis rafizi bir mezhep, Zerdustlugun devami olan bir din, kokeni Orta Asya’ya dayanan eski bir Turk inanci ve degisik dinlerin birlesmesinden (uzlasmasindan) olusan senkretik bir inanc oldugu seklinde birbirlerini yanlislayan farkli bakis acilariyla tanimlanmaktadir. Benzer sekilde Aleviler ile ilgili calismalarda Alevilik, Orta Asya kokenli ve Şamanizm’in Islam ile uzlasmasi, eski Iran dinlerinin devami, antik Anadolu inanclarinin devami, Islam’in bir mezhebi, Islam disi bir inanc vs. seklinde tanimlanmaktadir. Ancak bu calismalarin hicbiri Yezidilik ve Alevilik gibi h...

THE ETHNO-CULTURAL OTHERS OF TURKEY: CONTEMPORARY REFLECTIONS, 2021

VAN TURİZMİ GELECEĞİNİ ARIYOR, 2014

Turizmden bahsedenler onun “bacasız sanayi” olduğunu özellikle vurgulayarak söze başlamaktad... more Turizmden bahsedenler onun “bacasız sanayi” olduğunu özellikle vurgulayarak söze başlamaktadırlar. “Sanayi” ifadesiyle elbette turizmin iktisadi girdisinin büyüklüğüne ve kalkınmada oynadığı role dikkat çekilmektedir. Öte yandan, “bacasız sanayi” vurgusuna ve onun yarattığı kitle turizminin standartlaştırılmış beklenti ve tüketici özelliğinin büyük oranda hala geçerliliğini sürdürdüğü günümüzde; turizmin sadece deniz, kum ve güneş olmadığı; kültür, tarih, inanç, doğa vb unsurları da kapsayan daha geniş içeriğe sahip bir etkinlik olduğu da ifade edilmeye başlanmıştır. Ne var ki, bu tanımda da temel öğe eksik bırakılmıştır. Bu öğe elbette “insandır”, zira turist ve onu ağırlayan yerli her şeyden önce insandır. Turizm sadece iktisadi, istatistiki ve coğrafi terimlerle açıklanmaz.Turizmin asli unsuru insan olduğuna göre antropolojinin de ilgi alanına girmekte, dolayısıyla bu konu hakkında antropologların da sözlerine kulak verilmesi gerekmektedir.

Understanding Religious Violence, 2018

The Sinjar/Sṃingal massacre carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Aug... more The Sinjar/Sṃingal massacre carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in August 2014 meant the killing of thousands of Ezidis in Iraq. In addition, thousands of Ezidi women were made slaves in the Nineveh Governorate of Iraq. This was not the first Ezidi massacre in the Middle East as 72 previous massacres of Ezidis have been recorded in history. This last one is called “the 73rd Ezidi massacre”. But why are Ezidis killed by the ISIL, and why do they become targets? The reasons for this are discussed in this study based on fieldwork conducted in North Iraq and Turkey with Ezidis.

Since the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, its official policy had been to deny the exist... more Since the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, its official policy had been to deny the existence of a Kurdish identity. Since the 2000s, there has been a discursive shift towards acknowledging the Kurdish identity falling short of its official and legal recognition as an identity—national, ethnic, minority, or other. It seems that the halfhearted discursive shift towards recognizing the Kurdish identity has ironically served the cause of exacerbating the conflict. The superficial acknowledgment in the official discourse has promoted the acceptance of the Kurdish identity, yet the conflict has shifted from being politically framed to being identity-based or ethnically-framed. This paper aims to trace the shifts in these frames and paradigms and the rise of the nationalist and militarist discourses in Turkey.

