Gangsters in Turkish Cinema

OpenAlex · İngilizce

This chapter addresses the transformation of local outlaw heroes and their myths in accordance with Turkey's modernization stories, by focusing on gangsters in Turkish cinema. It traces the transformation of these outlaws within the literal modernization of Turkish society, which remains stuck between East and West. The chapter examines stories of the heroic leaders of criminal gangs called bandits in the 1950s and 1960s, prior to the emergence of mafias. It also addresses the 1970s, when rowdy-bullies who replaced bandits in line with modern city life and gangster movies became popular. The chapter examines the period since the 1980s, which was a turning point for the transformation of the outlaw hero. The mafia in Turkish cinema is presented as gangs of just a couple of armed men and a few drifters making illegal profits rather than criminal organizations acting within the Turkish deep state.