Conference article

It became clear during the 1990s that there was an intriguing change in the way that nationalist images were circulating in Turkey. One of the signs that marked this change; which became more visible in the 2000s; was the emergence of commodified nationalist images in the form of t-shirts; badges; necklaces; stickers; and mugs; to name just a few examples. National images became portable and took their place on the shelves of the market; as well as being diffused in other realms of everyday life by being carried around. In this paper; my aim is to explore the ways that the commodification of nationalist imagery affects how national communities are imagined and performed. Analyzing how a “visual community” is formed through commodified national symbols and how the nation is “consumed” and “fetishized” in general sheds light on the ways that contemporary nationalism works. It also allows exploring the complex interplay between capitalism; commodity products; and the “national Thing”; as well as the tactics people develop in the face of both the rise and the crisis of nationalism(s).

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