Human societies were at first dependant to the nature, and then with the reproduction of the natu... more Human societies were at first dependant to the nature, and then with the reproduction of the nature, living strategies and economical lives are reformed and this has an important effect on the cultural world. Such that, one of the fields where the culture can be observed in the most
direct way is the control and use of elements and minerals as well as the technology developing in line with these activities.
These materials find their places in symbolic communication systems of the cultural world depending on their influence on social and historical fields. The meaning gained by the material on symbolic level shows us a “storage unit’ where a great deal of information” is loaded to “a nonmaterial value”.
Being one of ordinary commodities of the cultural world, “common salt” satisfies, in general, basic biological needs of humans and animals in its natural form. But as a commodity, salt - in its universal usage - is used both as a nutrient and as an efficient tool for purifying and storing foods. Salt gained sacred/symbolic value in the cultural world as being a material having a vital function in food produc- tion and storage and as a material impossible to be substituted particularly during pre-industrialisation period.
For this reason, salt has an important role in many rituals and shows itself as a symbol in oral stories. This paper has the objective to analyse the symbolic value and function that salt carries as a subject of rituals and stories based on examples chosen from Turkish folklore within the framework of religious and symbolic anthropological approach and from the viewpoint of salt as an economical commodity.
Key words: Salt, Symbolic Anthropology, Oral Culture, Ritual

“Sacred articles” are legendary relics after which ecclesiastics and rulers who want to strengthe... more “Sacred articles” are legendary relics after which ecclesiastics and rulers who want to strengthen their power go since for many centuries because people believe that they are in contact with what is divine through these “sacred articles”. They develop particular worshipping habits as a result of this kind of belief and locations where these “sacred articles” can be found become sacred, too. Starting from the nineteenth century, scientists have also been involved in this search for sacred articles and the perception of this sacred duty changed from a religious mission into a scientific research.
As a well-known example of sacred article searches, ecclesiastics and scientists are collabo- rating in many researches for finding Noah’s Ark. At the end of each research, they find parts of the Ark or the Ark itself only to be disproven by newer researches. Thus, with each research, the mystical nature of the Ark and “credibility” of the legend increase.
In these researches where scientific reality and mythological reality are intermingled, in fact scientific and rational reasoning helps the searches carried out in pursuit of the sacred. And this confusion at reality levels prevents us from seeing the difference between scientific proofs and belief objects. The attitude that the science may have towards this issue in order to increase the power of beliefs shouldn’t be to chase after sacred articles but to show the function of sacred articles within the corresponding belief system and their place within minds of believers.
Key Words: The flood myth, sacred relic, scientific and mythical realities

In this study; we will deal with the-Ezidi Feast (Garsema Sor), which has been tried to keep aliv... more In this study; we will deal with the-Ezidi Feast (Garsema Sor), which has been tried to keep alive by a small group of remaining Ezidi People in Turkey, as a social transition ritual. People are obliged tc reproduce the social life as a precaution against the forces in the nature and inner conflicts of social system. The main medium which has been adopted for renewing social bonds is rituals. In societies where production cycles completely depend on the nature, the conflict between the nature and men increases its velocity, especially during winter and summer solstices. This accumulated tension is compensated by rituals. Following the changes in manufacturing relationships; these rituals continue their persistence in a symbolical level via the tradition they create. According to the Ezidi belief, carsema Sor, which is accepted as the beginning of the new year, is celebrated in the first Wednesday following April 13rd. Acceptance of carsema Sor as the beginning of a new year in the Ezidi Belief, indicates that this concepts has also a time-related value; and, has been the most affective ritual in adjustment of time. Adjustment of time; means control of social structure and production processes. The analysis of Çarşema Sor, which we have found to have such an important function; through anthropological and symbolic approaches constitutes the basis of our study.
Key words: Ezidi People, Carsema Sor, Ritual, Symbolic Anthropology

Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2014, 5(1), DOI:10.1501/sb eder _ 0000000065, 2014

Din, insan yaşamını her açıdan etkilemektedir. Söz gelimi sosyal, siyasal, sanatsal, toplumsal ci... more Din, insan yaşamını her açıdan etkilemektedir. Söz gelimi sosyal, siyasal, sanatsal, toplumsal cinsiyet rolleri ve hatta mutfak kültürü alanlarında dinin etkisini görmek mümkündür. Aynı şekilde uyarlanma biçimleri de dinin şekillenmesinde önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Din, bir taraftan uyarlanma stratejileri tarafından şekillendirilirken, öte yandan uyarlanma biçimleri de etkinliklerinin kutsanması bağlamında dine ihtiyaç duymaktadır. Bu makalede din ve uyarlanma arasındaki diyalektik ilişkiye değinilmektedir.

