Turkish state ideology, Kemalism

Eziz Bawermend

 

Turkish sociologist Dr Ismail Besikci is a social scientist. He has made scientific observations and reached certain conclusions that contradict the official teachings of the Turkish state ideology, Kemalism. For his scholarly research, Dr Besikci has spent around 20 years in Turkish prisons.

 

He received a ten-year prison sentence for the following, then private, letter which is reproduced on the occasion of the author’s 70^th birthday. He wrote the letter when he was in prison.

 

The full text of the letter, which was sent to Madame Boulanger, then Chairman of the Swiss Union of Writers, on 14/8/1980 follows:

 

       “The official ideology in Turkey continues to maintain in an insistent and obstinate manner that there are no people known as Kurds and no language known as Kurdish. One of the primary aspects of this ideology, which we can call Kemalism for short, is its being downright anti-Kurdish. It is racist and colonialist. And the Turkish university, the Turkish judiciary, the Turkish political parties and mass media such as the press, radio, and television have been made to accept this official ideology. And in this process, the State's every kind of ideological instruments of oppression and coercive instruments of repression have been and are being used.

 

The universities, which are claimed to be autonomous, the judiciary which is alleged to be independent, mass media, which are said to be free and the institutions which are pointed out as particularly democratic have accepted that ideology without any discussion. These organizations have gradually become the builders and propagators of the ideology, which is based on lies. They have become the most important institutions of the ideology based on lies. . The Turkish Writers' Union, of which I am a member, is also a democratic organization. But, it advances tendencies in line with the official ideology.

 

From this point of view, the Turkish thinking develops along a double standard. The Turkish writers, who are alleged to uphold democratic ideals, even the communists think along a double standard. They enthusiastically support liberation movements in any part of the world. They praise these movements. They express their solidarity. But, they adopt a hostile attitude to liberation movements in any part of Kurdistan. They belittle them. They look down on them as imperialism's stir-ups.

 

In Turkey, there are centers doing work for human rights, associations to protect and develop human rights. But up to now, they have not taken an interest in the question of Kurdistan and the human rights of the Kurds. They vehemently avoid saying anything which might be in favor of the Kurds. Yet they generously praise the official ideology. Such organizations are in the midst of a determined and systematic struggle not to see the Kurdish plight. And under such conditions, the Turkish state is easily maintaining its racist and colonialist oppression in Kurdistan. It has turned this racist and colonialist oppression into a day-to-day affair.

 

In spite of this racist and colonialist policy, the Turkish state is able to claim that it respects human rights. Indeed, it is able to boast about being one of the rare few countries in the world that respect human rights. On this matter, there is benefit in dwelling on two events that have developed in most recent days.

 

Amnesty International has issued a report concerning torture and violation of human rights in Turkey. The Turkish state officials are rejecting the allegations by Amnesty International. For example, Mr Mustafa Gulcugil , Minister for Internal Affairs, is able to say  ‘Turkey is one of the rare few countries which respect human rights.’  (Ref. Turkish newspapers dated 18/6/1980). Mr Hayrettin Erkmen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the other hand, was able to assert the same things in an article for which he paid Newsweek to print on 23/6/1980. But the Turkish press has remained indifferent to the report by Amnesty International. The Turkish newspapers are not making an issue of assertions the State officials advance despite the question of Kurdistan and despite the question of Kurds’ human rights.

 

University circles, political parties, unions, associations, mass media etc never touch on the Kurdish question. The subjects such as the division of Kurdistan the application of the ‘divide and rule’ principle after World War I, particularly between 1919 and 1923 are the subjects that the Turkish academics, Turkish thinkers make special efforts not to see, not to study. The Turkish press is extremely indifferent to the subject of Kurdistan. But, this indifference is a premeditated, calculated and rational option. The aim is to dismiss those who have an interest in the question of Kurdistan. To work for decimating the impact of their thoughts on this matter.  For example, the letter of protest your organization sent to President Fahri Koruturk and Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel on 8/11/1979 did not appear in the Turkish press for a long time. It appeared only in the 15/5/1980 issue of the Democrat newspaper as a short news item. Again, the notices that were written to the same officials on 10/11/1979 expressing the oppression of the Kurdish people to be in violation of human rights did not appear in the Turkish press at all. The Turkish press, no doubt, is not so indifferent to other matters.

 

There is no doubt that the repressive measures perpetrated by the State constitutes a big obstacle in the development of thought and science. The indifference of the institutions such as the universities, the press, the unions and furthermore their attitude of tacit approval are intensifying the repressive measures even more. This, too, is an important fact.

 

All these show the real issue to be one that comes well before the question of freedom for a writer. The question is that of freedom for the Kurdish people.  And today, Kurdistan in the centers of the Middle East is an international colony that has been divided and severed and whose national and democratic rights have been confiscated. The Kurdish people are a nation partitioned by barbed wires and minefields, with ongoing efforts to completely cut off the parts from one another. Under these conditions, the political status of the Kurdish people is even lower than that of a colony. Because, for example, in Turkey even their existence is not accepted. The Kurds in Turkey can have rights only to the extent of becoming Turks. The alternative is repression, cruelty, prisons…

 

In view of these and in the face of such issues, there is great benefit in placing the question of freedom for a nation rather than that of a writer under the spotlight. I wish to express therefore that your organization’s letters are greatly appreciated.

 

Furthermore, Madame Chairman, for the special interest you have taken in myself I send you and all the members of your organization my regards and greetings. I wish you good health, happiness and success.”

 

So what has changed since 14/8/80?!  Kurdistan remains a nightmare for the Turkish establishment!

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