When Kemalism Becomes Fascism
Although you often see me side with Turkey’s Kemalists it is a mistake for one to think that I support extreme Kemalists (as well). Kemalism in general is a good ideology, which has accomplished great things for Turkey. But there are things about Kemalism that I disagree with, one of the issues is, for instance, the economy. Kemalists often oppose privatization of businesses, and big foreign investments. I support these things, however, believing that although privatization may hurt a bit right now, it will be in Turkey’s interest in the long run.
Another topic I disagree on sometimes is the freedom of speech in Turkey. Kemalists are often supportive of laws that outlaw ‘insulting Turkey or the Turkish people.’ I oppose such laws, believing that it’s someone’s right to talk badly about one’s own country.
Most Kemalists disagree with that, but they don’t find it problematic that one disagrees with them. They debate the issue, exchange arguments, and that’s the end of it.
But there are also extreme Kemalists in Turkey. Kemalists who are in the very serious danger of becoming fascists. These Kemalists are only a small portion of the total amount of Kemalists, but they do exist. Their latest scheme has been to call on a prosecutor to prosecute a young woman for saying – on television while wearing a türban – that she “does not love” the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Now, this is not just insane, it’s fascist. The danger of Islamists is that you are (like Bekdil explains, follow the link) not allowed to say “I don’t believe in God” when they come into power / have their way. But the danger of extreme Kemalists – there aren’t that many of them, again, but they do exist – is that they try to force people to glorify, nay worship, Atatürk.
It is a person’s right to love or not to love Atatürk. There’s no obligation whatsoever from the population to love Atatürk. If she believes that Islamic law should be the law of the land, and if she believes that Atatürk was an enemy of Islamic law and that she can therefore not love him, well, that’s her right. Now, it’s not her right to then force her views on others… but it’s not the right of extreme Kemalists to force their views on others either.
Atatürk deserves respect. And a whole lot of it. But he does not deserve it that people force other people to worship him. Ironically, it is my firm belief that Atatürk would be the most passionate defender of this woman who said she does not love him.
"I do bequeaths, as spiritual inheritance, no verse, no dogma, no rules petrified and frozen. My spiritual heritage is science and reason. [...] Everything in this world, is changing rapidly. The design of happiness and unhappiness is changing, over time among peoples and individuals. Affirm in this context that one has been able to invent revenue eternally valid tantamount to denying the incessant changing ideas and science."
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
"I will not die by leaving the pernicious example of a personal power. I will have previously founded a free republic, as far away as bolshevism as of fascism."
Id., 1930.
Atatürk is died too early (1938).
Of course, people cannot be forced to love Atatürk. But stating on TV that there should be "sharia" in Turkey (in the Iranian sense of the term) should get you to prison.
In today’s Germany, if you endorse Nuremberg laws to be readopted, you might also spend up to five years in prison.
I watched the silly girl on U-tube the other day. Unfortunately there is so much disinformation, or misinformation about Ataturk in general that she is a terrible victim of it. She couldn’t even clearly explain why she loved the Iranian regime and hated Ataturk. She repeated some sound bite type statements that she possibly heard from her local mosque. In fact, embarrassed herself by misstating cites etc. She is an insignificant and fairly uneducated young girl. Therefore, weather she likes Ataturk or not is totally irrelevant. However, the question secularist Turks must ask themselves is: Where did the country go wrong in creating a generation of youth who do not know their own history well, dislike the person who started the Republic and see him as an evil destroyer of Islam. Is there a systematic brain washing going on in some sections of the country? Are the educators and school system in general failed to educate the young generation? Does the media and the politicians have a role in keeping the Turkish youth so far removed and quite frankly dumb from reality? I think we must go to the roots of the problem instead of sacrificing a silly young girl who obviously doesn’t know what she is talking about. Personally, not only as a woman but also as an individual who loves freedom and liberty, am very sad to see girls who cover their hair, and willfully choose to be oppressed by men! Why do they not fight for their individual freedom from all kinds of restrictions and find the beauty in their femininity rather then trying to keep it under raps. That is the environment secular Turks must create for these obviously confused young girls instead of pushing them…
I would like to also add: By pushing away the youth, we are alienating them even further. As a result there is an environment of deeper divide and hostility. That can never be good for a nation. Turkey knows that very well. How many coupes and unrest did the country live through. It is not that complicated. Keep education under tight watch, take it away from the hands of the Religious Right, make sure every little town/village has elementary/middle/high school, stop pushing Ataturk down kids troughs like he is some dictator and do a good job in giving a well balanced historical prospective on him. Let the kids love, appreciate and truly understand what a great leader Ataturk was, on their own. And if some don’t like him, well too bad for them! (I am sorry for my long comments)
Freedom of speech exists to help people, to spread ideas of a positive nature, but much like in America where people are even fired for certain viewpoints, but perhaps not jailed, some things are simply unacceptable to say on national television.
I think though you’re right that that girl on TV should have the right to say she doesn’t like someone, regardless of who it is, but she definitely deserves to receive the worst of insults for being so naive and uneducated. But yes, I don’t think she should be jailed.
I don’t believe there really are many "extreme Kemalists", and extreme Islamists are in much greater number. The "Extremity" of these "extreme Kemalists" only go so far as jailing someone for insulting/disrespecting something they believe in, but that’s it.
Islamic Extremists on the other hand, have a whole host of rules and regulations that could result in violence/jailtime/death. They are the real fascists. "Extreme Kemalists" are simply reacting to the surprising change in the politics of Domestic Turkey.