Hi,
It can go either way. As the person above me said, it really depends on the professors withing the specific department.
You need to find a professor who's main interest is Parisian or Turkish literature and apply to the department they belong to. Sometimes it will be Complt but it could also be Middle Eastern studies.
Normally your professors at your home university should be familiar with at least some of the professors who research similar fields at US universities.
Hope this helps