11. Today in 1920s Turkey: 15 August 1927 (War of the Pens: Turkey vs Iran)

(Caricature of Iran, Akbaba or “Vulture/White-Bearded Old Man,” no. 488, page 1, by Ramiz.)

Comments:
Eighty-nine years ago today the following caricature of Iran was published on the front cover of Akbaba. Both the cartoon and the journal’s masthead bare the familiar signature of the ever-prolific Ramiz (see also post #2 and post #5).

As the text above the frame indicates, this caricature is Turkey’s (i.e. Akbaba’s) response to Iran badmouthing Turkey in its newspapers. I am curious to know what exactly was said about Turkey to incite the creation of such a satirical image. Suffice to say that these words were insulting enough to elicit a non-violent, paper-bound counter-attack.

Rather than defend or correct any alleged Turkish flaws the cartoonist launches an all-out offensive against Iran. The man in the cartoon personifies the Iranian state and people. Wearing traditional clothes, shoes, and a fez the man represents backwardness in style. His excessive, dense facial hair (monobrow and beard) identifies him as a traditionalist or conservative. Besides exaggerating his physical appearance, Ramiz indicates flaws in Iran’s character, too. He depicts Iran as overweight, seated, and surrounded by paraphernalia associated with the consumption of various substances such as the opium pipe (tucked into his waistband), the tea kettle, and the hookah. According to this artists Iran is a little too occupied with leisure and pleasure seeking. The artist includes one final insult to country by depicting it chained to an unknown surface. The cuffs, one on each wrist, are labeled “England” (right, İngiltere) and “Russia” (left, Rusya).

These chains representing England and Russia reference a painful reality in Iranian politics and economics. Anglo-Russian involvement in Iranian territories had long prevented Iran from effectively managing its own resources and politics within its own boarders. In this way, the cartoonist questions Iran’s very right (as de facto colony of Russia and England) to critique another country. Together, all of the flaws (physical, behavioral, moral, cultural, political) identified and amplified in this cartoon undermine Iran’s credibility to accurately judge any situation from the vantage point of his current state (shackled and drugged).

Finally, Ramiz gives voice to the caricature by including a life-threatening rant promising destruction to all who upset the angry, chained being. The text completes the caricature by providing an incongruous contrast between how Iran sees itself as expressed in the assertive verbal threat and the “revealed” truth of its impotency as depicted in the image. Unarmed (save for the hookah hose he wields in one hand), immobilized, and occupied with a range of chemical substances (caffeine, opium, nicotine) he is most definitely the last person on earth to successfully launch an assault of any kind on anyone anytime soon. Talk, as it turns out, is the cheapest of commodities.

All of this discussion aside, this cartoon is another example of how Turkish satirists rarely pass up the opportunity to ridicule Iran because this rivalry between neighbors runs deep.

English:
Above: Iranian newspapers are spitting fire (ranting) against us…
Below: I am fed up (?) with what stirs my [ئوزیمی] , I will destroy your influence!

Türkçe:
Üstte: İran gazeteleri aleyhimizde ateş püskürüyor…
Altta: — İlallah(?) avazımı kızdıranda himeminizi helak ederim , ha!..

(Entire front page of Akbaba, no. 488.)