The Fez-Hat Struggle in the Context of Symbolic Values in the Turkish Novel

Abstract

Dress has a symbolic value and meaning that can be an indicator of the civilization, identity, political preferences, position or economic status of the person. Although this decisiveness is sometimes misleading as there is a relative uniformization of dress-clothing with globalization, it can be said that the sharpest distinction is seen through dress-clothing in periods and countries where civilizations are separated from each other by sharp lines. Especially in traditionalist societies that resist change, clothing preserves its symbolic value and meaning as a taboo. The most important garments that carry a symbolic meaning and value, at least in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that this article is about, are undoubtedly the headdresses. Attempts to change the headlines were actually seen as symbols of radical changes and a sign of obedience to power. In this article, we will try to determine the perception, meaning and values of the turban worn by the madrasians and Sufists, the fez, the headdress of the Muslim Ottoman community, the kalpak used by the supporters of the Kuvveyi Milliye, and the hat taken from the West in the Turkish society based on literary works.