The Sinology and Chinese Studies Symposium: A Brand-New Unifying Perspective of Chinese Studies in Turkey

The Sinology and Chinese Studies Symposium: A Brand-New Unifying Perspective of Chinese Studies in Turkey

ANIL SOLMAZ* Chinese Language and Literature, Shanghai University

Introduction time that gives rise to, not only economic and

commercial concerns, but also security, strate- BY ACCOMPLISHING THE AIMS OF THE gic, and cultural pressures as part of the symp- United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable toms of rising multipolarity. However, there Development 10 years ago, the People’s Repubare two major problems faced by Turkey conlic of China has demonstrated the strength of cerning Chinese Studies: a) researchers often its economy as a global leader (Solmaz, 2021Solmaz (2021). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). obtain information from Western sources, b) China’s rise is acknowledged by many countthe field in Turkey has not reached maturity ries and, as a result, has inevitably spurred the yet. These two problems hinder Turkey’s abifield of Chinese Studies. Indeed, the dominant lity to understand China and cause research to role of the Chinese language in socio-econobe disconnected from China’s realities. Wesmic and socio-cultural aspects has also energitern-centric studies have ignited anti-Chinese zed the field of Sinology – the study of Chinese sentiments in Turkey, which distorts Turkey’s language, history, customs, and politics. perception of China. Engaging with Chinese Studies and con- The current situation in Chinese Studies ducting original research will undoubtedly and the predominance of research that lacks benefit Turkey’s national interests. This is a a sound scientific basis necessitate the need

Anıl Solmaz is a master’s student in Chinese Language and Literature at Shanghai University. His research interests include historical linguis- tics, field linguistics and language documentation, Chinese linguistics, Turkish languages. Email: solmaz_4141@hotmail.com

76 How to cite: Solmaz, A. (2021/2022). The Sinology and Chinese studies symposium: A brand-new

unifying perspective of Chinese Studies in Turkey. Belt & Road Initiative Quarterly, 3(1), 76-82.

The Sinology and Chinese Studies Symposium was held on September 24-25, 2021.

for a new beginning in this field. At this point, ders of this union, who temporarily returned

one could argue that the Sinology and Chinese to Turkey due to the pandemic, continued its

Studies Symposium, which focuses on Turkey’s activities in Turkey. They held online seminars2

interests and scientific rigor, has created a new with scholars from leading departments of Si-

platform in this field and responded to the stra- nology, Chinese Language and Literature, and

Chinese Translation and Interpretation in Turtegic needs in Turkey. In this article, I will try key, as well as institutions such as Shanghai Unito explain the importance, benefits, and shortversity, which has lately emerged as a pioneer of

comings of the Symposium by discussing and Turkish Studies in China. These events, which

making suggestions for the future of this event, brought Turkey and China together, revealed

which aims to establish itself as a tradition. the need for further developing the field of Chi-

nese Studies in Turkey. The First Sinology and Chinese Studies

Symposium Thereupon, the TÖB, the Belt & Road Ini-

tiative Quarterly (BRIQ), the Istinye University

The foundations of the Symposium were first Center for Belt & Road Studies, and the Istan-

laid out at the Sunday Talks1 meetings of the bul University Chinese Language and Literature

Turkish Student Association (TÖB), which was Department formed the core staff and initiated

formed by Turkish students in China. The lea- the First Sinology and Chinese Studies Sympo-

1 See for detailed info. (Türk Öğrenci Birliği, n.d.Türk Öğrenci Birliği (n.d.). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.) 2 See for online webinars. (Çin Türk Öğrenci Birliği, n.d.Çin Türk Öğrenci Birliği (n.d.). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.)

