The Red Apple, which holds a significant place in Turkish mythology, has been a symbol representing the goals and aspirations aimed for in Turkish states since the earliest Turks.
In short, the Red Apple signifies the Ideal Unity for the Turkish Nation, and it can be interpreted in two different contexts throughout history. In pre-Islamic Turks, the Red Apple had a different meaning, while in post-Islamic Turks, especially during the Ottoman Empire period, it was used as a symbol aiming for a different purpose.
Today, the Red Apple is considered a crucial symbol of Turkish nationalism. The Ideal of the Red Apple is as ancient as the ancient Turkish history and dates back to distant times.
Although the Ideal of the Red Apple symbolizes goals like conquering new lands and advancing westward among the Oghuz Turks, for the Ottomans and Seljuks, it symbolized the ideology of establishing global dominance and Islamic Unity.
While the Ideal of the Red Apple is frequently mentioned among the Oghuz, it also occupies a significant place in both the Seljuks and the Ottoman Empire, being passed down to future generations through literature. From Fatih Sultan Mehmet to Sultan Selim III, the Ideal of the Red Apple was used to conquer new territories and was often featured in literary texts. In general, when we look at Turkish history, the Ideal of the Red Apple has become a symbol constantly aiming westward.
The symbol of the Red Apple is believed to be based on a sphere called "Muncuk" in ancient Turkish tribes, representing the moon and the sun. Muncuk was placed at the top of flags and standards in ancient Turks, symbolizing authority, the sign of victory, and the targeted region for conquest.
Additionally, in ancient Turkish culture, the word "elma" (apple) also meant abundance and prosperity, while "kızıl" (red) was considered a highly valuable color. The combination of these two elements is believed to have formed the symbol of the Red Apple. However, as Nihat Atsız also pointed out, the reason why Turks chose to call their own territory and goals the Red Apple remains unknown.
According to some historical research, it is believed that the Red Apple is derived from the Epic of Ergenekon. The Epic of Ergenekon generally represents the efforts of Turks to return to their ancient homeland, and it is thought that Turks chose the symbol of the Red Apple for themselves to unite and establish the Ideal Unity in their desired homeland.
According to another ancient tradition, the Red Apple during that time referred to the golden sphere on top of the silk tent of the Oghuz located in the eastern part of the Caspian Sea, where they aimed to conquer. This was known as the Red Apple Ideal.
While the Ideal of the Red Apple is generally understood as aiming for the west, it has not always been the case that the Red Apple for Turks represented the west. As can be seen in the expeditions of Oghuz Khan towards India and China, it is widely agreed among historians that Oghuz Khan's target, referred to as the Red Apple, was Beijing.
In the Ottoman period, the Red Apple also became a widely used symbolic goal among post-Islamic Turks. The Ottoman Empire, elevated by Islamic traditions, was not only a Turkish Empire aiming for Islamic unity but also a world state that integrated Turkish traditions from Central Asia with Islam. The influence of these traditions continues to this day.
After the establishment of the Ottoman Empire, the most important Red Apple for Ottoman sultans was Istanbul, which was considered the center of the world at that time.
In front of the Hagia Sophia in Byzantium, there is a column with a statue of Justinian on horseback, as depicted in Christian sources. According to belief, Justinian holds a large sphere in one hand, which serves as a talisman inscribed with protection for the city against invasions. This sphere was positioned in a way that it indicated Anatolia and Jerusalem. It is mentioned in Christian sources that this large Golden Sphere brought luck to the Byzantine emperors. In the 14th century, the fall of this sphere was interpreted as a sign of misfortune for the empires that would collapse due to invasions from the east. It is even rumored that Justinian said, "The people who will destroy me will come from here" regarding why he indicated Anatolia. Indeed, the fall of the talisman and the misfortune it would bring to Byzantium came true with the conquest of Istanbul, and the Ottoman Empire's first Red Apple was thought to have been transferred from the minarets of Hagia Sophia to the west.
