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Why most 'educated' Turks are more close-minded!!
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1.       thehandsom
7403 posts
 17 May 2008 Sat 01:48 pm

How RIGHT he is!!

.............. These European-looking Turks are also quite militarist and nationalist according to Western standards.

.......................
It actually means indoctrination. In others words, the education system is not designed to raise individuals who believe in democracy, freedom, pluralism or critical thinking. It is rather designed to inculcate all students with the “state ideology.”
......................
Just spend some time in a Turkish primary or high school, and you will see what I mean. Students start and end every week by swearing an oath of allegiance to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, around whom our state ideology has built a cult of personality. “O mighty Atatürk who has given us this day,” all students recite, “I swear that I will walk relentlessly on your path.” The oath ends with a collectivist promise of sacrifice: “Let my existence be a gift to Turkish existence!”

The education system, which constantly praises the “Turkish existence,” curiously says nothing about the existence of other ethnic identities in Turkey. The society is portrayed as a homogenous entity. The Kurds and other groups are never mentioned, and when you finish your education, you simply know nothing about them.
...............................

Actually the whole education system gives you the impression that everybody except the Kemalists are traitors.

............concepts such as democracy or individual freedom simply do not exist. You can’t blame Atatürk for that, because in his time, other ideas such as “statism” were popular and he naturally embraced them. Yet, times have changed, whereas the system stays untouched.

........... we all became free with the founding of the independent Turkish Republic in 1923. Whether that republic has granted us the citizens freedom was a question that was remarkably ignored. What really mattered was the freedom of our state from foreign powers. Our own freedom was not a value worth mentioning.

.................
That's why quite many Turks, who are otherwise smart and reasonable people, will go irrational when you start to question the national myths of nationalism or ultra-secularism.

Of course, there are also many people who have gone outside the box. There are, first of all, the self-declared liberals who have realized that the system is authoritarian and it needs to be liberalized. They are influential, but very tiny. Moreover, other elites, the Kemalist ones, see them as either naïve or treacherous.

............... Therefore, the only way out for Turkey remains what it has been since the times of Turgut Özal and the first period of the AKP: Liberal democracy promoted by the EU, articulated by the liberals, and supported by the conservatives. Even if the AKP is closed, this momentum will go on under another party. And the Kurds will be much better off if they jump onto this train instead of playing Che Guevara in the mountains of the southeast.

As the potential of the illiberal elite to accept liberal democracy, though, I am not very optimistic. As evidenced by their unbelievably reactionary stance, their minds are just too “educated” to breach.

Mustafa AKYOL


http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=104720

2.       catwoman
8933 posts
 17 May 2008 Sat 10:26 pm

Quoting thehandsom:


.............. These European-looking Turks are also quite militarist and nationalist according to Western standards.

.......................
It actually means indoctrination. In others words, the education system is not designed to raise individuals who believe in democracy, freedom, pluralism or critical thinking. It is rather designed to inculcate all students with the “state ideology.”
......................
Just spend some time in a Turkish primary or high school, and you will see what I mean. Students start and end every week by swearing an oath of allegiance to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, around whom our state ideology has built a cult of personality. “O mighty Atatürk who has given us this day,” all students recite, “I swear that I will walk relentlessly on your path.” The oath ends with a collectivist promise of sacrifice: “Let my existence be a gift to Turkish existence!”

The education system, which constantly praises the “Turkish existence,” curiously says nothing about the existence of other ethnic identities in Turkey. The society is portrayed as a homogenous entity. The Kurds and other groups are never mentioned, and when you finish your education, you simply know nothing about them.
...............................

Actually the whole education system gives you the impression that everybody except the Kemalists are traitors.

............concepts such as democracy or individual freedom simply do not exist. You can’t blame Atatürk for that, because in his time, other ideas such as “statism” were popular and he naturally embraced them. Yet, times have changed, whereas the system stays untouched.

........... we all became free with the founding of the independent Turkish Republic in 1923. Whether that republic has granted us the citizens freedom was a question that was remarkably ignored. What really mattered was the freedom of our state from foreign powers. Our own freedom was not a value worth mentioning.

.................
That's why quite many Turks, who are otherwise smart and reasonable people, will go irrational when you start to question the national myths of nationalism or ultra-secularism.

Of course, there are also many people who have gone outside the box. There are, first of all, the self-declared liberals who have realized that the system is authoritarian and it needs to be liberalized. They are influential, but very tiny. Moreover, other elites, the Kemalist ones, see them as either naïve or treacherous.

............... Therefore, the only way out for Turkey remains what it has been since the times of Turgut Özal and the first period of the AKP: Liberal democracy promoted by the EU, articulated by the liberals, and supported by the conservatives. Even if the AKP is closed, this momentum will go on under another party. And the Kurds will be much better off if they jump onto this train instead of playing Che Guevara in the mountains of the southeast.

As the potential of the illiberal elite to accept liberal democracy, though, I am not very optimistic. As evidenced by their unbelievably reactionary stance, their minds are just too “educated” to breach.

Mustafa AKYOL


Such great thoughts and observations... I have had this thought on my mind for a long time! So many educated Turks that I know are still VERY nationalistic, uncritical, and have very homogenous ideas about everything related to Turkey! No critical thought, no variations of the story... They all think the same!!!! It is very true that if the "educated" Turks are so brainwashed then there is no hope for a liberal democracy in Turkey.

3.       armegon
1872 posts
 18 May 2008 Sun 03:06 am

Hmmm, nice reading from American product evangelist liberal islamist...
Way to go Mustafa Whitepath

4.       thehandsom
7403 posts
 18 May 2008 Sun 09:55 am

Quoting armegon:

Hmmm, nice reading from American product evangelist liberal islamist...
Way to go Mustafa Whitepath


But he is right on spot..Is he not? lol

5.       catwoman
8933 posts
 18 May 2008 Sun 10:01 am

Quoting thehandsom:

But he is right on spot..Is he not? lol


yes, he is.

6.       SuiGeneris
3922 posts
 18 May 2008 Sun 10:03 am

I am not offended by this title

7.       catwoman
8933 posts
 18 May 2008 Sun 10:08 am

Quoting SuiGeneris:

I am not offended by this title


Armegon is lol

8.       SuiGeneris
3922 posts
 18 May 2008 Sun 10:10 am

Quoting catwoman:

Quoting SuiGeneris:

I am not offended by this title


Armegon is lol



To be FRANK, though my name is not frank ,

I havent read the article yet! just commented about the title

9.       catwoman
8933 posts
 18 May 2008 Sun 10:19 am

anxiously awaiting your comments about the article

10.       armegon
1872 posts
 18 May 2008 Sun 01:18 pm

Quoting catwoman:

Quoting thehandsom:

But he is right on spot..Is he not? lol


yes, he is.



Asked to me why you jumped like we said in Turkish “yırtık don misali”
Answer: No lol

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