Editing Turanism (section)

=== Europe ===
==== Finland ====
Turanism has its roots in the Finnish nationalist Fennophile and [[Fennoman movement]], and in the works of Finnish nationalist and linguist [[Matthias Castrén|Matthias Alexander Castrén]]. Castrén conducted more than seven years of fieldwork in western and southern Siberia between 1841 and 1849. His extensive field materials focus on Ob-Ugric, Samoyedic, [[Yeniseian languages|Ketic]], and Turkic languages. He collected valuable ethnographic information, especially on shamanism. Based on his research, he claimed that the Finnic, Ugric, Samoyed, Turkic, Mongolian and Tungusic languages were all of the same 'Altaic family'. He concluded that the [[Finns]] originated in [[Central Asia]] (in the [[Altai Mountains]]), and far from being a small, isolated people, they were part of a larger polity that included such peoples as the [[Hungarians|Magyars]], [[Turkic peoples|Turks]], [[Mongols]], and so on. Based on his research, he championed the ideology of Turanism, the belief in the ethnic unity and the future greatness of the Ural-Altaic peoples. As Castrén put it:

{{cquote|I am determined to show the Finnish nation that we are not a solitary people from the bog, living in isolation from the world and from universal history, but are in fact related to at least one-sixth of mankind. Writing grammars is not my main goal, but without the grammars that goal cannot be attained.<ref name="Łukasz Sommer">SOMMER, Łukasz: Historical Linguistics Applied: Finno-Ugric Narratives in Finland and Estonia. in: The Hungarian Historical Review. Vol. 3. Issue 2. 2014. http://hunghist.org/images/volumes/Volume3_Issue_2/Lukasz.pdf</ref>}}

Castrén was of the opinion that Russia was seeking systematically to prevent all development towards freer conditions in Finland, and concluded from this that the Finns must begin to prepare a revolt against Russia. According to him, it was to be linked with a favourable international crisis and would be realised as a general revolt against Russian rule, in which the non-Russian peoples from the Turks and Tatars to the Finns would take part. This political vision of his was shared by some other intellectuals.<ref>PAASVIRTA, Juhani: Finland and Europe: The Period of Autonomy and the International Crises, 1808–1914 1981. p. 68.</ref> Fennomans like [[Elias Lönnrot]] and [[Zachris Topelius]] shared this or an even bolder vision of coming greatness. As Topelius put it:

{{cquote|Two hundred years ago few would have believed that the Slavic tribe would attain the prominent (and constantly growing) position it enjoys nowadays in the history of culture. What if one day the Finnish tribe, which occupies a territory almost as vast, were to play a greater role on the world scene than one could expect nowadays? [...] Today people speak of Pan-Slavism; one day they may talk of Pan-Fennicism, or Pan-Suomism. Within such a Pan-Finnic community, the Finnish nation should hold the leading position because of its cultural seniority [...].<ref name="Łukasz Sommer"/>}}

==== Hungary ====
{{main|Hungarian Turanism}}
Hungarian Turanism ({{langx|hu|Turanizmus}}) was a Romantic nationalist cultural and political movement which was most active from the second half of the 19th century through the first half of the 20th century.<ref name="Farkas"/> It was based on the age old and still living national tradition about the Asian origins of the [[Magyar tribes|Magyars]]. This tradition was preserved in medieval chronicles (such as [[Gesta Hungarorum]]<ref>Anonymus: Gesta Hungarorum. http://mek.oszk.hu/02200/02245/02245.htm</ref> and [[Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum]],<ref>Kézai Simon mester Magyar krónikája. http://mek.oszk.hu/02200/02249/02249.htm</ref> and the [[Chronicon Pictum]]) as early as the 13th century. This tradition served as the starting point for the scientific research about the ethnogenesis of the [[Hungarians|Hungarian people]], which began in the 18th century, both in [[Hungary]] and abroad. [[Sándor Kőrösi Csoma]] (the writer of the first Tibetan-English dictionary) traveled to Asia in the strong belief that he could find the kindred of the Magyars in [[Turkestan]], amongst the [[Uyghur people|Uyghurs]].<ref name="mek.oszk.hu">Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon. http://mek.oszk.hu/00300/00355/html/index.html</ref> As a scientific movement, Turanism was concerned with the research about Asia and its culture in the context of Hungarian history and culture. Political Turanism was born in the 19th century, in response to the growing influence of [[Pan-Germanism]] and [[Pan-Slavism]], which were seen by Hungarians as very dangerous to the state and nation of Hungary because the country had large ethnic German and Slavic populations.<ref name="Farkas"/> Political Turanism was a romantic nationalist movement, which accentuated the importance of the common ancestry and the cultural affinity of the Hungarians with the peoples of the Caucasus, Inner and Central Asia, like the Turks, Mongols, Parsi and the like, and called for closer collaboration and political alliance with them, as a means to secure and further shared interests, and counter the imminent threats posed by the policies of Western powers like Germany, the British Empire, France and Russia.

