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April 9, 2009
To Get Turkey Right, Hear What Obama Said
[Originally published in Hürriyet Daily News]
The trip to Turkey by President Barack Hussein Obama, as people loved to emphasize here, was a big success. Except for a few hundred "anti-imperialist," lefty protestors who hit the streets chanting, "Yankee go home," most Turks welcomed him calmly and some even fondly.
Some nationalists, including Nationalist Action Party, or MHP, leader Devlet Bahçeli, didn't like what he said about Turkish-Armenian relations -- or rather the lack thereof. But that's quite normal. The Armenian lobby in the United States, which is no fan of Turkey, didn't like the way he handled that issue either. The disapproval of extremists on both sides of a question is often the indicator of a fair position.
Personally speaking, I very much liked Obama's messages. The steps he suggested that Turkey take were completely reasonable. Of course, we need to introduce further reforms to honor the rights of our Kurdish citizens and religious minorities. To be sure, the Halki Seminary, unwisely closed by the Turkish authorities in 1971, needs to be reopened. This is all Democracy 101.
Enter 'Secular Democracy'
Democracy 102, if you will, was hidden in Mr. Obama's semantics. In the speech he delivered at the Turkish Parliament, for example, he used a term that we Turks should well note: "secular democracy." This came as he was speaking about the heritage of Atatürk, the country's founder. "His greatest legacy is Turkey's strong and secular democracy," Obama said. "And that is the work that this assembly carries on today."
While it may not seem like rocket science, that formulation is actually quite brilliant. Because the term, "secular democracy" is not common in Turkey's political language. We generally, rather, use two different terms: "Secular republic" (laik cumhuriyet) and "democracy" (demokrasi). And these two are sometimes seen as alternatives to each other. Military coups are made, and justified, in the name of the secular republic. And democracy is often loathed by the latter's zealous defenders as a counter-revolution to theirs.
But what is good in a secular republic if is not democratic? The Soviet Union, for example, was a secular republic, but it really was not the place you would want to live in if you have an aspiration for things like civil liberties. The same can be said for North Korea, Red China or Saddam's Iraq. They all had official ideologies (Kim Il Sungism, Maoism, and Baathism, respectively) that were as secular as they could be. And they all defined themselves as republics. Are you impressed?
What is much better, of course, is to have a democratic ideal, not an official ideology, as the basis of a state. And secularity is only meaningful if it serves this democratic ideal. What secularity does in that context is to save the state, and thus the society, from the dominance of a religious doctrine. But if secularity becomes a doctrine in itself, which aims at suppressing or manipulating religion, then it becomes a threat to the democratic ideal. That is exactly what has happened in Turkey, and that's why we Turks need to re-understand secularity ("laiklik" as we call it) in a democratic, not autocratic, way.
Obama's speech not only included a semantic eye-opener in this respect. It also implied that Turkey's secular state does not have to clash with, and should not blind us from, the Muslim identity of a large portion of its people. Nine times in his speech he referred to Islam and Muslims. And he gave messages that went to not only the Turks but the whole Muslim world: "The U.S. is not, and will never be," he said, "at war with Islam." There is a reason why he said that not in London or Prague, but in Ankara.
East and West
The American president also disagreed with those fear-mongering pundits who constantly pump out the idea that Turkey is "turning its face to the East" under its current government. "I know there are those who like to debate Turkey's future," Obama noted, "they wonder whether you will be pulled in one direction or another." And he explained why they were wrong:
"Here is what they don't understand: Turkey's greatness lies in your ability to be at the center of things. This is not where East and West divide -- it is where they come together. In the beauty of your culture. In the richness of your history. In the strength of your democracy."
Absolutely. The mistake of those "debaters" is to force Turkey to fit into a single identity that they pick and choose. They tend to define it only as a Western ally, a NATO member and a secular republic. This is all true, and very good, but there is more. Turkey is also the heir of the Ottoman Empire, a leading member of the family of predominantly Muslim nations, and the testing ground for the synthesis of Islam and democracy. That is what makes her special. That is what gives her a meaning that goes way beyond its borders.
Obviously the American president gets that right. Perhaps it is time for Turks to get it, too.
Posted by Mustafa Akyol at April 9, 2009 4:42 PM
Both democracy and republic mean the same thing in two different languages the Greek and the Roman.
North Korea's official name is Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Soviet Uinion also considered itself democratic. China as well.
Thank you for censoring my comments about Israel's false flag acts - USS Liberty and Lavon affair.
This comment I expect will be another censored one and my last comment on any Turkish site. No more attachment to Turkiye.
Posted by: Behruz Himo at April 9, 2009 7:11 PM
The truth is that secularism has been and continues to be a curse on the Turkish nation. The reason for this is because secularism in reality has been imposed behind the scenes by western powers (sadly, also "muslims" like Ataturk) and their masonic elements who plotted to destroy the glorious caliphate with what they termned themselves, the "great game".
