42. Today in 1920s Turkey: 29 December 1927 (Justice: A Gift for the New Year)

(Cartoon by Ramiz, Akbaba or “Vulture/White-bearded Old Man,” 29 December 1927, no. 527, page 1.)

Comments:
The most striking and recognizable figure in the above cartoon is Santa Claus or Father Christmas who is featured happily delivering a gift, Justice, to Turkey. Rendered with the attributes of the famous character from Christian hagiography, Father Christmas is identifiable by his white beard, fur-trimmed pointed hat and coat, jolly demeanor, and porter’s basket full of gifts—in this case a young woman. Even without reading the text, the young belle is easily identified as a personification of Justice with the inclusion of a blindfold covering her eyes (and rendering her an objective arbitrator) and a set of scales in her left hand. Santa has arrived at the house of the recipient of this coveted package, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, as made obvious from the silhouette of the iconic, snow-capped parliamentary building lying beneath his feet.

A universal requirement for creating a sense of peace and order in complex societies, justice is likely a gift that the artist and many readers would find appealing. By pairing the elusive ideal of justice with a fantastical deliverer, Father Christmas, the cartoonist is perhaps also suggesting that the notion of true justice is about as real and believable as the notion of an old man delivering innumerable gifts around the world in one night. The touch-and-go, fickle nature of justice is underscored in Santa’s directions to Justice quoted in the text below whereby he attempts to convince her to stay and not wander off; and to behave and not get into trouble.

It is not unlikely for the character of Santa to appear in cartoons and other forms of visual culture in Turkey to this day. Rather than a symbol of the Christian Christmas, in Turkey Father Christmas (Noel Baba) was adopted as a secular icon associated with the New Year as early as the 1920s.

The artist, Ramiz’s signature is located in the upper left corner of the cartoon. Other examples of this prolific artist’s work can be found in the following posts: #41 (Stratification and Oppression), #29 (Happy Republic Day, Turkey!), #11 (War of Pens: Turkey vs. Iran), #5 (Planes: A Modern Perspective), and #2 (Trafic Canavarı or the Beast of Bad Driving).

English:
Above: The Gift of the New Year
Below: Father Christmas: Justice, my girl… Look, I’ve brought you to a very great and virtuous place… Dare not cause mischief, or run away to someone else… Alright, inhabit with joy, my child!...

Türkçe:
Üstte: Yeni Senenin Hediyesi
Altta: Noel Baba: Adalet, kızım… Bak, seni çok büyük, çok faziletli bir yere getirdim… Sakın yaramazlık edeyim, başkasına kaçayım deme… Haydi, güle güle otur, yavrum!...

(Entire page, Akbaba or “Vulture/White-bearded Old Man,” 29 December 1927, no. 527, page 1.)