Studies on Iran and The Caucasus

This paper is an attempt at exploring different interpretations of Alevism and Alevi identities, ... more This paper is an attempt at exploring different interpretations of Alevism and Alevi identities, having emerged as a result of rapid and large-wave migrations, particulalry from 1960 onwards, from the countryside to the urban centres of Turkey. Those Alevis, who had become more and more isolated from the larger Alevi community and each other, ended up divided into different religious and ideological sects. Emergence of various Alevi associations and foundations proved unable to prevent such disintegration. On the contrary, it was the newly established Alevi institutions, emerging upon different bases, which actually heterogenised the Alevi phenomenon. Today, each Alevi institution in fact promotes its own particular perception of Alevism; the latter may even vary among family members. Therefore, it will be more accurate to speak of Alevi identities rather than of a single, unified Alevi identity in today’s Turkey.

This research studies the dynamics of intra-and intergroup con licts and their contribution to th... more This research studies the dynamics of intra-and intergroup con licts and their contribution to the construction of the Molokan ethnic identity in the Ivanovka village within the Ismailly department of central Azerbaijan. The eldwork conducted in İvanovka has demonstrated that the tensions and con licts which play an important role in the construction of the Baptist, Kharismat, Lesgi and Azeri ethnic identities cohabiting in the village along with the Molokans, were triggered and deepened by religious and denominational di ferences.

As is known, the racist worldview rising in Europe, particularly in Germany of the 1930s, affecte... more As is known, the racist worldview rising in Europe, particularly in Germany of the 1930s, affected also the socio-political realities in Turkey, and became in effect a part of the official policy of the country. Many theories of obvious Turkist nature, such as Güne Dil Teorisi (Sun Language Theory), were even shaped by the government and introduced into the university programmes. In this framework, the ancient Near Eastern states were declared Turkish, and the idea about the primordial presence of the Turks in Anatolia and Mesopotamia became a sort of axiom or absolute truth. From anthropological perspective, thousands of Armenian and Greek graves were opened and examined for the purpose of determining the real Turkish type; the skulls taken from these graves were compared with those of the contemporary Turks. The racist ideology defeated in Europe as a result of World War II, was correspondingly overthrown in Turkey too; even some sanctions were imposed to its defenders. However, since the 1980s, the similar ideas have been brought to the agenda again via the project of "the re-discovery of the proto-Turks in Anatolia". Moreover, some Turkish academics have argued that the non-Muslim and non-Turk peoples, such as the Pontus Greeks, the Armenians, and the Assyrians are, indeed, of Turkic origin. This paper examines the recent publications by several Turkish authors who vehemently advocate the above summarised views, which, at the same time, are shared and embraced by a clear majority of the academics studying identity and ethnicity issues in Turkey. The introductory part of the paper discusses the theoretical aspects of ethnicity again with a focus on the relevant literature published in Turkey.

The main research problem of this study is to understand how the culture transformed with tourism... more The main research problem of this study is to understand how the culture transformed with tourism, based on the example of Van Breakfast.

Iran and the Caucasus , 2012

This study looks at Turkish manuals and textbooks, approved by the Ministry of Education of Turke... more This study looks at Turkish manuals and textbooks, approved by the Ministry of Education of Turkey and used at different levels of the education system, to compile clues regarding the potent identity questions assumed to exist in the relationship between Turkey and Azerbaijan. Textbooks serve as the main source for this study because the education system is the tool that strengthens the state’s influence over its citizens. A nation-state’s establishment of its own identity is a process that directly builds citizens’ consciousness.

