Necip F. Bahadir
On one side, we have commanders aligning themselves with President Erdoğan in Ahlat, becoming elements of a political spectacle like politicians. On the other side, newly commissioned lieutenants chant “We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal,” sending a clear message to Erdoğan, who remained at the ceremony.
The agenda swings between these two extremes…
I am neither part of the group reacting to the photo in Ahlat nor among those applauding the lieutenants’ protest…
So where do I stand? I’ll answer that at the end of this article.
It’s not hard to imagine that Erdoğan is disturbed, even extremely angered, by the lieutenants’ demonstration. The slogans directly target him. The investigation into “Who are they? Where did they come from?” must have already begun. Whether they become the subject of an open disciplinary investigation, I don’t know, but it’s certain that a ‘black mark’ will be placed on their records behind the scenes.
The Photo in Ahlat is Recorded!
So, were the ‘commanders’ in Ahlat disturbed by the photo? It’s hard to say they were pleased. News reports indicate that they made a special effort not to appear on stage in the next program. It seems they quickly realized they had become figures in a photo they would regret for the rest of their lives…
Is it a gain for them to have stopped the damage at some point? I don’t think so. That ‘moment’ was recorded in history to be remembered when the time comes.
Could the AKP’s failure to live up to its claims be considered a victory for Kemalism? Has political Atatürkism revived during the AKP’s time in power? Is Kemalism the alternative to the AKP? Starting today, Turkey will search for answers to these questions for a long time. Election results will be interpreted at these two extreme points. As flowers bloom on İzmir’s mountains, eyes will turn to the stones of Ankara, and tears will be shed.
In the media valley, flowing like a clear and pure river, Yeni Asya Newspaper headlined, “July 15 Brightened Kemalism.” It’s no surprise that the voices of Kemalists have become more audible. It’s also true that they have started to rise from where they had fallen. It seemed a bit exaggerated to me. But the country indeed has such an agenda, silently developing and progressing.
The headline story quotes two names. One of them is İsmail Kılıçarslan from Yeni Şafak… He says, “For 23 years, I hoped that the AK Party would send Kemalism to the dustbin of history. But after July 15, Kemalism began to experience what could be called a ‘prime period,’ in a way that even it did not expect. What can we say, we’ve even replenished Kemalism, thank God. May God bless it.”
Hatem Ete, who emerged with SETA and eventually docked at Ahmet Davutoğlu’s harbor, is quoted in Yeni Asya’s article as saying, “Erdoğan has further strengthened the Kemalist political and social design by updating it with a populist and conservative tone.”
The Antidote to AKP is Not Yet in Sight!
Neither writer holds any “real value” in my eyes. My reference point is that they reflect the thoughts and sensitivities of the AKP neighborhood. Otherwise, they are not names to be taken seriously for their ability to read politics and life.
To those who think Erdoğan is concerned with “system, cause, Kemalism,” I’d like to say “good morning.” I hope they have woken up from a deep sleep. But it’s difficult. The AKP mentality is like an opiate, and once it enters the body, it’s not easy to recover.
Every poison has an antidote. As for the antidote to the AKP? It’s not yet in sight. But it’s certainly not Kemalism or its carrier CHP, with its rigid ideological structure.
Erdoğan, who used the ideology of “Political Islam or National Vision” as material and capital for his politics, never had any cause other than himself. For him, it’s all about protecting his seat and maintaining power… Which political Islamist or National Vision ideology would see an alliance with MHP and Doğu Perinçek as ‘acceptable’? Or give a pass to contact with Kemalism?
Summary of 22 Years: A Complete Disaster!
After 22 years, Erdoğan is left with only his “seat.” He failed to implement any of his claims. Can we speak of success or victory in any area, including the economy, justice, education, security, and foreign policy? He rose from the ashes of February 28th, with ‘justice’ as his greatest promise. The word ‘justice’ was even added to the party’s name. The result is a complete disaster.
Can a government without justice achieve development?
Remember the years when Kemalism held state power, or more recently, the February 28th process… You’ll see that Kemalism was more conscientious than Erdoğan and the AKP government. Did Mustafa Kamalak from Saadet not say, in the face of AKP’s oppressive policies, “The February 28th actors were more honorable”? Did Hayrunnisa Gül not shout in the faces of AKP members, “We didn’t experience these things even during the February 28th process”?
Ask the headscarved girls who were dragged on the ground during the Palestine protest, or Hüda Kaya, who was imprisoned for months without any justification… They will say the “AKP era was more merciless and heartless.” And indeed, they do say so…
Atatürk is Not What Defeated the AKP!
It wasn’t Kemalism that defeated the AKP… It wasn’t Atatürk that brought Erdoğan down. Erdoğan was defeated by his own claims. He won the ballot wars but lost the war within himself. And not just him, of course. Erdoğan and his friends… The entire AKP crowd. They were defeated by the seat, by the office, by money, and by women.
What is left?
A government facing so many defeats deserves to be buried deep underground.
Kemalists are trying to carve out a ‘victory’ from AKP’s defeats, but it’s a futile effort. Political Atatürkism and Kemalism were also tested in this country. And they failed. They couldn’t prove any of their claims. That the AKP is worse does not exonerate Kemalism. It’s certain that the AKP has made society pay a heavier price and cost much more than Kemalism. That’s why Kemalists have started to raise their voices.
The Misfortune of the Turkish People!
Today, in the face of a lack of alternatives, the Turkish people are forced to choose between “AKP or Kemalism?” It seems that Kemalism is weighing more heavily. If it’s said that Erdoğan gave “lifeblood to Kemalism,” it can be said from this point. “Being worse” pushed society towards the “less bad.”
Yet neither should have been among the options. But this is a transitional period…
The future of Turkey lies neither in the photo in Ahlat nor in the slogan “We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal.” Both are left outside history. The river of history flows in another direction. In this turbulent period, I have tried to stand on the right side of history, even if it meant paying a price. The future is not in either of these two options; history and fate will carve out another path. Isn’t all the suffering and pain being endured to open that path?
