Celil Öker, one of the masters of Turkish crime fiction who passed away in 2019, told stories of the loneliness of cities and the new middle class, extending beyond murder, in his novels. We have discussed at SosyalKafa a newly defended PhD thesis: Elif Otluoğlu Kısa’s YENİK VE YALNIZ (Defeated and Alone): AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NEW MIDDLE CLASS AND POLICE LITERATURE IN TURKEY THROUGH THE NOVELS OF CELİL OKER.
Here is a short interview I made with him many years ago for our literary fanzine Milli İstirahat. Celil Hoca had named me for one of the characters in his novel, Sen Ölürsün Ben Yaşarım
Based on the video’s transcript, here are some of the key highlights:
- Introduction to Elif Otluoğlu
- The host introduces Elif Otluoğlu, who recently defended her doctoral thesis at Marmara University, focusing on Celil Oker [00:04]. The host also mentions that Oker was a long-time faculty member at the university, making the topic particularly meaningful [00:57]. Elif expresses her gratitude for the invitation [02:14].
- Elif’s Doctoral Thesis
- Elif’s thesis, titled “The Defeated and the Lonely: An Examination of the Relationship Between Turkey’s New Middle Class and Detective Fiction Through the Novels of Celil Oker,” explores how the new middle class that emerged in Turkey after the 1980s adopted detective fiction as a way to construct their class identity [02:23]. She mentions that she used Oker’s novels as a case study for her argument [02:51].
- Elif’s Personal Connection to the Topic
- Elif admits that she wasn’t a big reader of Turkish detective fiction before starting her research [03:45]. She came across a novel by Celil Oker by chance, and the discovery of a Turkish author in this genre fascinated her, as most people are only familiar with Ahmet Ümit [04:00]. This led her to delve deeper into the genre and her thesis topic [04:42].
- Analysis of the New Middle Class and Detective Fiction
- Elif discusses how she used Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework of “habitus” to analyze the relationship between class and literature [05:00]. She found that Oker’s novels reflect the lifestyle, tastes, and preferences of the new middle class through details like home decor, consumption habits, and hobbies like Aikido [07:27]. She argues that detective fiction, unlike other genres, provides a detailed look into different social classes [16:51].
- The Character of Remzi Ünal
- The discussion highlights Remzi Ünal, a central character in Oker’s novels [14:05]. Elif explains that the character was first created for a magazine in the 1980s but evolved significantly in the novels [14:28]. Remzi Ünal, a lonely and cynical private detective, embodies the characteristics of the new middle class and reflects a “tired democrat” persona [17:20].
- Celil Oker’s Legacy
- The host and Elif discuss Oker’s literary legacy, emphasizing his role in legitimizing detective fiction in Turkey [24:33]. Elif believes Oker’s works are unique because they are deeply rooted in Turkish and specifically Istanbul’s culture, making them distinct from Western noir fiction [30:10]. They also highlight Oker’s significant contribution as a writing mentor, noting that his writing workshops and guidebook have influenced a new generation of Turkish writers [35:02].
Celil Oker was also a colleague at Istanbul Bilgi University, one of the most beloved instructors on campus. May God Bless Him.
Celil Oker (1952 – 5 Mayıs 2019) was a renowned Turkish crime fiction writer and academic. Born in Kayseri, he completed his education at Talas Amerikan Junior School and Tarsus American High School, later graduating from Boğaziçi University’s English Language and Literature department in 1979.wikipedia+4
After university, Oker worked as a translator, journalist, and encyclopedia writer, then pursued a successful career in advertising as a copywriter and agency partner. In 1998, he transitioned to academia, joining Istanbul Bilgi University’s Faculty of Communication, where he taught creative writing and advertising.kalemagency+1
Oker made his literary debut with the crime novel “Çıplak Ceset” (Naked Corpse) in 1999, which won the Kaktüs Kahvesi Crime Fiction Novel Competition. He went on to publish a series of detective novels featuring the character Remzi Ünal, including “Kramponlu Ceset”, “Bin Lotluk Ceset”, “Rol Çalan Ceset”, “Son Ceset”, “Bir Şapka Bir Tabanca”, “Yenik ve Yalnız”, “Beyaz Eldiven Sarı Zarf”, and “Sen Ölürsün Ben Yaşarım”.wikipedia+3
In addition to his solo works, Oker participated in the collaborative novel “Beşpeşe” (2004) with authors Elif Şafak, Murathan Mungan, Faruk Ulay, and Pınar Kür. His writing is credited with significantly shaping the genre of Turkish crime fiction, bringing a modern and urban sensibility to the field.wikipedia+2
Oker was remembered as an influential teacher, creative thinker, and mentor to many students and writers. He died in Istanbul on May 5, 2019. His legacy lives on through his books, contributions to Turkish literature, and the impact he made as an educator.gazetekadikoy+2
Discover more from Erkan's Field Diary
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.