''Adımlar'' ( tr, Steps) was a literary and political magazine which appeared in Ankara, Turkey, between May 1943 and April 1944. Its subtitle was ''Aylık Fikir ve Kültür Dergisi'' ( tr, Monthly Journal of Ideas and Culture). It is known for its cofounder, owner and editor-in-chief
Behice Boran
Behice Boran (1 May 1910 – 10 October 1987) was a Turkish Marxist politician, author and sociologist. As a dissenting political voice from the left, Boran was repeatedly imprisoned for her work and died in exile after the Turkish military co ...
, a Turkish socialist politician, and for its introduction of humanist approach towards literature in the country.
History and profile
''Adımlar'' was established by Behice Boran and
Muzaffer Şerif Başoğlu
Muzafer Sherif (born Muzaffer Şerif Başoğlu; July 29, 1906 – October 16, 1988) was a Turkish-American social psychologist. He helped develop social judgment theory and realistic conflict theory.
Sherif was a founder of modern social psych ...
in Ankara in 1943, and its first issue was published in May that year. Boran was its owner and editor-in-chief. It billed itself as a populist and
humanist
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humani ...
publication and developed its own humanist approach known as people's humanism. One of its goals was to introduce major literary work from contemporary Western literature to improve the Turkish intellectual environment. In the discussions of these literary works the magazine employed a sociological framework. Over time ''Adımlar'' became a forum for Turkish leftist intellectuals who published articles on Fascism, freedom, and democracy criticizing the government.
''Adımlar'' ceased publication in April 1944 after producing 12 issues. The reason for its closure was the intensified
anti-communist
Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and th ...
campaign in Turkey. Behice Boran argued in an interview with the Turkish journalist
Uğur Mumcu
Uğur Mumcu (; 22 August 1942 – 24 January 1993) um:ag was a
Yurt ve Dünya
''Yurt ve Dünya'' ( Turkish: ''Homeland and the World'') was a sociological and political magazine which was headquartered first in Ankara and then in Istanbul, Turkey. It was first published in the period between 1941 and 1944 and then between ...
'' in 1944.
All issues of ''Adımlar'' are archived by TUSTAV.
In the documents of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
on Muzaffer Şerif Başoğlu, known as Muzafer Sherif in the US, ''Adımlar'' was described as an extremely nationalist, extremely liberal, and anti-racist publication.
Contributors
In addition to Behice Boran various leading Turkish writers contributed to ''Adımlar'', including Nermin Menemencioğlu,
Hilmi Ziya Ülken
Hilmi Ziya Ülken (1901–1974) was a Turkish scholar and writer who had an influential role in the development of sociological and philosophical views in Turkey. In addition to his scientific work, he produced literary work, including poems.
Ea ...
, Jean Camborde, Burhan Arpad, Walter Ruben, Liko Amar, Yunus Kâzım Köni, Bekir Kunt,
Nurullah Ataç
Nurullah Ataç (21 August 1898 – 17 May 1957) was a Turkish writer, poet and literary critic.
Life
He was born on 21 August 1898 in Istanbul, then the capital of the Ottoman Empire. He studied in the Galatasaray High School and the Faculty of ...
, Suat Taşer,
Rıfat Ilgaz
Rıfat Ilgaz (7 May 1911 – 7 July 1993) was a Turkish teacher, writer and poet.
Biography
He was born in Cide, in the Kastamonu Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey). Ilgaz was one of Turkey’s best-known and most prolific po ...
,
Sabahattin Ali
Sabahattin Ali (25 February 1907 – 2 April 1948) was a Turkish novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist.
Early life
He was born in 1907 in Eğridere township (now Ardino in southern Bulgaria) of the Sanjak of Gümülcine (now ...
Orhan Kemal
Orhan Kemal (15 September 1914 – 2 June 1970) is the pen name of Turkish novelist Mehmet Raşit Öğütçü. He is known for his realist novels that describe the life of the poor in Turkey.
Biography
Orhan Kemal was born in Ceyhan, Adana, ...
. Zeki Baştımar, a member of the Turkish Communist Party, also published articles in the magazine. Other leftist figures worked for ''Adımlar'' were
Pertev Naili Boratav Pertev Naili Boratav, born Mustafa Pertev (September 2, 1907 – March 16, 1998) was a Turkish folklorist and researcher of folk literature. He has been characterized as 'the founding father of Turkish folkloristics during the Republic'.Arzu Öztür ...