Sunday, November 19, 2006

All nation-states have their own taboos, memorized passages of history that become facts after countless repeats, closed-to-public areas, as do we. It is the intellectuals who delve insistently into these areas in every nation-state.

Elif Şafak

All nation-states have their own taboos, memorized passages of history that become facts after countless repeats, closed-to-public areas, as do we. It is the intellectuals who delve insistently into these areas in every nation-state. They question, and facilitate questioning. They think and facilitate thinking. Writers, artists, academics and intellectuals are those who allow people to think beyond the limits of memorized passages. They are not puppets that repeat the constantly repeated.

I have all of Juan Goytisolo s books that were translated into Turkish. Today, I am looking into books that were published, promoted and translated with the help of the Spanish Culture Ministry. Most of them are writers who at one time or another opposed Spain. Theirs wasn t a typical opposition. They criticized the injustices and pointed at the deficiencies in the system. However, the Spanish government now publishes their books with pride and doesn t brand them “traitors.” It promotes these writers as creative people who were born in the Iberian Peninsula. How did Spain reach this maturity? Why are we failing so badly in this regard?

Just like every other nation-state, Turkey has its own political taboos. However, to question these taboos or initiate debates over them can be very hard in our land. It entails heavy costs. However, if there is anything that is even harder than this, it must be to question “patriarchal taboos.” When it comes to gender relations and the social stature of men and women, any questioning results in a huge backlash, irrespective of where someone stands on the political spectrum. People from the left and right of the political spectrum who can t usually agree on anything, suddenly find themselves agreeing on this point. And almost all of this is based on the same prejudices. Moreover, patriarchal teachings are not necessarily believed solely by men. Women are susceptible too. Women also accept these teachings and their social roles as facts.

There are many women in Turkey who believe they are weak and needy because that s the way they were born.

These days, at a time when I am looking after my baby with the help of the best babysitter in the world Fikriye, I spend my time watching television and especially the women s shows in the morning. And each morning, I witness women belittling themselves on these shows. When did we start displaying our most secret family affairs on television? Deceptions, past lovers, cheating, children out of wedlock etc. How was this barrier of discretion violated? How did half-an-hour on television surpass everything else in value? Why do women appear on television to argue, cry and talk about their secrets? This is something new. A new mentality.

In order to be famous, in order to remain more on television, one needs to fight. One is confronted with insults, crying women and fights on every television channel. One suddenly thinks whether Turkey, which can t come to grips with its political taboos, is now confronting its sexual ones. But that s not the case. Popular culture is supreme. Watching family secrets, pain and suffering for entertainment is what counts. It is not the system that is being questioned, nor are women being instilled with courage. We just consume stories. Every morning brings a new family tragedy. A woman, whose husband left her and her children thirty years ago, is a typical example. That woman now goes on television, looks up at the producer with hope and says: “I am still waiting for him to come back. Let him come home. I ll look after him. He must be old. He may need someone to look after him. He is my husband. If he left me for another woman, that s OK because he is a man.” Turkish women are being taught how to be more passive and weak. The force that is making them believe in this is not guns or coercion, but the bright lights of popular culture on every channel.