Turkey

Turkey, the New Member of the ISMN System (2000)

1. Introduction

ISBN applications were initiated in Turkey during the official service of the Chairman of the Foundation for Information and Documentation Services (1987). Similarly, in the face of the fact that not one organisation volunteered to undertake the task of organising ISMN despite its being validated as a Turkish standard in 1997 owing to ISBNs proving insufficient for music publications, the Foundation, closely interested in information and documentation services, acted to undertake ISMN application in Turkey (May 2000). With supporting contributions from the President of the International ISMN Agency Dr. Hartmut Walravens, essential permissions were received and a contract was signed by the sides concerned (September 2000).

2. Music Publications and Music Librarianship

Even though the first music publication was published in 1481 in Venice, this was only to be realised in 1876 in Turkey. Long after the first book was printed by Gutenberg in 1450s, the first book was printed in Istanbul, Turkey in 1728. (On the other hand, permission for publication in Greek, Armenian and Hebrew was given in Istanbul in as early as 1500s.) Although books published between 1728–1928 were set in the Turkish language with Arabic scripts, at the end of 1928 the Alphabet Revolution was realised and thus the Modern Turkish Alphabet (with Latin-origin scripts) was accepted. About thirty thousand publications were printed during the initial phase of 200 years, whereas the number of publications printed since 1928 to date has almost reached three hundred thousand. Thus, both the Alphabet and the Revolution have helped publication and intellectual life in Turkey gain impetus. The intellectual life of previous periods, on the other hand, survives in about three hundred thousand (as many as five hundred titles) manuscripts of Turkey, the country with the largest manuscript collection in the world. Some of these manuscripts are present in libraries around the globe. Determining how many of these priceless sources are musical publications calls for detailed studies, which is an important and equally urgent problem.

Yet another point is that although musicians and composers create new works each day, they do not publish them. By means of current attempts, the ISMN Turkish Agency and Foundation for Information and Documentation Services will encourage these composers and contribute to publish their works of music.

Music scholars state that, next to music of the West, Turkish music is one of the richest and most widespread. However, there has not been a complete Discography of Turkey nor a National Phonotech or Official Discotech, nor have studies on a Music Publications Bibliography been completed. Despite that, it is estimated that the number of known works in Traditional Turkish Music and Turkish Folk Music (musical score) amounts to about thirty thousand and twenty thousand, respectively. When collected pieces are recorded in notation and, together with new collections, already available entertainment, popular and universal Turkish music works are added to the number, the total will be around one hundred thousand. Yet, little is known, despite the limited knowledge in the Turkish National Library, as to how many of them were published how many times, where and by whom.

Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) is the pioneering agent in radio and TV broadcasting in Turkey, having collected and published the greatest number of music pieces, to be followed by various units of the Ministry of Culture.

In Turkey, the number of music departments in libraries concerned (National Library, TRT, universities and conservatories, etc.) is still hardly half a dozen. The Foundation for Information and Documentation Services and the Turkish ISMN Agency aims to contribute to both music librarianship and, parallel to that, music publication in Turkey.

3. Music Schools and Groups

Studies on Turkish music and academic and scientific studies received great emphasis during the Atatürk period (1923-1938) in the initial stages of the Republic and have continually done so for the last eighty years, together with intensive efforts to promote Turkish music to a multi-vocalic and universal level. The Ministry of Culture has greatly contributed to this. Also worth mentioning are the Istanbul Municipality Orchestra and TRT. The efforts by associations and amateur groups must not be ignored either.

At present there are eighteen State Conservatories in universities and twenty-two Music Departments in Music and Performing Arts (The Fine Arts) sections of Faculties of Humanities in Turkey. Within the structure of the Ministry of Culture, twenty-five choruses of various branches currently operate throughout Turkey. In addition, together with orchestras and music groups founded by certain municipalities, NGOs and the private sector, there are Military Music Schools and Bands of Turkish Armed Forces.

In Turkey, thousands of radio and hundreds of television channels operate. There are various music-related associations and foundations (NGOs) and Copyright Establishments/Professional Institutions where writers, artists, composers and musicians come together. Also, there is an increasing number of private and official theatres, opera and ballet groups, their schools and courses.

This way, in Turkey, not only are there professional institutions of thousands of people to whom music publications are important and relevant, but there also exists a dynamic public—mainly of young people—interested in music. Yet, it is also a fact that many things need to be done in terms of recording related information and documents, as well as sorting and organising, archiving and eventually publicizing them both at home and abroad so that larger groups of users can benefit. Music publications (scores) are greatly and urgently needed both in academic life and in the daily life of the youth and general public.

