From Cumhur to Cumhuriyet: Towards an Archeology of the Republic of Turkey

The Department of International Relations cordially invites you to a discussion on the reconsideration of the concept "Cumhuriyet" with Dr. Alp Eren Topal.

Join us for a discussion on the conceptual history of cumhûr and cumhûriyet in Ottoman Turkish from the seventeenth to the late nineteenth century. Dr. Topal will explore the evolution of these political concepts, evaluating the dominant paradigm in Turkish intellectual history and suggesting a focus on domestic political struggles and their conceptualization by Ottoman actors. Starting in the seventeenth century, we will unravel how cumhûr became a crucial political concept during a crisis of legitimacy in the Ottoman dynasty. Moving through the late nineteenth century, we will delve into the debates within the Ottoman public regarding interpretations of republicanism and its relevance in the Empire. Discover the genealogy of democratic ideas in the Ottoman Empire, tracing them back to early modern Empire political struggles, highlighting their distinctiveness from foreign influences.

The event will take place online via Zoom on the 27th of October between 15:00-16:15.

Please click here for the event registration form. The Zoom link will be sent to the participants' emails half an hour before the event.

Dr. Alp Eren Topal

Alp Eren Topal PhD is an intellectual historian of the late Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey with his research focus on the history of key social and political concepts. He has received his degree in Political Science from Bilkent University in 2017 with his dissertation on the conceptual history of Ottoman reform. Since then, Topal has conducted research in Binghamton University, Oslo University and Freie University and published extensively on questions of modernization, secularization, temporality, and religion and politics. His current research projects include a monograph on Ottoman state transformation titled Ottoman Restoration: Religion, Politics, and Life in the Third Empire, a critical edition of Tanzir-i Telemak, a unique manuscript on political philosophy from 1870s, and a booklet on the history of the concept of “republic” (cumhur) in Ottoman politics.