The idea of a Hungarian Oriental Institute originated with Jenő Zichy.<ref>VINCZE Zoltán: Létay Balázs, a magyar asszirológia legszebb reménye
http://www.muvelodes.ro/index.php/Cikk?id=155</ref> This idea did not come true. Instead, a kind of lyceum was formed in 1910, called ''Turáni Társaság'' (Hungarian Turan Society, also called Hungarian Asiatic Society). The Turan society concentrated on Turan as geographic location where the ancestors of Hungarians might have lived.

The movement received impetus after Hungary's defeat in World War I. Under the terms of the [[Treaty of Trianon]] (1920), the new Hungarian state constituted only 32.7% of the territory of historic, pre-treaty Hungary, and it lost 58.4% of its total population. More than 3.2 million ethnic Hungarians (one-third of all Hungarians) resided outside the new boundaries of Hungary in the successor states under oppressive conditions.<ref>PORTIK Erzsébet-Edit: Erdélyi magyar kisebbségi sorskérdések a két világháború között. In: Iskolakultúra 2012/9. p. 60-66. http://epa.oszk.hu/00000/00011/00168/pdf/EPA00011_Iskolakultura_2012-9_060-066.pdf</ref> Old Hungarian cities of great cultural importance like Pozsony (a former capital of the country), Kassa, and Kolozsvár (present-day [[Bratislava]], [[Košice]], and [[Cluj-Napoca]] respectively) were lost. Under these circumstances, no Hungarian government could survive without seeking justice for both the Magyars and Hungary. Reuniting the Magyars became a crucial point in public life and on the political agenda. Outrage led many to reject Europe and turn towards the East in search of new friends and allies in a bid to revise the unjust terms of the treaty and restore the integrity of Hungary.

{{cquote|Disappointment towards Europe caused by 'the betrayal of the West in Trianon', and the pessimistic feeling of loneliness, led different strata in society towards Turanism. They tried to look for friends, kindred peoples and allies in the East so that Hungary could break out of its isolation and regain its well deserved position among the nations. A more radical group of conservative, rightist people, sometimes even with an anti-Semitic hint propagated sharply anti-Western views and the superiority of Eastern culture, the necessity of a pro-Eastern policy, and development of the awareness of Turanic [[Racialism (racial categorization)|racialism]] among Hungarian people.<ref>UHALLEY, Stephen and WU, Xiaoxin eds.: ''China and Christianity. Burdened Past, Hopeful Future.'' 2001. p. 219.</ref>}}

On 1 June 1924, the ''Magyar-Nippon Társaság'' (Hungarian-Japanese Society) was founded by private persons in order to strengthen Hungarian-Japanese cultural relations and exchanges.<ref>FARKAS Ildikó: A Magyar-Nippon Társaság. In: Japanológiai körkép. 2007. http://real.mtak.hu/34745/1/Farkas_Magyar_Nippon_Tarsasag_u.pdf</ref>

