Necip F. Bahadir
“It is our greatest desire for people to say behind us, ‘There was a Tayyip Erdoğan, he was an honest man, a moral man, a brave man, a conscientious, merciful man who loved his nation and country dearly, may God be pleased with him…’”
Erdoğan said these words at a meeting about “retirees.” What he said had nothing to do with the content of the meeting. These sentences were not improvised; he read them from the prompter, a written script. Clearly, he instructed his advisors to include such a section in the speech. Otherwise, who would think of such lines out of the blue? Who among his advisors would dare to construct a sentence in the past tense like, “There was a Tayyip Erdoğan…”?
Yes, he too will one day be part of the past. They will talk about him in the past tense: “There was!” The world that didn’t remain for Sultan Suleiman won’t remain for him either. Who has ever been able to resist time? One day, everyone will fade into history. It will be, “Once upon a time, there was, and now there isn’t.” Those with much to lose prefer not to think about death. They turn themselves and their seats into “existential issues.” To protect their thrones, they resort to every kind of cruelty.
Erdoğan is a politician of fluctuations. Sometimes he speaks like a mere mortal; at other times, he does everything possible not to leave, to cling to his seat.
Those Days Are in the Past!
When I saw Erdoğan’s above words circulating on social media, I was very surprised. I found myself asking, “Is this a farewell?” In the past, Erdoğan would sometimes speak about death, about the insignificance of the world and life. During his first term as Prime Minister, it was even reported that he had written on his phone, “Do not be proud, my Sultan; there is a God greater than you…” But those thoughts and feelings are long gone. Later, he started to act as if he were putting down roots in this world.
He entered the March 31 elections saying, “This is my last candidacy!” and suffered a heavy defeat. The voters told him in no uncertain terms, “It’s time to go…” Don’t believe it when they say, “They just warned him,” because he knows he’s no longer wanted. However, despite the fact that he is constitutionally ineligible to run for office again, he is busy trying to pave and push that path. A few days ago, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said he would “once again go on a party tour for a new constitution.”
Even If Erdoğan Wants to Leave, His Inner Circle Won’t Allow It!
It’s hard to say that Erdoğan is preparing for a political farewell. After March 31, it was expected that he would at least slowly start to reveal his heir, to indicate the name that would lead the AKP into elections. Currently, the AKP is holding provincial congresses, but nothing has changed there either. Even if Erdoğan wanted to leave, his circle would object. Those who have “faith” in Erdoğan and those who live off his power—what would they do without him? Under normal circumstances, who would even look at someone like Mehmet Uçum? But now he is the palace’s cherished advisor, and his every word makes headlines.
Politically, there is no “farewell preparation,” but… There is also a “but” to this issue. Life isn’t just about politics. Politics, life, and people cannot be evaluated by ignoring emotions and psychology. From time to time, emotions take precedence over thoughts. The heart takes the place of the mind. I attribute Erdoğan’s words to his psychology.
It can be asked, “What’s going on in his psychology?” Or, “Why would someone looking for ways to run again use past tense and say, ‘There was a Tayyip Erdoğan,’ out of nowhere?”
He Sees Himself in Assad’s Departure!
People haven’t yet been asked, “How did you know him?” That day will come, no doubt. And the question will be posed to everyone, not just AKP supporters. At that point, everyone’s “testimony” will be valuable and significant. The real skill will be to get everyone to say, “We knew him well.” For Erdoğan, whose reign has been defined by tyranny and oppression, who outside of his faithful followers will say, “We knew him well!”?
I think I understand why Erdoğan uttered those farewell-evoking words. From the very first day, I wrote that he saw his own future in Assad’s departure. Even if he believed he achieved a political victory, I predicted that Assad’s fall would create storms within his psyche. I wasn’t wrong. Didn’t he himself say, “After Assad, only Putin and I are left…”?
Can a normal person say such a thing? Is it possible to make sense of these words without considering his inner world and psychology? At the time, I had said, “I wish psychologists and psychiatrists would analyze these words.” There is an environment in Turkey where even medicine cannot speak out. Who would dare evaluate Erdoğan’s mental state and psychology?
It’s still early, but I’d like to say now that the “Erdoğan portrait” cannot be written purely from a political perspective. Psychology must definitely play a role. Those who will analyze Erdoğan’s personality and policies most accurately and healthily are not journalists or writers but psychologists and psychiatrists. Politics alone is insufficient to explain him and his actions. Psychology is needed.
Assad’s departure severely disturbed Erdoğan’s psychology. In Assad, he saw himself. And he became anxious. Knowing that he won’t be spoken of well after he’s gone, he felt the need to express his desire.
He knows, too, that when he leaves, “the truths” will be spoken… Prisons will speak out. Won’t even the 9 young men who suffered mistreatment during a week in prison demand accountability? What difference do AKP prisons have from Assad’s dungeons? Who can say Erdoğan is headed for a happy ending? He sold his cause, ideals, and sacred values for his seat to the rulers of Mecca. So many values were lost for such a cheap price. Period.
The End of the Road Is Near!
Clearly, Erdoğan sees that the end of the road is not far off. And his inner world has spoken. “What is approaching, is approaching…”
Certainly, people will say, “There was an Erdoğan.” All the armor will fall. His desire may be for people to say, “He was an honest man, a moral man, a brave man, a conscientious, merciful man…” But desires are one thing; realities are another. He has pursued no politics that would evoke such words. On the contrary, he has done everything that would make his honesty questioned. He showed not even a shred of “conscience and mercy.” In cruelty and mercilessness, he competed with Pharaohs and Nimrods. Can mercy be shown to someone who has no mercy?
So can he recover from this point on? Can he fulfill his desire in this final stretch?
He has already entered an irreversible path; it is difficult to turn back. Still, one can hope, of course. The whole issue lies in whether he can live according to his “desire for tomorrow.” Whether he can reclaim his lost “conscience and mercy.”
If he is sincere in his desire, what he must do is clear… First, to seek reconciliation, which is the hardest part. Because it’s not one-sided. Then, to redefine his direction. To turn his orientation from the transient to the permanent. To reclaim the cause and sacred values he surrendered to the rulers.
Even if he speaks differently outwardly, it seems that Erdoğan, perhaps influenced by Assad, has started the “farewell process” within himself.
What do you think?