Ever since, foreign powers have continued to influence Turkish affairs, in order that this great people and nation remains a sleeping giant that will not fulfil its potential and true independance (IMF control Turkey and its policies).
No doubt Turkey has human rights issues, but THIS IS NOT the real reason why its EU membership continues to be delayed - but because it is a predominantly Muslim country which they feel has not fully secularised and westernised to the levels that they feel is "safe". In other words, when the majority of Turks start living a lifestyle and mentality which is much closer to the average western eg uncohesive, family breakdowns, immorality etc THEN they will be allowed in.
The only real solution is for Turks to wake up, see the foundation of the Turkish Republic for it was/is - a deception that has weakened, neutralised and humiliated a nation that virtually begs for EU membership and allows to be dangled on a string regarding its future.
The only solution is a return to Islam which history has shown incorporates many democratic values which it applies and not only speaks about unlike the hypocritical western powers with their corporate/globalist media-backed empire and the unconstitutional private fractional reserve style central banking systems with their diabolical debt-run monopoly-capitalism which is ruining the world.
Turkey needs to free itself from the clutches of this disgracefull system which has crippled the progress of many other nations too.
Posted by: Yusuf Morreale at April 9, 2009 8:55 PM
A Conspiratorial FACT
Unfortunately Obama is a deception which has been thrust upon us by the elite. The U.S needed a new image after the disasters of the Bush amninistration and they decided that putting forward a black man will do the trick.
He is already a proven liar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaQNACwaLw
Three evils of our day:
Imperialist geo/political agenda eg 9/11 and the so-called manufactured war on terror, corporate/monopoly capitalism with the fractional reserve banking system behind it and liberal secularism with the uncohesive values and social
breakdown that results.
The banking system
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApTyaXNhlRU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXb-LrVkuwM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8
Islam or secular liberalism?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo_iapGLGKg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej9J5cpuvu4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GjAq0FLZec
Posted by: Yusuf Morreale at April 9, 2009 9:17 PM
Did you just say that you have " No more attachment to Turkiye. "
Wow, that quite a reversal. 8 days ago you said:
May the enemies of the people of Turkiye be ashamed and embarassed!
Thats a stong endorssement for someone whose attachments turns on a dime.
Posted by: Taken at April 9, 2009 9:44 PM
Mr. Akyol,
Are you truly suggesting that Turkey should learn democracy from the US? Do you seriously think Obama personally cares about the regime, minority rights, and religious freedom in Turkey? Since when the US was considered to be the source of democracy through its foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East? I do not understand why you take Obama as the representative of "ideal" democracy in the world, and applaud him in every occasion you can. Obama seems to be selling a new concept, "secular democracy" as part of the new US strategy in the region, and you seem to adopt it right away. What happened to "Islamo-liberal" or "liberal Islam"? Are we done with that debate? oh, was that Bush era? What is next?
Every country has its own definition of democracy and secularism. Danish democracy is a lot different than American democracy (some systems are like a horse race whereas others are based on cooperation and consensus - and they are still democracies); The US understanding of secularism is very different from French for that matter. Historical legacies, wars, regional politics and so many other things matter. It is either you do not know what democracy is or you are equivocating the whole issue by cherry picking the very same arguments and examples (Soviet Union, Iraq, N. Korea and etc.)
There is a significant amount of people (and whether you like it or not, they identify themselves as Muslims) who support secularism in Turkey for good reasons. They are simply worried about the tyranny of the majority, and the potentially conservative and oppressive - yet democratic - regime it may lead to. The definition of democracy among the Islamic community in Turkey is simply too narrow to embrace everyone in the society. Democracy is not solely about elections, and what the majority demands. That kind of democracy is not suitable to Turkey. Again for good reasons, some people (including Muslims) do not want to see any (not only Islamic but Jewish and etc.) symbols in public places for it would create the perception of discrimination, and potentially the actual practices of discrimination at the state level. That does not mean they deny their Islamic identity. Turkey needs to resolve its problem itself. But your oversimplification of the conflict over religious freedoms is very disturbing and unfruitful for it diminishes the whole conflict to one between evil Atheists and oppressed Muslims. The creation of the "other" is a political one.
I identify two major problems in Turkey. The rise of "conservative" Islam and the rise of ultra-nationalism both of which feed on illiteracy and economic hardship. Both are potentially dangerous when left to any economically impoverished population with insufficient education and skillful charismatic leaders who can manipulate them. I have not seen any good coming out of this combination in any history book, and that is where Turkey is headed to - not to the type of democracy you poorly describe.
Posted by: cingoz at April 10, 2009 10:10 PM