The Ideal of the Red Apple was continuously carried by the Ottomans. Istanbul was seen as the most important symbol of the Red Apple and, after its conquest, the Red Apple for the Ottoman Empire moved to Rome and Hungary.
Evliya Çelebi beautifully described in his works the fall of the Red Apple from the minarets of Hagia Sophia after the conquest of Istanbul. According to Evliya Çelebi, after the Red Apple fell from the minarets, it was transferred to six different points. Although Evliya Çelebi stated that Vienna (Beç) was the Red Apple in his works, he did not stop there and mentioned in his works that Cologne in Germany is also the Red Apple.
The Red Apple is generally associated with Rome in the context of Turks. It is believed that this association is based on a very old legend. According to this legend, the Red Apple was hidden in the treasury of Iran and then smuggled to Rome. This widely mentioned Red Apple legend was followed by Atilla's campaign against Rome. After Atilla, the greatest Red Apple for the Ottoman Empire became Rome. The Italian campaigns of Mehmet the Conqueror were carried out in line with this Ideal. (Osman Turan)
The Red Apple is also mentioned in Western sources. In the period of Sultan Selim III, there are sources indicating that Moscow was pointed to as the Red Apple.
The symbol and story of the Red Apple underwent a transformation in the late period of the Ottoman Empire due to different currents, ultimately being expressed as the symbol of a World Empire. While in the early 1900s, with the rise of the values of the War of Independence and nationalism, Ağaoğlu Hikmet, Ziya Gökalp, Emrullah Efendi, and others shaped the ideology of Turkism, the Ideal of the Red Apple was combined with the Turan Ideal. The Turan ideology became the name given to the utopian state where all Turkish peoples lived under the same flag.
From these years onwards, with the establishment of the Republic of Turkey and the rise of nationalism, figures like Orhan Şaik, one of the prominent writers of our literature, became important representatives of the Turkism movement, and he also had a work titled "Kızılelma."
While the Ideal of the Red Apple is generally described as a targeted geographical region, it has at times symbolized concepts such as ruling the world, Islamic Unity, and at certain periods in ancient Turkish history, even the ideal of establishing a state.
There is an account regarding Kanuni Sultan Süleyman's army shouting "To the Red Apple" during an expedition, which, though depicted in different locations and settings, is thought to have taken place during a campaign in Europe.
When Kanuni Sultan Süleyman asked his viziers about the location of the Red Apple and couldn't get a clear answer, he became quite curious about the answer to this question. He secretly ordered three soldiers to be brought, and one by one, he asked them where the Red Apple was. The answers he received from the soldiers, such as "Wherever your horse takes you, my Sultan," or "Wherever my Sultan leads us," greatly pleased him. Kanuni Sultan Süleyman is said to have understood the meaning of the Red Apple as "Hakk (God) guides it to wherever it needs to go" and wrote it in his heart.
While the Ideal of the Red Apple is generally depicted as aiming for the west, it has not always been the case, and the Red Apple for Turks has represented various regions such as Istanbul, Rome, Hungary, and Vienna. It is from this perspective that we can understand that the target of the Red Apple for Turks has been continuously renewed and changed based on their needs. Therefore, we can briefly define the Red Apple as a concept representing the historical territories of the Turkish nation.
The Red Apple, throughout history, is something that appears closer as it gets further, and becomes more attractive as it recedes. According to the Encyclopedia of Turkish Language and Literature, the Red Apple is defined as "For the Oghuz, the Victory they will achieve wherever they go, before it is achieved, is the Red Apple." Although this may seem like a paradox, it actually indicates that the Ideal Unity of the Turks is symbolized by the Red Apple, signifying a unified goal for the progress of the state.
The most valuable research on the Ideal of the Red Apple, mentioned earlier as Saint Pierre Church, was described by the poet Orhan Åžaik as "a concept symbolically representing the ideal of Turkish world domination.
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