A Study of the Developments of Islamic Calligraphy in Contemporary Turkey

With the formation of the Republic of Turkey and the rise of Western propaganda, the art of calligraphy, which was of great importance during the Ottoman period, was suddenly abandoned. This process which was started by artists such as Sheikh Hamdullah (Şeyh Hamdullah), was stopped for decades. In the 1980s, with the aid of the government of the time, the religious and Sufi communities, this art was revived. This study used a historical-analytical method on contemporary Turkish calligraphy and with reference to the works, lives, and speeches of Turkish calligraphers showed that two distinct approaches to Turkish calligraphy had been formed so far: 1. An approach that remained faithful to traditional calligraphy and spelling methods and made changes only in the materials and tools of the calligraphy. 2- Another approach in which the artist was influenced by modern art, such as abstract painting, with more emphasis on calligraphic forms than on principles of writing. But the important point is that in both approaches, the method of master-student education caused the traditional and religious identity of calligraphy to be preserved. So that even in the modern approach to calligraphy, mystical concepts were still emphasized by artists. In this way, not only did the confrontation of Turkish art with Western art not diminish the traditional values of Turkish calligraphy but also the presence of Turkish artists living in Western countries caused modern art to be influenced in some areas of Islamic calligraphy.