Participants

sium in Turkey. The number of co-organizers • Mehmet Adnan AKFIRAT, Chairman of

was later increased to include the Embassy of the BRIQ Administrative Board

the People’s Republic of China in Turkey and

Shanghai International Studies University. The PRC Ankara Embassy

The Organizing and Scientific Committee • Prof. Dr. Eyüp SARITAŞ, Head of the De-

partment of Chinese Language and Litera-

The Organizing Committee is the body ture at Istanbul University

that best proves the unifying and inclusive

• Assoc. Prof. Gürhan Kırilen, Head of De-

character of the Symposium. In particular, partment of Sinology at Ankara University

the heads of departments in well-established DTCF

and leading universities in Turkey conducting

Sinology and Chinese Studies were invited to • Assoc. Prof. Efe Can GÜRCAN, Chair-

the organizing committee. Inclusiveness was man of the Center for Belt and Road Stu-

dies at Istinye University ensured by inviting competent scholars from

other universities to the scientific committee. • Dr. Nurcan KALKIR, Head of the Depart-

The Organizing Committee of the First Sinology ment of Chinese Language and Literature

and Chinese Studies Symposium is as follows; at Erciyes University

Chinese Ambassador to Turkey

• Mustafa ALTINKAYA, Chairman of TÖB institutions dealing with China and Chinese

Beijing in Turkey. This is an important step for the

first Symposium, but it is necessary to further

• Anıl SOLMAZ, Chairman of TÖB Shan-

expand the scientific committee, make greghai ater use of universities in China, and attract scholars from Europe and the Americas. These The Scientific Committee, under the aims should be included in the success criteria chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Eyüp SARITAŞ, for future studies. consists of fifteen scholars from Turkey and China covering a wide range of

specializations, including Sinology, Chinese Participants and Proceedings

Language and Literature, Chinese Translation Four hundred and ninety-seven applications and Interpretation, International Relations, were made to attend the two-day symposium, Sociology, and History.3 which was organized as a “hybrid” of face-to-fa-

With the Scientific Committee, which inc- ce attendance at the Istinye University Congress

ludes scholars from Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli Center in Istanbul and online attendance on

University and Okan University, the Symposi- Zoom on 24-25 September 2021. There were

um has brought together rooted and leading also guests from Germany, America, Azerba-

3 See (Sinoloji Sempozyumu, n.d.)

Prof.Dr. Eyüp Sarıtaş, Head of the Scentific Committee

ijan, India, and the Netherlands, though most lopment, and the North Pacific Ocean Strategy

attended from Turkey and China. Such diver- concerning China. A total of fifteen proceedin-

sity is undoubtedly a success for a symposium gs were presented and discussed in four sessi-

held for the first time - it became an internati- ons moderated by Assoc. Prof. Gurhan Kirilen,

onal event. Prof. Dr. Giray Fidan, Prof. Dr. Caner Karavit,

and Dr. Nurcan Kalkır, respectively. Another feature of the Symposium was the quality of the opening speeches. China’s Am-

bassador to Ankara and Turkey’s Ambassador The Importance of the Symposium for

to Beijing acknowledged the significance of the Turkey And China Studies The Course of

Symposium in their speeches. They emphasi- Chinese Studies in Turkey

zed how important this symposium is for the With the recent acceleration of diplomatic and

two countries to get to know each other on a commercial relations, Turkey’s interest in Chi-

scientific level and emphasized the importance nese Studies has increased. This is also thanks

of joint work. Furthermore, the presented pa- to becoming the second-largest economy in the

pers discussed a broad spectrum of topics, inc- world. Our historical and intersecting ties, ex-

luding the Turkic languages spoken in China, hibited by the findings of Pre-Islamic Turkish

Wolfharm Eberhard and Turkish Sinology, the history from the Chinese pages, trace Chinese

geopolitical economy of China’s peaceful deve- Studies in Turkey back even further than we

thought. However, the field of Chinese Studies field by establishing Chinese Research Centers

in Turkey owes its current status to the pione- (see Istanbul Aydın University). Recently, the

ering studies of Wolfram Eberhard. His work, field of International Relations has focused on

