This thesis attempts to examine and define the degree of influence which the Turks exerted on Islamic art of the Seljuqid period (1040--1194 AD) specifically, and on Islamic art of the medieval period generally. As this thesis represents a first investigation of the topic, it was necessary to retrace Turkish history from its beginnings to fully understand its dynamic, but also to analyze the art historical and cultural past of the Turkish peoples in order to assess the degree of probability of Turkish influence on Islamic art as well as the means of its penetration. The vaster arena of this research is the field of Central Asian history and the growing awareness of the important cultural ramifications of its widespread Indo-Buddhist culture. / Due to the complexity of the thesis topic, a simple method has been followed to present the material. The thesis is divided into three chapters, each addressing a major issue. The first chapter introduces the four major Turkish steppe dynasties and their art in so far as archaeology permits. The second chapter deals with the process of Islamicization of the Turks, while the third chapter broaches the issue of Turkish influence on Islamic art of the Seljuqid period under four headings: architecture, architectural decoration, animal imagery, and figurative iconography. The basic premise of this paper is the assumption that, if the Turks played such a major role in the political developments of medieval dar al-islam, they must have also contributed, consciously or not, to the formation of medieval Islamic art.

The Ottoman Empire, an imperial power that existed from 1299 to 1923, was one of the largest empires to rule the borders of the Mediterranean Sea. Ottoman Turkish was used especially between the 16th and 19th centuries during the Ottoman Empire. This ornamented, artificial language separated the general population from intellectual and palace elite and a communication problem followed. Although the minorities of the Ottoman Empire were free to use their language amongst themselves, if they needed to communicate with the government they had to use Ottoman Turkish. This thesis explains these language differences and the resulting problems they created during the Empire. Examples of original correspondence are used to highlight the communication differences and the difficulties that ensured. From this study, the author concludes that Ottoman Turkish was not a separate language from Turkish; instead, it was a variation of Turkish in inexistence for approximately 600 years. / Prof. B. Hendrickx Dr. A. Dockrat

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M.A.

This study aimed at investigating learners&rsquo / attitudes towards English language and English speaking societies. The study also explored the historical and sociopolitical factors that might have influenced learners&rsquo / attitudes. In order to collect data, a language attitude questionnaire was designed adapting several questionnaires which were prepared with the goal of collecting information about learners&rsquo / attitudinal predispositions towards language and language learning in various countries around the world. The study sampled 219 students studying at the preparatory schools of two state and three private universities in Ankara. In addition to the quantitative data obtained from the questionnaire, qualitative data were obtained from the open ended items in the questionnaire and the interview sessions. Interview sessions were conducted at the sampled universities, and 10 students (5 male 5 female) were asked their opinions about their reasons to learn English, their opinions regarding the current status of English in Turkey and their feelings towards English and towards their native language. After the data collection procedure, inferences were made according to the data obtained from the questionnaire and interviews so as to make quantitative and qualitative analysis. While the quantitative findings of the data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS 11.0 (Statistical Package of Social Sciences), qualitative data were analyzed through the content analysis. According to the factor analysis of the responses in the pilot and the actual study, the parallel statements were categorized into a factor. Consequently, five factors which ultimately formed five &lsquo / themes&rsquo / were obtained. The research findings were interpreted with reference to these five themes-native language loyalty, instrumental orientation, cultural interest, appreciation of intercultural contact and attitudes towards British and American people respectively. According to the research findings, Turkish learners of English at sampled universities have favorable attitudes towards the English language due to their interest in the cultural products of the English speaking societies and the instrumental value of English as a global language. On the other hand, they have developed ambivalent attitudes towards the target societies due to the intercultural contact with these societies throughout Turkish history, current sociopolitical concerns regarding the British and American state policies and finally their perceptions regarding their native language and culture. Alternative solutions at individual and institutional levels have been proposed in order to change negative attitudes into favorable ones, and prevent the generalization of stereotypes and attitudes into individual levels. In order to achieve the acquisition of favorable attitudes at individual level, intercultural contact should be promoted so that learners will have personal experiences and personal contacts rather than relying on indirect sources such as press and cultural products which might generate biased assumptions.

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ABSTRACT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE 1923 GRECO-TURKISH POPULATION EXCHANGE UPON TURKEY Alpan, Aytek Soner M. Sc., Department of Economics Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Yildirim August 2008, 167 pages The Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations signed on January 30, 1923 at Lausanne resulted in the first compulsory population exchange under the auspices of an international organization, namely the League of Nations. The Greco-Turkish Population Exchange marked a turning point for Greece and Turkey with regard to its demographic, social, political and economic effects. Although the multifaceted effects of the Exchange upon Greece have been extensively studied by the scholars of different disciplines, the Turkish scholarship is very limited in terms of documenting and analyzing the role of this event in the history of modern Turkey. The present study aims to fill this gap by assessing the economic effects of this event upon Turkey. This thesis fulfils the above task by examining the transformation of the basic sectors in the Turkish economy during the post-Exchange period. We argue that the Population Exchange had significant effects upon the Turkish economy. For example, in the agricultural sector the capitalist property relations on land were reinforced and the production patterns in certain agricultural crops were subject to a considerable degree of change. As far as the industry is concerned, the production of certain commodities deteriorated due to the rising competition between Turkey and Greece over the manufactured goods. The worsening international economic conditions exacerbated the effects of this competition upon the Turkish economy. Lastly, with the transfer of the Anatolian Greek merchants to Greece, Anatolia&rsquo / s commercial links with foreign markets weakened much to the detriment of the Turkish economy. The intermediary position of the Greek merchants was gradually substituted by the newly-emerging Turkish mercantile bourgeoisie after the Exchange. This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the subject and provides a survey of the related literature. Chapter 2 examines the effects of the Exchange upon agriculture and land tenure system. Chapter 3 is designed to evaluate the transformation of the industrial base inherited from the Ottoman Empire by certain factors including the Exchange. Chapter 4 deals with the effects of the transfer of the Anatolian Greeks and the arrival of the refugees upon the commerce. Chapter 5 presents general and specific conclusions in the light of previous chapters.