Books by Çakır Ceyhan Suvari

Anadolu'dan Etnik Manzaralar-Artakalanlar, 2006

Artakalanlar", dört genç bilim insanının Hacettepe Üniversitesi Antropoloji Bölümüne sundukları d... more Artakalanlar", dört genç bilim insanının Hacettepe Üniversitesi Antropoloji Bölümüne sundukları dört yüksek lisans tezinden üretildi. Yazarların her biri, Anadolu'nun bir zenginliğine, kültürel çeşitliliği oluşturan unsurlardan birine eğiliyor çalışmasında. Üstelik hepsi bunu herhangi bir "ötekileştirme", "özselleştirme" ya da "yüceltme" tuzağına düşmeden, empatiyi dışlamayan bir nesnellik, özdeşleşimden kaçınan bir sevecenlikle yapıyor.

Malakanlar - Rus Köylü Hareketlerinden Günümüze Malakan İnancı, 2013

Bir köylü hareketi olarak ortaya çıksa da, Malakanizm Ortaçağ köylü hareketinden farklı bir seyir... more Bir köylü hareketi olarak ortaya çıksa da, Malakanizm Ortaçağ köylü hareketinden farklı bir seyir izlemiştir. Ortaya çıkış gerekçeleri genelde öncülleri ve çağdaşları olan köylü hareketleriyle aynı olsa da, Malakanlar iktidarı ele geçirmek gibi radikal istekler taşımamışlar, hatta katliamlar ve sürgünler karşısında sessiz kalmışlardır. Malakanların iktidar karşısındaki en önemli direnişleri "pasifizm" olmuştur. Zira İsa'nın şiddet karşıtı yönünü kendilerine düstur edinen Malakanlar, pasifist bir dünya görüşü inşa etmişlerdir. Bu nedenle şiddettin her türlüsü, silah taşımak ve kullanmak, hatta militarizmin simgesi olan üniforma giymek dahi dinlerince yasaklanmıştır. Malakanlar için cemaat halinde kolektif yaşamlarını sürdürebilmeleri ve belli yükümlülüklerden muaf tutulmaları yeterlidir. Böylesi bir yaşam sağlayacağı umuduyla sürgünlere dahi boyun eğmişlerdir. Sürgün yerlerinden biri de Çarlık sınırları içerisinde yer alan Kars ve çevresi olmuştur. 1880-1881 yıllarında Kars'a yerleştirilmeye başlanan Malakanlar burada 35 köy kurmuşlardır. Bu kitapta Malakanizmin ortaya çıkışı, Çarlık ve Ortodoks Kilisesiyle yaşanan sorunlar, sürgün edilişleri ve sürgündeki yaşamları tarihsel veriler ışığında ele alınmaktadır. Günümüz Malakan kimliği ve inancına dair bilgiler ise, Azerbaycan'daki en büyük Malakan Köyü olan Ivanovko'da gerçekleştirilmiş antropolojik alan araştırması verilerine dayanmaktadır.

Border Crossing, 2024

THE ETHNO-CULTURAL OTHERS OF TURKEY: CONTEMPORARY REFLECTIONS, 2021

VAN TURİZMİ GELECEĞİNİ ARIYOR, 2014

Understanding Religious Violence, 2018

Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2014, 5(1), DOI:10.1501/sb eder _ 0000000065, 2014

