Table Of ContentARTICULATION OF KURDISH IDENTITY THROUGH
POLITICIZED MUSIC OF KOMS
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
OF
MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
BY
B. SİYNEM EZGİ SARITAŞ
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR
THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN
THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES
FEBRUARY 2010
Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences
____________________
Prof. Dr. Sencer Ayata
Director
I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for degree of Master
of Science.
____________________
Prof. Dr. Raşit Kaya
Head of Department
This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully
adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science.
___________________
Dr. Barış Çakmur
Supervisor
Examining Committee Members
Dr. Barış Çakmur (METU, ADM) ___________________
Assoc. Prof. Necmi Erdoğan (METU, ADM) ___________________
Assoc. Prof. Mesut Yeğen (METU, SOC) ___________________
I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and
presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare
that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all
material and results that are not original to this work.
Name, Last name: B. Siynem Ezgi SARITAŞ
Signature :
iii
ABSTRACT
ARTICULATION OF KURDISH IDENTITY THROUGH
POLITICIZED MUSIC OF KOMS
Sarıtaş, B. Siynem Ezgi
M.Sc., Department of Media and Cultural Studies
Supervisor :Dr. Barış Çakmur
February 2010, 195 pages
The thesis analyzes the role of politicized music of Kurdish music groups (koms) that
emerged in the 1990s in the construction of Kurdish identity. The relation between
politics and music is analyzed in the framework of the relation between nationalism
and music and political movements' relation to music. Through koms' politicized
music, the movement communicated its cause, told the struggle of the movement and
aimed to mobilize the masses. In addition to this, music has functioned as a field
where the collective identity of the movement as well as the Kurdish identity is
constructed. As the Kurdish movement did not possess the institutional and
ideological apparatuses of the national state in its national identity construction
process, music started to play an important role. Through modernization of Kurdish
folk music, the identity is constructed as a modern and authentic one. In addition,
with the political lyrics of the songs, the national elements such as common
language, common history and the imagined territory are constructed, popularized,
and canonized. Despite their counter-hegemonic position, koms have articulated
elements of the hegemonic discourses as well.
Keywords: Politicized music, identity construction, Kurdish movement
iv
ÖZ
KOMLARIN SİYASAL MÜZİĞİ
DOLAYIMIYLA KÜRT KİMLİĞİNİN EKLEMLENMESİ
Sarıtaş, B. Siynem Ezgi
Master, Medya ve Kültürel Çalışmalar Bölümü
Tez Yöneticisi :Dr. Barış Çakmur
Şubat 2010, 195 sayfa
Bu tez, 1990'larda kurulan Kürt müzik gruplarının (komların) yaptığı siyasal müziğin
Kürt kimliğinin kurulumundaki rolünü inceliyor. Siyaset ve müzik arasındaki
ilişki, milliyetçilik ile müzik arasındaki ilişki ve siyasal hareketlerin müzik ile
ilişkilenmesi çerçevesinde incelenmekte. Komların siyasal müziği yoluyla hareket,
amaçlarını ve mücadelesini anlatmış, kitleleri mobilize etmeyi hedeflemiştir. Buna ek
olarak müzik, hareketin kolektif kimliğinin ve Kürt kimliğinin kurulması için bir alan
haline gelmiştir. Kürt hareketi, ulusal kimliğin kurulumunda ulus devletin sahip
olduğu kurumsal ve ideolojik araçlara sahip olmadığı için, müzik önemli bir rol
oynamıştır. Kürt halk müziğinin modernleşmesiyle, otantik ve modern bir kimlik
kurulmuştur. Ayrıca, şarkılardaki siyasal şarkı sözleri yoluyla ortak dil, ortak tarih ve
hayali vatan kurulmuş, popülerleştirilmiş ve kutsanmıştır. Karşı hegemonik
duruşlarına rağmen, komlar hegemonik söylemlerin öğelerini eklemlemişlerdir de.
Anahtar kelimeler: Siyasal müzik, kimlik kurulumu, Kürt hareketi
v
to my grandparents and the ones uprooted from where they wish to live and die
vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank everyone who helped, supported, encouraged and inspired me
in the writing of this thesis.
First of all I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Barış Çakmur for his support,
encouragement, guidance, and criticisms. I would also like to thank Assoc. Prof.
Necmi Erdoğan and Assoc. Prof. Mesut Yeğen, who kindly agreed to participate in
my jury and shared their valuable comments and criticisms.
