The Social and Spatial Foundations of Urbanization in Türkiye: A Historical-Sociological Analysis in the Context of Turkish Cinema

İlknur Beyaz Özbey

doi:10.5195/cinej.2026.811

The Social and Spatial Foundations of Urbanization in Türkiye: A Historical-Sociological Analysis in the Context of Turkish Cinema

Authors

İlknur Beyaz Özbey Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9809-9085

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2026.811

Keywords:

Turkish cinema, urbanization in Türkiye, rural-to-urban migration; , gecekondu, cinematic urban space, urban redevelopment, spatial representation

Abstract

This study examines the social and spatial representations of urbanization in Türkiye as represented in Turkish cinema. In Türkiye, the urbanization process that accelerated in the 1950s was primarily driven by internal migration, resulting in the formation of gecekondus (slum neighborhoods) in unplanned and unregulated urban areas lacking infrastructure. Gecekondu development, driven by poverty and unemployment, involves tensions between traditional and modern values. Within this framework, the study draws on a comparative historical sociological approach based on qualitative research methods. In addition, scene-based film analysis was employed to examine representations of urbanization processes in Turkish cinema. Selected Turkish films from the periods 1960–1980, 1980–2000, and 2000 to the present were examined to analyze social structure and space through the lens of Türkiye's urbanization experience. The analysis indicates that during the 1960–1980 period, urbanization accelerated and gecekondu neighborhoods emerged; apartment construction intensified during the period 1980-2000 despite the persistence of the gecekondu problem; and after 2000, cinematic themes included urban transformation, skyscrapers, gated communities, and luxury housing developments.

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Published

2026-10-15

How to Cite

Beyaz Özbey, İlknur. (2026). The Social and Spatial Foundations of Urbanization in Türkiye: A Historical-Sociological Analysis in the Context of Turkish Cinema. CINEJ Cinema Journal, 14(2), 208–253. https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2026.811

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Vol. 14 No. 2 (2026): Fall

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