Eşim ve Ben is a 24-part series of soft-cover publications that were produced in 1982-83, although it appears that second and third prints were issued in 1984 and 1985, at least for a few of the issues. The title, which makes use of the gender-neutral word eş (same, equal, spouse), would indicate that these magazines were intended for spouses of all genders. This wouldn’t have been the case if the title had been, say, Karım ve Ben (My Wife and I) or Kocam ve Ben (My Husband and I), given that same-sex marriage was (and continues to be) unrecognized by the Turkish state. A quick perusal of the imagery employed, though, shows a bevy of bare-breasted, nubile white women in their early 20s or 30s; the sort of visual stimulation that is generally directed at heterosexual cis-men. But to treat Eşim ve Ben as nothing more than a bit of popular titillation for a patriarchal society would be a mistake. For all its flaws, the magazine is packed with fascinating information about sex, gender and sexuality at a crucial point in Turkey’s contemporary history.

Ne parla Michael James Erdman su From Altay to Yughur.