Turanism was never embraced officially because it was not in accord with the Christian conservative ideological background of the regime, but it was used by the government as an informal tool to break the country's international isolation, and build alliances. Hungary signed treaties of friendship and collaboration with the [[Turkey|Republic of Turkey]] in 1923,<ref>1924. évi XVI. törvénycikk a Török Köztársasággal Konstantinápolyban 1923. évi december hó 18. napján kötött barátsági szerződés becikkelyezéséről. http://www.1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=7599 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326231957/https://1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=7599 |date=2017-03-26 }}</ref> with the [[Estonia|Republic of Estonia]] in 1937,<ref>1938. évi XXIII. törvénycikk a szellemi együttműködés tárgyában Budapesten, 1937. évi október hó 13. napján kelt magyar-észt egyezmény becikkelyezéséről. http://www.1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=8078 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092915/http://www.1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=8078 |date=2016-03-04 }}</ref> with the [[Finland|Republic of Finland]] in 1937,<ref>1938. évi XXIX. törvénycikk a szellemi együttműködés tárgyában Budapesten, 1937. évi október hó 22. napján kelt magyar-finn egyezmény becikkelyezéséről. http://www.1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=8084 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060755/http://www.1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=8084 |date=2016-03-04 }}</ref> with [[Japan]] in 1938,<ref>1940. évi I. törvénycikk a Budapesten, 1938. évi november hó 15. napján kelt magyar-japán barátsági és szellemi együttműködési egyezmény becikkelyezéséről. http://www.1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=8115 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060744/http://www.1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=8115 |date=2016-03-04 }}</ref> and with [[Bulgaria]] in 1941.<ref>1941. évi XVI. törvénycikk a szellemi együttműködés tárgyában Szófiában az 1941. évi február hó 18. napján kelt magyar-bolgár egyezmény becikkelyezéséről. http://www.1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=8169 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070347/http://www.1000ev.hu/index.php?a=3&param=8169 |date=2016-03-04 }}</ref>

After World War II, the Soviet Red Army occupied Hungary. The Hungarian government was placed under the direct control of the administration of the occupying forces. All Turanist organisations were disbanded by the government{{cn|date=August 2024}}, and the majority of Turanist publications was banned and confiscated. In 1948, Hungary was converted into a communist one-party state. Turanism was portrayed and vilified as an exclusively fascist ideology although Turanism's role in the interwar development of far-right ideologies was negligible.<ref>"While Turanism was and remained little more than a fringe ideology of the Right, the second orientation of the national socialists, pan-Europaism, had a number of adherents, and was adopted as the platform of several national socialist groups." JANOS, Andrew C.: ''The Politics of Backwardness in Hungary'', 1825–1945. 1982. p.275.</ref>

==== Turkey ====
Traditional history cites its early origins amongst Ottoman officers and intelligentsia studying and residing in 1870s [[Imperial Germany]]. The fact that many Ottoman Turkish officials were becoming aware of their sense of "Turkishness" is beyond doubt of course, and the role of subsequent nationalists, such as [[Ziya Gökalp]] is fully established historically. As the Turkish historian Hasan Bülent Paksoy put it, an aspiration emerged that the [[Turkic peoples]] might "form a political entity stretching from the [[Altai Mountains]] in [[Eastern Asia]] to the [[Bosphorus]]".<ref>Paksoy, H.B., ‘Basmachi’: Turkestan National Liberation Movement 1916-1930s – Modern Encyclopedia of Religions in Russia and the Soviet Union, Florida: Academic International Press, 1991, Vol. 4</ref> During the late 19th century, the works of renowned Hungarian [[Oriental studies|Orientalist]] and linguist [[Ármin Vámbéry]] contributed to the spreading of [[Turkish nationalism]] and Turanism. Vámbéry was employed by the [[British Foreign office]] as an advisor and agent. He was paid well for his accounts about his meetings with members of the Ottoman elite and Sultan [[Abdul Hamid II]], and for his essays concerning Ottoman politics.<ref>CSIRKÉS Ferenc: Nemzeti tudomány és nemzetközi politika Vámbéry Ármin munkásságában. http://www.matud.iif.hu/2013/08/07.htm</ref> The Ottoman Empire fell into ever deepening decline during the 19th century. There were reform and modernization attempts as early as the 1830s ([[Tanzimat]]), but the country was lowered to an almost semi-colonial state at the turn of the century (the state accumulated an enormous amount of debt and state finances were placed under [[Ottoman Public Debt Administration|direct foreign control]]), and the great powers freely preyed on her, occupying or annexing parts of her territory at will (e.g. [[Cyprus]]). At the time, the [[Russian Empire|Russian]] and [[British Empire|British]] empires were antagonists in the so-called "[[Great Game]]" to cultivate influence in Persia and [[Central Asia]] (Turkestan). Russia and Britain systematically fanned the rivalling nationalisms of the multi-ethnic empire for their own ends,<ref>ERICKSON, Edward J.: Ottomans and Armenians. 2013.</ref><ref>GORECZKY Tamás: Egy görög-török konfliktus története a 19. századból – az 1896-97-es krétai válság az osztrák-magyar diplomáciai iratok tükrében http://real.mtak.hu/19319/1/17-GoretzkyTamas.pdf</ref> and this led to the strengthening of Turkish nationalism as a result. The nationalist movement of the [[Young Turks]] aimed for a secularized nation-state, and constitutional government in a parliamentary democracy.

