回帰する「8月17日」

――トルコにおける地震の集合的記憶をめぐって――

抄録

  On August 17^th 1999, at 3:02 in the morning, a great earthquake hit the northwest part of Turkey claiming more than 17,000 lives. This disaster was a great shock to Turkish society physically and economically, as well as psychologically. It changed the awareness of disaster risks and, as a consequence, contributed to the transformation of the disaster management system. People now refer to the disaster simply by the date itself: "17 Ağustos (August the 17^th)".

  The purpose of this paper is to show the struggle of survivors who have a traumatic memory of "August 17^th". Their narratives of the disaster and the meetings held on August 17^th 2005 are examined here in detail. In the literature on collective memory, it is suggested that to share memories of a certain phenomenon can be an important factor in defining the group surrounding that event. If so, how does such a bitter memory develop community or communality?

  Narratives of survivors tell us three things. First, for many of them the disaster is reflected through a prism of Islamic concepts and prayers. But, of course, there are some tiny "noises" or "blanks" in their stories. Their narrations stop or waver when they talk about the death of family member(s) or the misfortunes that struck not their neighbors but themselves. This is the second point. To overcome such trauma, it is vital to have partners who share such memories. The third point is that the victims felt that the "ideal communities" of survivors which appeared right after the disaster broke down later. Survivors whom I interviewed had a tendency to classify people around them into two categories: "we" or people they can trust and share their traumas with, and "the outsiders". Such a distinction, however, is not directly related to the actual experience of the earthquake. One of the victims expressed her disappointment with other survivors'behavior in the shelter and her solitude during those days. Interestingly, on the other hand, some of them felt compassion for those who had survived other disasters, even if they never met.

  I conclude with a discussion of the dilemma of traumatic memory. Traumatic memory can be a basis of communality, i.e. it can connect people who share their memories and empathize with each other; but it can also tear them apart when they fail to see other survivors of the same disaster as "one of us",