So-called citizen of Turkey

Sunday, December 4, 2005

  Throughout history, each country s “cultural elite” has played an imperative part in triggering social transformations and questioning the existing dogmas, no matter how deeply rooted they may have been. In Turkey, it is a bit different. Here, some members of the intelligentsia are surprisingly much more narrow-minded and bigoted than the general public. Some of our authors are far more blimpish, if not also ignorant, than our illiterates. By the same token, some of our artists use their art in the service of the status quo. Although art is “radical” by definition and always a catalyst for change, in the hands of some, art can serve just the opposite ends: it can be the mouthpiece of the status quo. Here lies another characteristic of the Turkish intelligentsia: the proclivity to devour each other. We are a small cultural elite wherein musicians condemn other musicians and authors condemn other authors. Our intelligentsia is famous for their hostility and cruelty towards one another.

  Accordingly, whenever someone develops an alternative point of view, while the Turkish public tries to understand, the Turkish intelligentsia does its utmost not to. While the public pays attention, the intelligentsia prefers to ignore. While the public is not afraid of expressing praise whenever they like something, the intelligentsia keeps its good opinions to itself. I, like many others, have become used to receiving all types of conservative accusations from a seemingly progressive intelligentsia. Each time I deliberately refrain from giving an answer with an article to those who make allegations against my person, especially when these allegations are sexist, nationalist or arrogant. However, the nonsensically disparaging remarks made by filmmaker Halit Refiğ against me made even me say, “Enough is enough.” Refiğ describes me as a “fully fledged anti-Kemalist” and declared me a “so-called citizen of Turkey.” I will not even dignify his spurious allegations by responding to them. Therefore, leaving his vindictive remarks to one side, it is impossible not to be surprised at the change in the use of the expression “so-called.” This deserves further evaluation.

  For years the dominant ideology in Turkey used the term “so-called” in order to refer to the “so-called Armenian genocide.” It now appears that they have found a new usage for this term; now they are talking about “so-called Turks.”

  If anyone ventures to criticize any part of “this exquisite republic founded by Atatürk,” one is immediately branded. “How dare you? You are a traitor, you are a so-called Turk,” they say. If a foreigner eavesdropped on this discourse, they would think that we Turks are divided amongst ourselves into three groups: the so-called Turks (the minority), the beloved Turks (the majority) and the 100 percent Turks (the guardians of the hegemony).

  Underlying this discourse is an aggressive nationalism. Whenever one voices a critical opinion, this kind of nationalism always recoils by using the same three accusations:

  (i) Are you betraying Kemalism?

  (ii) Are you trying to revamp the Sevres Treaty?

  (iii) Are you a pawn of foreign powers, conspiracy theories, etc.?

  Thus, for instance, if you happen to maintain that the “ban on the headscarf needs to be lifted,” they fire back, “Article one!” If you happen to vouch for minority rights, they retort, “Article two!” If you are a resolute believer in Turkey s European Union accession and support the implementation of the necessary reforms fully and immediately, you are accused of “Article three!” Year after year, we hear the same kind of accusations. There is something in common between the fervent advocates of Bush s foreign policy in Iraq and nationalists like Halit Refiğ in Turkey. Both stances are based on the attitude: “If you love your nation, you will never criticize it. If you are a patriot, you will not challenge the state.” From here it is a short step to imply, “Those who criticize the system are traitors and the enemy of the people.” The politics of fear serves only to reinforce the status quo.

  Fortunately, aggressive nationalism is but one among many voices in Turkey. This nation is not in the monopoly of a few people and critical thinkers are not traitors. I have known such Turks overseas whose hearts and souls are in Turkey despite being thousands of miles away. I have known such people overseas who manage to think beyond national borders and passport control gates. People are punished because they have a critical mind and wish to change things, not through hate, but through care and love. In our bid for membership in the EU, open-minded thinkers are needed more than ever.