4. Activities of ISMN Turkish Agency

In the current environment outlined above, the Foundation for Information and Documentation Services, having set up the ISMN Turkish Agency, has speedily started operating and had the ISMN handbook and two brochures sent by the International ISMN Agency translated into Turkish—five thousand copies of which were then printed. Likewise, an ISMN Export and Import Format has been prepared. A music-related Reference Library has been set up and a Library Software Pack and supplementing hardware have been obtained to operate compatibly with the current Foundation Library and future information-documentation services. Web site and e-mail addresses (ismn@ada.net.tr and http://www.edhvakfi.org.tr/ismn) have been obtained and web pages will have been designed and activated in the months to come. In the meantime, in accordance with the contract, contribution fees to the International ISMN Agency for 2000-2001 have been paid and the “Music Publishers International ISMN Directory” and “Music in Print” have been ordered. We will also participate in the International ISMN Meeting to be held in Prague in April 2001.

As far as ISMN publications and the formation of the Music Publications Information Centre is concerned, initially three hundred addresses have been compiled and envelopes/kits have been compiled. These kits that include—in addition to documents prepared—letters from the Minister of Culture, who greatly supports our activities, and professional institutions, and press coverages, are scheduled to be sent to bodies concerned as of January 2001.

5. ISMN Turkish Agency and Music Publications Information Center

All these preparations aim to serve two important targets:

5.1. Although there are over five thousand publishers in Turkey according to ISMN data, expertised publishers/producers exclusively dealing with music publication are almost non-existent. Publication of musical scores is done by various book publishers, music and arts centers, and amateurs. This number is estimated to be a hundred at present. The annual quantity of music publication/production, on the other hand, will depend on ISMN applications in future.

The first task to be fulfilled is to document publishers nationwide and report to the International ISMN Agency within two months. The ISMN Turkish Agency is fully aware of this responsibility. Next, regional meetings and training studies will start as soon as possible.

It is believed that the process of ISMN allocation for music publishers and the printing of the numbers together with barcodes on publications will start in a matter 3–5 months. The goal is that Turkey should have its place in the editions of “M-PIID” and “Music in Print” to be published in 2002.

5.2. Considering the need at national level for a centre on music publications, it seemed to be essential to establish the Music Publications Information Centre within the constitution of the Foundation for Information and Documentation Services and, to this end, essential printed documents have been prepared and plans for the organisation of a nationwide Music Publications Donation Campaign have been considered. The aim here is to collect from many artists, composers, music lovers, libraries and archives excess music publications and present these publications for more active use. Throughout this campaign, surplus publications will be collected and those that cannot be obtained through collection will be purchased.

This way, in future, an Information Centre will be established and will serve both at national and international levels, housing Turkish and world music publications obtained through both ISMN allocation and donations and purchasing, no matter previously where, in which language and by whom they may have been composed or published. It is believed that this initiative will contribute to promotional activities as well.

Yet another aim is that, in addition to the Foundation publications, there should be Music Publications as well, so that the Foundation itself can become a music publisher using ISMN.

6. Campaign and Sponsors

Preliminary agreements have been made with influential sponsors both for ISMN applications and the Music Publications Information Centre to be founded. To this end, initially five thousand copies of essential documents have been printed and kits have been prepared for three thousand of them (each kit includes the ISMN Handbook, two leaflets, an ISMN Application Introductory Article, call for campaign, Music Publishers Form and Envelope. In addition, we plan to include the support letter stating the importance of the matter by the Minister of Culture.)

These kits will be posted to universities, music libraries and archives, conservatories, related associations and foundations (NGOs), official and private music authorities, newspapers and certain columnists, artists, writers and obviously to composers.

Thus, the body of those dealing with music and the art of music in Turkey will be informed and eventually the science of music libraries will be triggered.

Due to the above-mentioned reasons, in order to initiate larger participation, to find important sponsors to contribute, and consequently, to initiate more dynamic activity, and organise a full campaign, those points that should have been realised by December 2000 have had to be rescheduled to January 2001. (By the end of January, one copy of the Campaign File/Kit will be sent to the International ISMN Agency.)

7. Conclusion

It can be safely asserted that before the April 2001 Prague Meeting, the International ISMN Agency will have been provided with sufficient and satisfactory information about ISMN work and music publishers in Turkey.

It is believed that, by means of viewing this event from a very broad perspective, this multi-purpose campaign will be realised with full success. It is thought that starting off with a campaign as such will also match founding principles and the philosophy behind ISMN.

I believe that music as a universal body is a magical tool that makes important contributions to friendship and peace, fraternity and even trade both at national and international levels.

Our success will be thanks not only to the Foundation but also to our dear colleague Dr. Hartmut Walravens, who has always provided us with his sincere support, and the International ISMN Agency staff, particularly Ms. Katrin Spitzer.

Hasan Duman
ISMN Turkish Agency