An ‘alternative’ imagination of national identity in Turkey: the blue Anatolianists’ perception of culture, civilization, and the west

ABSTRACT This article elaborates upon Blue Anatolianism as another form of supranationalism with which Turkish nationalism is linked. Having quite different arguments from other types of Anatolianisms and supranationalisms on culture and civilization, Blue Anatolianists ‘creatively’ include the West in their perception of Turkishness. This study investigates the Blueists’ claims regarding Western civilization – as the only civilization – and the Turkish nation – as the ‘real owner’ of this civilization – within the framework of Social Identity Theory (SIT). It explores Blueists’ perceptions of national identity through content analysis of selected works of Kabaağaçlı, Eyüboğlu and Erhat, the core trio of the movement.