A Study on the Concept of Mankurtization in the Novels “Gün Olur Asra Bedel” and “Ölüm Hükmü”

Abstract

While researching the lives and literary personalities of Chingiz Aitmatov and Elchin Efendiev, two of the leading writers of Turkish world literature, we identified many common aspects. Their families, especially their fathers, played a major role in raising both Aitmatov and Elchin as multilingual writers and politicians. Their fathers, Torokul Aitmatov and Ilyas Efendiev, are intellectuals of great importance in the history of Kyrgyz and Azerbaijani Turks. However, we cannot say that both writers rose by relying on their father’s fame. Chingiz Aitmatov expressed his opinion about whether Elchin and Anar were influenced by their fathers as follows: “In the formation of the literary personalities of both Elçin and Anar, the spiritual environment of Azerbaijan, as well as their fathers Resul Rıza and İlyas Efendiyev, who were the classic writers of 20th century Azerbaijani literature, played a major role.” Since Chingiz Aitmatov and Elchin Efendiev lived in the same period, they witnessed the same political pressures and social changes. For this reason, there are many commonalities in the subjects covered in their works. Both authors’ books have been translated into world languages such as Turkish, French, English and German and have been deemed worthy of various awards. Some of the authors’ works have been turned into films. Today, both authors are at the top of the list of the most read authors in the Turkish world. In the article we have examined, within the rules of comparative literature, the concept of mankurtization in Chingiz Aitmatov’s novels The Day is Worth a Century and Elchin Efendiev’s Death Sentence has been tried to be examined and the reflections of mankurtization in the Turkish world have been tried to be determined. The aim of this study is to make determinations about how the concept of mankurtization is handled in the Turkish world literature through the novels in question.