Akbaba 1943 Humor Magazine Turkish Turkey Germany Soviet Russia Britain WW2 era Bayer

Akbaba Humor Magazine – “I Just Can’t Get Them to Collide!” – Issue No. 501 – December 4, 1943 – Turkish Edition

Description:

Akbaba was one of the longest-running political humor magazines in Turkish press history, founded by Yusuf Ziya Ortaç and Orhan Seyfi Orhon, prominent figures associated with the Beş Hececiler literary movement. Published from 1922 to 1977, with interruptions, the magazine addressed social problems, bureaucratic shortcomings, political rivalries, economic difficulties, and everyday life through caricatures, satirical poetry, and humorous writing. It became an influential platform for Turkish satire, featuring contributions from important literary and artistic figures such as Aziz Nesin, Rıfat Ilgaz, and Turhan Selçuk.

This issue, number 501, is dated December 4, 1943. Its cover features a German soldier standing beside a billiard table, holding a cue and attempting to make billiard balls marked with Soviet and British flags collide. The soldier exclaims, “I just can’t get them to collide!” Through this playful scene, the illustration satirizes efforts to create conflict between the Soviet Union and Britain during the Second World War, using a game of billiards as a metaphor for international political manoeuvring.

The interior pages include a cartoon related to the Moscow Conference, reflecting the diplomatic discussions and relationships between the Allied powers. The issue also features an “Ecnebi Karikatürleri” (“Foreign Cartoons”) section presenting cartoons from abroad, adding an international dimension to its satirical content. A period advertisement for Bayer is also included, offering a glimpse into contemporary commercial advertising. Together, these elements provide an insight into Turkish political humour and international affairs during the later years of the Second World War.

Key Features:

• Publication: Akbaba

• Issue Number: 501

• Publication Date: December 4, 1943

• Language: Turkish

• Publication Type: Political humor and satire magazine

• Founders: Yusuf Ziya Ortaç and Orhan Seyfi Orhon

• Cover Feature: A German soldier attempting to make billiard balls bearing Soviet and British flags collide

• Cover Dialogue: “I just can’t get them to collide!”

• Political Satire: Wartime relations between Britain and the Soviet Union, portrayed through a billiards metaphor

• Interior Cartoon: A political cartoon concerning the Moscow Conference

• International Cartoon Section: “Ecnebi Karikatürleri” (“Foreign Cartoons”), featuring caricatures from abroad

• Period Advertisement: Bayer

• Historical Interest: Turkish political satire, international diplomacy, and vintage advertising from December 1943