151. Today in 1920s Turkey: 12 August 1925 (Letters to the Editor)
Halk Sütunu
İzmir, Eski Foça’da İsmail Hakkı imzasıyla:
— Bura postahanesi yarım liralık bozmuyor.
— Bozamazsa pul verir, ehemmiyetsiz bir iştir.
Ercişli Mevlüt Hulusi imzasıyla:
— 332 senesinde Diyarbakır’dan İstanbul [ایتام] mektebine gönderilen Kopmuşoğulları’ndan Osman Ali’den cevap alamıyoruz.
— Merak etme, dayı. Burada okuyunca sana cevap yazarlar!
Isparta’da Ali Remzi imzasıyla:
— Isparta İmam ve Hatip mektebindeyim. Istanbul Hatip mektebine leyli ve meccani olarak girmek istiyorum, mümkün mü?
— Adam olmak istiyorsan liseye git. Gençlere imam, hatip mektebi tavsiye edemeyiz.
Ankara’da marangoz Gazi Bekir imzasıyla:
— İsyan cephesinden yeni döndüm. Sanaatım marangozdur. Ankara’da bir Alman şirketi var fakat Almanca bilmediğim icin iş vermiyor.
— Ankara gibi çok ev yapılan yerde marangoz aç kalmaz. Yapılara müracaat edin. Kesri, testereyi Almanca kullanacak değilsiniz ya!
Sırbiye’de Kalkandelenli İdris imzasıyla:
— Üsküp’te katiplik ediyorum. Fakat daha okumaya hevesim var Istanbul’a gelsem bir mektebe girebilir miyim?
— Yaşın küçük ise girebilirsin değilse hem katiplik yap, hem oku!
Tavas’dan Mehmet Feyzi imzasıyla:
— 317 tevlitliyim Denizli Ziraat Makinist Mektebi’nden mezunum. Istanbul’daki şoför mektebine imtihansız girebilir miyim?
— Şoför mektebi hususidir. Para verip girer üç ayda öğrenirsiniz.
The People’s Column
Signed by İsmail Hakkı in Eski Foça/Izmir:
— The post office here will not break a half lira.
— If they cannot break the money they will give you stamps, it’s an insignificant matter.
Signed by Mevlüt Hulusi of Erciş
— We have received no word from Osman Ali of the Kopmuşoğullar family who was sent from Diyarbakır to Istanbul’s [ایتام] school back in 1916.
— Don’t worry, uncle. When he reads it here he will write you a reply!
Signed by Ali Remzi in Isparta:
— I am at the Isparta Religious Vocational School. I want to enter the Istanbul Seminary School with free room and board, is it possible?
— If you want to be a (real) man go to high school. We do not recommend religious vocational schools for the youth.
Signed by carpenter Gazi Bekir in Ankara:
— I just returned from the rebellion’s front. My craft is carpentry. There is a German company in Ankara but because I do not know German they will not give me a job.
— A carpenter will not starve in a place like Ankara where so many houses are being built. Apply to the construction (sites/companies). You use measures and saws, not German (language skills)!
Signed by Idris of Tetovo in Serbia:
— I am a scribe in Skopje. But I have aspirations to continue my education, if I came to Istanbul could I get into a school?
— If you are still young you could get in, if not, practice your trade and also go to school!
Signed by Mehmet Feyzi of Tavas:
— I was born in 1901 and I graduated from the Denizli School of Agricultural Machinery. Can I get into the Istanbul driving school without a test?
— Driving schools are privately owned/operated. You pay the money, get admitted, and learn (to drive) in three months.
Comments:
Karagöz fancied itself a political and satirical newspaper of the people (“siyasi mizahi halk gazetesidir”), as stated in its nameplate. As such, its content was usually directed at a broad segment of society from working-class to upper class readers. Clues to the specific demographics reading this paper can be found in its popular “People’s Column” (Halk Sütunu) where readers submit questions, announcements, complaints, and the like. The column has been running since 18 August 1923 and began as “Our Readers’ Column” (Karilerimizin Sütunu). The paper’s nameplate also included three methods of contacting the Karagöz offices: a telegraph address, telephone number, and postal address. Any one of these methods could have been used by readers to submit their materials to the editor.
The People’s Column follows a simple inquiry-response format. Each submission is prefaced with the name of the person, where he is from, and optionally, his occupation and what follows is transcribed like a dialogue. The first line belongs to the reader and the second line represents Karagöz’s response. The current example consists of six contributions, each hailing from a different part of the country, including one from abroad. This highlights the astonishingly wide geographic distribution of Karagöz. The inquiries include a lost person announcement, a solicitation for advice, a complaint, and career-related questions. The readers, all of whom are male, represent a variety of professions and pursuits. In this way, the column provides an interesting and information-packed cross-section of 1920s society and its daily concerns.
A Full Page is Translated!
The fourth page of Karagöz’s 1816th issue is now fully translated. The page consists of a large cartoon up top and a smaller illustration at the center below it. The small illustration is flanked with two columns of text each representing a difference subject. Each section of the page has been considered in Today in 1920s Turkey post and can be accessed using the following links:
Large cartoon: A Dystopian Vision (post #8)
Right column: Turkish Street Fighter (post #9)
Small illustration: The Glamorous Lives of Teachers (post #10)
Left column: present post (#151)
Enjoy!
Originally published at https://steemit.com on August 12, 2018.