History of China (Eberhard, 1947Eberhard (1947). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.), published China and started to examine Chinese move-

by the Turkish Historical Society, is his best- ments such as the Belt and Road Initiative . A

known work alongside his articles and lectures. case in point is the Istinye University Center for

After leaving Turkey for the University of Cali- Belt & Road Studies, which is the first research

fornia in 1949, he continued his studies in the center to focus its efforts on the Belt and Road

United States. After this period, Chinese Stu- in Turkey.

dies in Turkey went into stagnation. Undoubtedly, the number of such initiatives in China Studies will increase as Turkey’s fore-

Although most of the studies ign policy increasingly focuses on Asia. At this

carried out in Turkey after point, the most important task is to consolidate

Eberhard fall within the domain of the field of Chinese Studies, which offers a sys-

Classical Chinese Studies, China's tematic and solid philosophy.

socio-economic and socio-cultural achievements have pushed

Contemporary China Studies to The New Perspective offered by the

the fore. Symposium into China Studies

At this point, the First Symposium of Sinology

Though, it would not be correct to say that and Chinese Studies has built a new unity by

the Chinese studies in Turkey came to an end bringing Sinology and Chinese Studies toget-

with Eberhard’s departure to the United States. her. A ship, whose route was not drawn by ex-

Today, Chinese Studies are kept alive thanks to perts and could not successfully take the wind

the proliferation of academic events and rese- behind it, would not reach the targeted place.

arch centers in Turkey. Although most of the The Symposium’s Organizing and Scientific

studies carried out in Turkey after Eberhard Committee will be the new route and wind for

fall within the domain of Classical Chinese Stu- the field of Chinese Studies in Turkey. The main

dies, China’s socio-economic and socio-cultu- philosophy of the Symposium is to explain Chi-

ral achievements have pushed Contemporary na to Turkey and Turkey to China from the

China Studies to the fore. The departments of authentic and primary sources and to enable

Sinology and Chinese Language and Literature, both countries to benefit from each other using

which are included in universities such as An- scientific methods. It has refreshed the field of

kara University and Istanbul University, contri- Contemporary Chinese Studies in Turkey by

bute to this field. In addition to these, Turkish refuting the arguments of research centers that

universities are trying to meet the needs of this have become tools for political purposes and

institutions that imitate the West. This move- The Symposium has demonstrated theore-

ment is unifying and integrating, which will tical knowledge by bringing together experts

ensure a sound future for China Studies. from Turkey and China as part of the Organi-

zing and Scientific Committee. The most im-

Another important element is the feature portant task ahead is to expand the scope of

of the Symposium that appeals to China. Gi- academic discussions by including everyone

ven that the field of Turkish Studies in China who are involved in Chinese Studies on this

has just started to mature, it is an indisputable platform. For researchers from Turkey to reach

fact that China also needs to reach first-hand first-hand sources on China, it should act as a

sources and especially the “authentic” sour- mediator in creating opportunities for field and

ces. When such sources are examined, it will archive studies in China. It should form a jour-

be revealed that much false information has nal that will publish these studies and root this

been published about Turkey in line with the journal for scientific purposes.

information obtained from secondary (and

Western-centric) sources. A misleading picture The First Symposium on Sinology and Chi-

has been drawn about Turkey in Chinese public nese Studies was concluded successfully. We

opinion. In consideration of this problem, the left behind a historical milestone in the field of

Symposium’s close contact with the Chinese Chinese Studies in Turkey. The period we are

Embassy and the Turkish Studies Consortium in is critical for Turkey to better recognize and

in China will have a positive impact on the re- understand China’s national aspirations. This

search of the two countries. In this respect, the makes it necessary for all valuable Chinese re-

Symposium is not only an important platform searchers in Turkey to make use of this sympo-

for Turkish researchers who are involved in sium with the highest efficiency. See you at the

Chinese Studies but also a wider channel where next symposium!

valuable researchers conducting Turkey Studies in China can convey their views. References

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