Cultural problems of Turkey, by Ekrem Akrugal (Kirmizi Kedi, 2018)

This book, originally entitled Türkiye’nin Kültür Sorunları, is an anthology of articles written by Ordinarius Professor Doctor Ekrem Akurgal from 1942 until 1998, edited for publishing by Burak Kuru in 2018. Prof. Akurgal is a distinguished and reputable academic well known for his archaeological research, acknowledged by honorary doctorates and awards and memberships in science academies across Europe. Prof. Akurgal was the founder of classical archeology as an academic science in Turkey and a lecturer in Turkey and abroad. In 1934, the Turkish Republic adapted the “Surname Law,” based on which all citizens had to choose a fixed and hereditable last name. The author’s devotion to history and archeology can be seen in his choice of “Akurgal,” meaning “big water land” in the Sumerian language, as a last name. Prof. Akurgal served as a lecturer in various archaeological departments in Turkey and many professors today used to be his student. Therefore, he is referred to as the “Professors' professor.” Besides lecturing at Turkish and foreign universities, Prof. Akurgal led countless archaeological excavations. His main area of research was the Aegean region. He undertook excavations in Phokaia (Foça), Erythrai (Ildırı), Smyrna (Bayraklı) and Pitane (Çandarlı), and continued his excavations and work until his death in 2002. Based on his research he published various books in different languages on ancient Greek, Hatti, Hittite, and old Anatolian civilizations. He is considered to be an “Anatolianist.” The latter offspring of cultural nationalism was first formulated in 1918 by Halide Edip Adıvar, who was one of the first female novelists during the dusk of the Ottoman Empire and who considered Frank Tachau’s theory of cultural linkage based on the geographical area between ancient civilizations in Anatolia and the current-day Turkish Republic. The Turkish state and culture have natural boundaries within which