Studies on Iran and The Caucasus

Iran and the Caucasus , 2012

Anadolu'dan Etnik Manzaralar-Artakalanlar, 2006

Malakanlar - Rus Köylü Hareketlerinden Günümüze Malakan İnancı, 2013

Ezidiler Etnodinsel Bir Inanc Olarak Ezidilik, 2019

Ezidiler, Müslüman ve Hıristiyan komşularınca Şeytana tapanlar olarak bilinmektedir. Üstelik bu k... more Ezidiler, Müslüman ve Hıristiyan komşularınca Şeytana tapanlar olarak bilinmektedir. Üstelik bu klişe artık genel bir kanaat olmanın ötesinde akademik bir veri olarak da kabul edilmekte ve Ezidilik hakkında çalışan çoğu akademisyen tarafından da tekrarlanmaktadır. Oysa inançlarında kötülüğün lanetlendiği, Şeytan veya kötülük tanrı tanrıçası gibi varlıkların bulunmadığı Ezidilikte, çerçevesini Melek Tavus’un çizdiği iyilik kavramının en önemli erdem olduğu görülmektedir. Ezidilik, eski Hint İran dinleri özellikle Zerdüştilik ile Semitik dinlerdeki heretik ve heterodoks geleneklerin etkilediği senkretik bir dindir. Ancak bu senkretik varoluşu yanlış yorumlayan çevreler, Ezidiliği, özgün bir tarafı olmayan ve sadece diğer inançların toplamından ibaret bir din olarak değerlendirmektedir. Bu indirgemeci tavır, Ezidilik gibi senkretik özellikler taşıyan dinlerin özgünlüklerini görmezden gelmektedir. Söz konusu indirgemeci tavır ancak antropolojik bir yaklaşımla aşılabilir. Bu kitap antropolojik bir bakış açısıyla ve yıllara yayılan alan araştırmaları sonucunda elde edilen verilerle hazırlanmıştır.

Turkiye'nin Etno Kültürel Ötekileri, 2023

Türkiye’nin Etno–Kültürel Ötekileri sadece tarihsel, antropolojik ve sosyolojik bilgi paylaşımı a... more Türkiye’nin Etno–Kültürel Ötekileri sadece tarihsel, antropolojik ve sosyolojik bilgi paylaşımı aracılığıyla değil, aynı zamanda güncel gelişmelerin değerlendirilmesi yoluyla Türkiye’nin az bilinen madun etno–dinsel gruplarına ışık tutmayı amaçlamaktadır. Etno–kültürel kimlikler, dinamik ve değişken özellikler taşıyan bir görüngü olarak Türkiye’nin mevcut uluslararası politikalarının sosyo–siyasal yansıması şeklinde ele alınmaktadır.
Kitap aynı zamanda Türkiye’nin etno–kültürel ötekilerine karşı, kökleri geç Osmanlı dönemine kadar giden ve bugüne kadar devam etmiş olan ayrımcı ve ötekileştirici politikalarının sürekliliğine dikkat çekmektedir. Hangi alanlarda benzer siyasal yaklaşımlar sergilenmeye devam ettiği ve hangi alanlarda değişimler olduğunu değerlendirilmektedir. Ayrıca kitapta, etno–kültürel ötekilerin etno–siyasal hayatta kalma stratejileri değerlendirilerek çağdaş Türkiye’deki siyasal çalkantıların ve sosyo–kültürel dönüşümün bir değerlendirmesinin sunulması amaçlanmaktadır.
Etno–kültürel ötekiler kavramıyla hem ulusal ve uluslararası yasalarla tanınan, hem de resmi olarak tanınmayan azınlıklar kast edilmektedir.

THE ETHNO-CULTURAL OTHERS OF TURKEY: CONTEMPORARY REFLECTIONS, 2021

There are many ethno-cultural sub-national groups apart from officially recognized minorities (no... more There are many ethno-cultural sub-national groups apart from officially recognized minorities (non-Muslims) living in Turkey. Regrettably, only a small part of them, especially those who were able to take the chance to raise their voices and those who were studied by academics and intellectuals in recent decades are represented. The Ethno-Cultural Others of Turkey gives priority to lesser known cases rather than much-discussed ones, such as Kurds, Alevis, Armenians, etc. No doubt, there is much work to be done to share the ethnic diversity of Turkey, regardless of the situation, which becomes harder than ever. There are ten chapters in the book. This collection of works deals with ethnic and religious groups of Turkey that are still present or had been able to live in Turkey until the 20th century.