Turkish Ethic of the Sea
"For the Health of the Sea: In Search of an Expansive 'Land Ethic' in Turkish Maritime Literature" by Dr. Ufuk Özdağ
This article by Dr. Ufuk Özdağ compares the death of a swordfish in the novel Deniz Ağacı [The Tree of the Sea (Sea-Fan)] (1962), written by the preeminent novelist of Turkish sea literature, Yaman Koray (1943–2006) to that of the death of the wolf in the essay "Thinking Like a Mountain" by the American conservationist and land ethicist Aldo Leopold. Dr. Ozdag -- who is a professor at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey -- goes further to integrate the religious and spiritual nature of an ocean ethic, and how much Turkey needs such an ethic:
In any case, such an integral approach to conservation exists in an ancient and forgotten Turkish creation myth that concerns a category of the spirit that dissolves the terrestrial/marine distinction: the “Yer-Su” (land–
water) spirits that Kara Han created—an entity that is one. “Yer-Su” spirits are associated with nature spirits connected to Ötüken, the Mother Earth.
At times, “Yer-Su” spirits could be the spirit of trees, rocks, mountains, lakes, rivers, or even of the entire country; it is imperative that communities pay due respect to the entire earth [not just the terrestrial or the marine], for “nature's bounty will diminish if certain rules are not observed,” indicative of the punishment for being disrespectful (Miskiniene 136). Echoing the ancient “Yer-Su” ethics, the model of an expansive land ethic comprising the terrestrial, the aquatic, and marine environments could be redemptive for numerous coastal communities around the globe, and certainly, for peoples living in a country like Turkey, surrounded by seas o on all three sides, and harboring an inland sea.
She then proceeds to quote more contemporary sources, decrying the plummeting fish populations in the Marmara Sea and Istanbul Strait. She suggests questions that might prompt the development of an ethic of the seas:
Can Marmara residents expand their vision to include marine life in their sense of community?
Such a community concept would urge responsible behavior toward the sea and its creatures. Are the natives aware that they are connected to the sea around them through the seafood they eat and the other marine resources they use? As Leopold noted, to not be aware of this linkage poses a “spiritual danger.” Do the Marmara people know how the marine environment has changed within their lifetime? Do they know what events led to loss of marine biodiversity? Do they know that the sea around them is what it is because of their past decisions? If they did, would they now be willing to make pro-marine life choices?
Knowing the impact of our past decisions is a first step toward a sustainable marine ecosystem. Are they aware that human health is connected to sea health, and that the health of the seas, and in turn human health, is determined by our values? Such awareness would be a key factor in developing an expanded land ethic to include the seas. Do they know that for replenishing diminished sea-life, collective action of coastal communities is necessary? Such collective action would reconnect us to the sea creatures. Do they know that a land ethic that embraces the sea can never really be written, that it must evolve over time “in the minds of a thinking community” (Leopold, Almanac 263)?
This profound knowledge will help the emergence of an expanded land ethic that will also reflect our own cultural values about the sea. Do they understand that their unique marine ecosystem evolved over vast expanse of geological time? Are they ready to read the seascapes from the perspective of the sea? Finally, do they know the need to Think Like the Marmara Sea?"
After further exploring current literature and science, Dr. Özdağ concludes:
"All this said, let me slightly modify Leopold's prophetic words in his essay, “The River of the Mother of God,” to speak for the spiritual and physical welfare of future generations. I believe it is time to 'draw a line around' each special marine environment, and declare: This is marine wilderness, and marine wilderness it shall remain. "
For the full article, see: http://isle.oxfordjournals.org/content/20/1/5.full
The article was first published in ISLE: Interdisciplinary Study of Literature and the Environment (Winter 2013) 20 (1): 5-30 first published online February 20, 2013 doi:10.1093/isle/ist003
In any case, such an integral approach to conservation exists in an ancient and forgotten Turkish creation myth that concerns a category of the spirit that dissolves the terrestrial/marine distinction: the “Yer-Su” (land–
water) spirits that Kara Han created—an entity that is one. “Yer-Su” spirits are associated with nature spirits connected to Ötüken, the Mother Earth.
At times, “Yer-Su” spirits could be the spirit of trees, rocks, mountains, lakes, rivers, or even of the entire country; it is imperative that communities pay due respect to the entire earth [not just the terrestrial or the marine], for “nature's bounty will diminish if certain rules are not observed,” indicative of the punishment for being disrespectful (Miskiniene 136). Echoing the ancient “Yer-Su” ethics, the model of an expansive land ethic comprising the terrestrial, the aquatic, and marine environments could be redemptive for numerous coastal communities around the globe, and certainly, for peoples living in a country like Turkey, surrounded by seas o on all three sides, and harboring an inland sea.
She then proceeds to quote more contemporary sources, decrying the plummeting fish populations in the Marmara Sea and Istanbul Strait. She suggests questions that might prompt the development of an ethic of the seas:
Can Marmara residents expand their vision to include marine life in their sense of community?
Such a community concept would urge responsible behavior toward the sea and its creatures. Are the natives aware that they are connected to the sea around them through the seafood they eat and the other marine resources they use? As Leopold noted, to not be aware of this linkage poses a “spiritual danger.” Do the Marmara people know how the marine environment has changed within their lifetime? Do they know what events led to loss of marine biodiversity? Do they know that the sea around them is what it is because of their past decisions? If they did, would they now be willing to make pro-marine life choices?
Knowing the impact of our past decisions is a first step toward a sustainable marine ecosystem. Are they aware that human health is connected to sea health, and that the health of the seas, and in turn human health, is determined by our values? Such awareness would be a key factor in developing an expanded land ethic to include the seas. Do they know that for replenishing diminished sea-life, collective action of coastal communities is necessary? Such collective action would reconnect us to the sea creatures. Do they know that a land ethic that embraces the sea can never really be written, that it must evolve over time “in the minds of a thinking community” (Leopold, Almanac 263)?
This profound knowledge will help the emergence of an expanded land ethic that will also reflect our own cultural values about the sea. Do they understand that their unique marine ecosystem evolved over vast expanse of geological time? Are they ready to read the seascapes from the perspective of the sea? Finally, do they know the need to Think Like the Marmara Sea?"
After further exploring current literature and science, Dr. Özdağ concludes:
"All this said, let me slightly modify Leopold's prophetic words in his essay, “The River of the Mother of God,” to speak for the spiritual and physical welfare of future generations. I believe it is time to 'draw a line around' each special marine environment, and declare: This is marine wilderness, and marine wilderness it shall remain. "
For the full article, see: http://isle.oxfordjournals.org/content/20/1/5.full
The article was first published in ISLE: Interdisciplinary Study of Literature and the Environment (Winter 2013) 20 (1): 5-30 first published online February 20, 2013 doi:10.1093/isle/ist003
