Book Review: The Parallel State
From ‘The Parallel State’ © Guy Martin
By Claire Blaha
In the age of “fake news” and election interference, it can be hard to distinguish the difference between the truth and what those in power want us to believe is the truth. It’s difficult to grasp the idea that photographs can trick us, but visual information can be narrative, presenting a consumable story of an idealistic world. Guy Martin explores the way that the line between documentary and fiction has been blurred in his new book, “The Parallel State.” Images from street protests in Turkey paired with those captured on the sets of popular Turkish soap operas attempt to break down the concepts of truth, reality and lies in the controversial country today.
From ‘The Parallel State’ © Guy Martin
Martin’s final product is a culmination of images from the time he spent in Turkey: a multi-layered project that observes vague and mysterious visuals that are left with little to no context. We are left wondering if what we are looking at is reality or fantasy, as they are heavily influenced by each other in the modern era. With the political and cultural influence that Turkey has on the world today, Martin’s work is just as timely as it was when he captured all of the images a few years ago.
From ‘The Parallel State’ © Guy Martin
Originally, Martin was examining the impact of Turkish soap operas and media on the public, but after widespread protests in 2013 and a failed coup in 2016, he was given an opportunity to add multiple dimensions to the book. By eliminating the cameras, wires and any other evidence of a soap opera set from the pictures he took, Martin forces us to interpret every image for its authenticity. Is an image from a Turkish fantasy in the form of a television show, or is it from an accurate representation of life in Turkey during a time of unrest?
From ‘The Parallel State’ © Guy Martin
This question is never really answered; it is briefly explored with textual and cultural evidence that is included in order to understand Turkish history. Martin includes what appears to be found images of Turkish men, a WhatsApp conversation between coup plotters, female television personalities speaking on truth and respect, soap opera promotional posters, and stories and essays discussing the past and the present of Turkey among all of his collected photographs. These subsections add a lot more information to be digested, and further the idea that there are shocking similarities between constructed fantasies and the reality of Turkish life.
From ‘The Parallel State’ © Guy Martin
“The Parallel State,” as it fittingly titled, presents Turkey as an actual parallel state, a concept developed by American historian, Robert Paxton. It’s explained as state-like organizations that work to promote the ideologies of the established state but are still not a legitimate part of government. In Turkey, social media and soap operas have taken on the role of a parallel state as they contribute to the Turkish government’s interpretation of reality.
From ‘The Parallel State’ © Guy Martin
Martin is calling attention to this propaganda of sorts with his complex and intriguing book; he is trying to prove that it has become too easy to influence with images because of our trust in visual evidence. We cannot always accept things for the way that they are. We must remember what is “fake news” and what is the undisclosed truth.