I am especially grateful to Memê Mala Hine without whom this thesis would not be
possible. I have decided to write this thesis without understanding any Kurdish,
without his translations I would never be able to finish my study. I am also thankful
to him because he supported and encouraged my decision to work on this topic and
shared his invaluable reflections and insights.
I feel deeply grateful to all of my interviewees. They kindly reserved their time to
help me with my study. They also helped me to develop a deeper understanding of
the subject by sharing their opinions and comments.
I would like to thank my dearest friends who have always been beside me and
supported me during my stressful times. I am especially grateful to Deniz Dölek who
has provided me with moral and practical support. I am also thankful to her and
Özgür Balkılıç for reading my thesis and sharing their comments and criticisms with
me. I am indebted to Altepkin Top because of his hospitality and understanding.
Özlem Sarıyıldız, Sevim Özdemir, Nurcan Çarıkçı, Eda Acara, Pınar Yüksel,
Kathryn Bourgeois have been there for me with their friendship, support and
understanding. I am especially grateful to my dear Emre Özkapı who has been there
vii
for me when I need, and challenged me with his ideas and opinions.
I am deeply indebted to my family. My parents Ülkü Sarıtaş and Ahmet Sarıtaş have
always believed in me and provided me unconditional support in my endeavors in
life. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Ülkü Sarıtaş who have always
listened to me and shared my problems and distress.
Lastly I would like to apologize from everyone whose support, help and sharing I
forgot to mention.
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PLAGIARISM..…………………………………………………………………… iii
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... iv
ÖZ ................................................................................................................................ v
DEDICATION............................................................................................................vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... ix
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1
1. MUSIC AND POLITICS: NATIONAL IDENTITY AND OPPOSITION ...... 10
1.1. Invention of the Nation and “National Music” ............................................... 12
1.2. Music Reform and the Invention of Modern Turkish Music ........................... 15
1.2.1. Standardization of Folk Music and Nationalization ..................................... 18
1.3. Music and Political Movements ...................................................................... 26
1.3.1. Political Music Tradition in Turkey Before 1980 ......................................... 30
1.3.2. Political Music Tradition in Turkey After 1980 ........................................... 35
1.3.3. Politicization of Kurdish Music ................................................................... 38
2. POLITICIZED KURDISH MUSIC
AS A PART OF KURDISH MOVEMENT ........................................................ 47
2.1. Kurdish Question and the Rise of Kurdish Nationalism ................................. 50
2.1.1. Kurdish Movement After 1980s and the Emergence of PKK ...................... 55
2.1.2. PKK's Discourse and Articulation of Kurdish Identity ................................ 59
2.2. Politicization of Kurdish Arts and Culture in 1990s ....................................... 64
2.2.1. The Role Ascribed to Music and Arts by the Kurdish Movement ............... 64
2.2.2. Cultural Institutionalization and MKM ........................................................ 68
2.3. The Politicized Kurdish Music Groups in 1990s; Koms ................................. 76
2.3.1. Politicized Music's Function and Role of
Musicians for the Kom Musicians ......................................................................... 81
2.3.2. Political Lyrics in the Songs of Koms .......................................................... 84
2.3.3. Shift in the politicized music by 2000s ........................................................ 89
2.4. Kurdish Music Market and Koms’ Listeners ................................................... 93
2.4.1. Koms' Relations with the Music Market....................................................... 93
2.4.2. Koms and the Listeners ................................................................................. 98
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3. ARTICULATION OF KURDISH IDENTITY BY KOMS ............................. 105
3.1. Kurdishness and 'Kurdish' Music for Kom Musicians. ................................. 109
3.2.'Authenticity' / 'Modernity' in Articulation of Kurdish Identity ..................... 113
3.2.1. Kurdish Folk Music in the Construction of Identity .................................. 113
3.2.2. 'Modern' Kurdish Music by Koms .............................................................. 125
3.2.3. Degenerated Music as the Other of Modern and Authentic ....................... 133
3.3. Articulation of National Identity:
Common Language, History and Homeland ........................................................ 138
3.3.1. Common Language .................................................................................... 139
3.3.2. Common History ........................................................................................ 143
3.3.3. Homeland ................................................................................................... 149
3.4. Articulation of Cultural Difference or Diversity? ......................................... 154
3.5. Women in Koms and Articulation of Gender Identity
Through Kurdish Music ....................................................................................... 160
CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 170
BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................. 180
APPENDICES ........................................................................................................ 187
APPENDIX A: List of interviewees..................................................................... 187
APPENDIX B: Questions ..................................................................................... 189
APPENDIX C: List Of Koms and Albums ........................................................... 195
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