12. Today in 1920s Turkey: 16 August 1923 (Single Ladies)

(“Peaceful Infiltration,” Akbaba or “Vulture/White-Bearded Old Man,” no. 73, page 3.)

Comments:
This cartoon was published ninety-three years ago today in Akbaba. It exemplifies a popular cartoon genre characterized by a focus on modern day male-female relations. This kind of cartoon is often rendered in a sleek, stylized manner and its humor is cool and detached. The subjects are often fashionably dressed, upper-class, young adults (18-35). These “Modern Relationship” cartoons generally include content critical of both male and female behavior and expectations. All things considered, the humor in these cartoons can range from fairly benign to offensive (or at least politically incorrect).

In the case of this particular cartoon, for instance, we can witness a bit of risqué word play. The root of the word “Peaceful” (maslahane from maslahat) in “Peaceful Entry” is also slang for “tool” as in “phallus.” In the exchange that follows a man asks to take over a woman’s heart for only a minute. The woman responds in a manner that betrays her awareness of international news (colonialism, occupation, much of which is happening in the neighboring countries of Syria and Iraq where post-WWI French and British mandates dominate) and the policies of colonial powers promising that their "occupation" will be finite and low-cost. She compares the young bachelor’s “territorial aspirations” to those of a shortsighted colonial who is only looking to take advantage of a region until there are no more profits to be made and move on. Moreover, new marriage laws are in the news at this time. The title indicates this cartoon is about a non-aggressive/phallic invasion even though the man in the cartoon asks for only a minute of the woman’s time. The woman projects forward and indicates to the man that considering his “intentions” he better prepare for a longer-term commitment with substantial or unforeseeable monetary responsibilities. Perhaps what she is trying to say is “put a ring on it.”

English:
Peaceful Entry
Man: May I occupy your heart for just one minute?
Woman: Certainly! But only on the condition that you do not complain of the cost of occupation.

Türkçe
**Hulul-ı Maslahane **
Erkek: Kalbinizi bir dakika işkal edebilir miyim?..
Kadın: Hay, hay... Yalnız işkal masrafından şikayet etmemek şartıyla!

(Entire page, Akbaba, no. 73, page 3.)