Abstract
THE CONFLICT BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY IN NORTH MACEDONIAN TURKISH LITERATURE: A STUDY OF MUSTAFA KARAHASAN’S SUZAN THEATER
This study examines “Suzan”—a work penned by Mustafa Karahasan, a prominent figure in North Macedonian Turkish literature, and adapted for the stage in 1955—through a socio-historical lens centered on the conflict between tradition and modernity. It analyzes the cultural, economic, and ideological transformations experienced by the Turkish minority as they sought to adapt to the changing social order in post-World War II Yugoslavia. At the heart of the play lies the attempt by Ahmet Ağa—a traditional, patriarchal figure—to sell his daughter, Suzan, to the wealthy, elderly Bayram Bey in exchange for financial gain. In the deep structure of this familial crisis, ancient Ottoman-Turkish traditionalism and the socialist modernization ideology of the new Yugoslavia inherently clash. In the text, the old order is represented by the parasitic and decaying landowner system that has lost its moral foundations, views women as commercial commodities, and faces collapse due to socialist land reforms. In contrast, the new regime and modernity are constructed through revolutionary characters who advocate for the liberation of reason, the spread of education, and the struggle of women to become free individuals. Positioned initially as a passive victim of patriarchal oppression and religious fatalism, the character Suzan transforms into a revolutionary and modern subject by rejecting forced marriage and defending human will. Her brother Enver and lover Turhan act as spokespersons for the socialist order, rational mind, and the ideal of enlightening the public. The absolute collapse of the old, symbolized by the suicide of the father Ahmet Ağa, declares the triumph of the new reason. The study also emphasizes that Karahasan's anti-fascist resistance past and educator identity are directly reflected in the ideological stance of the characters. Furthermore, the play is analyzed comparatively with Hüseyin Süleyman's play “Aliş,” another important work of the period. Although the collapse of the traditional structure is covered in both plays, it has been determined that the play "Suzan" establishes a much more pragmatist and ideological foundation with elements such as class struggle and land reform. Ultimately, “Suzan” served not merely as a literary fiction for Balkan Turks, but as a podium of enlightenment aimed at accelerating adaptation to the new life.
Keywords
Mustafa Karahasan, Hüseyin Süleyman, North Macedonian Turkish Literature, Tradition and Modernity, S