The political party of the Young Turks, the [[Committee of Union and Progress]], embraced Turanism, and a glorification of [[Turkish people|Turkish]] ethnic identity, and was devoted to protecting the Turkic peoples living under foreign rule (most of them under Russian rule as a result of Russia's enormous territorial expansion during the 16th and 19th centuries), and to restoring the [[Ottoman Empire]]'s shattered national pride.<ref>Caravans to Oblivion: The Armenian Genocide, 1915 (Hardcover) by G. S. Graber</ref>

The Turkish version of Turanism was summed up by American politicians at the time of First World War as follows: "It has been shown above that the Turkish version of Turanism contains two general ideas: (a) To purify and strengthen the Turkish nationality within the Ottoman Empire, and (b) to link up the Ottoman Turks with the other Turks in the world. These objects were first pursued in the cultural sphere by a private group of 'Intellectuals', and promoted by peaceful propaganda. After 1913, they took on a political form and were incorporated in the programme of the C.U.P.",<ref>{{cite book|author=President (1913–1921 : Wilson). The Inquiry. 1917-12/1918 |title=Records of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace, 1914 – 1931 |publisher=Series: Special Reports and Studies, 1917 – 1918 Record Group 256: Records of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace, 1914 – 1931 |page=7 |url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/27015264|date=1917–1918|series=Series: Special Reports and Studies, 1917 – 1918}}</ref> but Ottoman defeat in World War I briefly undermined the notion of Turanism.<ref>{{cite book|title=Current History |publisher=[[New York Times Company]] |volume=11 |date=1920 |location=New York City |pages=335 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JapDAQAAMAAJ}}</ref>

After World War I, Turkish nationalists and Turanists joined the [[Basmachi movement]] in Central Asia, to help their struggle against the Soviets. The most prominent amongst them was [[Enver Pasha]], the former Ottoman war minister.

Turanism forms an important aspect of the [[ideology]] of the modern Turkish [[Nationalist Movement Party]] (MHP), whose youth movement is informally known as the [[Grey Wolves (organization)|Grey Wolves]]. Grey Wolf (the mother wolf [[Asena]]) was the main symbol of the ancient [[Turkic peoples]].

In the wake of the Turkish-assisted victory by Azerbaijan in its war with Armenia in 2020, "a certain 'Turan' (greater Turkic world) euphoria took hold on social media," Tanchum, a senior fellow at the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy and a non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said.<ref>{{cite web|title=Turkey's 'Turkic world' ambitions face reality check in Kazakhstan |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turkey-s-Turkic-world-ambitions-face-reality-check-in-Kazakhstan |access-date=12 January 2022 |website=Nikkei Asia |language=en-GB}}</ref>