The Importance of Haydarpaşa Railway Station on the Axis of Place, Belonging and Migration: An Evaluation on Turkish Movies

ABSTRACT As a result of people giving meaning to space, which is a perceptual and restricted creation, the idea of "place" emerges. The concepts of space and place, together with the sense of belonging, take place in the memories of individuals and societies. Belonging is reinforced by the use of human traces and objects. Belonging is an existence, a sharing and a form of behaviour. This phenomenon, which is present in the memories of individuals and societies, is influenced by different aspects of societies, such as socio-economic, cultural and political. Migration is one of the important factors which affects the perception of space and place on individuals and societies. Internal and external migrations, which have been taking place in Turkey since 1950, have been studied in a variety of disciplines and has inspired many branches of art. In this study, the phenomenon of immigration and the problems caused by the phenomenon of immigration on an urban scale, the effects of global capital on urban development, are examined in terms of place and belonging. To this end, Haydarpaşa Railway Station, which plays an important role in urban and social memory, is the focus of research as it is a symbol of a unique culture in the history of the city. Haydarpaşa Railway Station is the first sight of immigration from the village to Istanbul and the starting point of life in the city. In other words, Haydarpaşa Railway Station is a bridge that connects Europe to Asia, and the destination of those coming from Anatolia to Istanbul and is not just a symbol of those coming from Istanbul to Anatolia. Moreover, the station is familiar with the face of migration, separation and reunification. The station is also an unforgettable subject of Yeşilçam's movies. It has been an integral part of Yeşilçam movies, covering the theme of migration, place and belonging. In this article, the reality of internal immigration in Turkey and Haydarpasa Railway Station is considered to be a subject in terms of place, belonging and migration axis. By referring to the reality of immigration, a conceptual structure has been developed in the context of Yeşilçam movies, using the literature-based research method, and examined through examples. The aim of this study is to draw attention to the public ownership of buildings, symbols of urban and social memory, through selected movies.