Convenors: Marie Bossaert (EPHE, Paris) and Emmanuel Szurek (Princeton University)

Turkish studies, as a seemingly autonomous field of knowledge, has not been critically examined. With few exceptions, the existing literature generally provide a linear, internalist, if not hagiographic narrative centered on the “life-and-work” of a series of outstanding individuals. Moreover, conducted country by country, these surveys tend to neglect the international circulation of ideas, men and artifacts. We wish to take into account the different inheritances (European, Russian, Ottoman, Turkish, Arab, Japanese, American etc.) that have contributed to the intellectual and institutional autonomization of the field.

We propose to follow these leads through three sets of questions focusing on the definition, the actors, and the uses of Turkology.

1. What is Turkology? What is its object? Is it different than "Turkish studies"? Who are the "Turks" under consideration? When did Turkish Studies appear in the different countries, and how did they fit in the broader fields of orientalist scholarship, the humanities, and the social sciences at large?

2. Who is a Turkologist? How does one become a student in Turkish studies? Who are the non-academic and/or subaltern contributors to the field? What are the local, national and international networks enacted by these different actors?

3. What use is Turkology? What is the social and political role of the Turkologist (intelligence, military, diplomacy, translation etc.)? How were Turkish studies connected to Turkish nationalism(s)? To colonial empires? To international migrations? Is there such a thing as "War-Turkology"?

The detailed call for papers and submission guidelines are available at ejts.revues.org/5109 (English) and ejts.revues.org/5108 (French).