As a Historical Continuity “Medicine of the Turks”: Süheyl Ünver and the Institute of Medical History

This article examines the foundational period of history of medicine in modern Turkey. The emergence of historical studies on medicine is closely linked to the dominant historiographical lines and identity formation process. Yet during this period the approach of Suheyl Unver, the founding director of the Institute of Turkish Medical History, is striking. Following the university reform in 1933 Ünver was appointed as the Director of Institute. It can be said that Unver’s approach reflected the prevailing ideological discourse of the time, yet in certain points his opinions diverged from the views of Republican elites. Ünver in his works pinpointed the contribution of Turks to the medicine and tried to demonstrate the historical continuity of medical sciences among the Turks. Unlike the positivist and anti-traditionalists currents of the time he embraced a balanced approach in dealing with past experiences in medicine. Based on primary sources from the Institute of Turkish Medical History and personal collections this research investigates the connection between the historiography of medical sciences and the identity construction in Republican period.