Initiative incomplete without currently exiled figures

Analysts said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's speech came as a signal of change in the state's view toward the country's “esteemed figures” who have been discriminated against for years. His speech also dropped hints that the state is ready to reconcile with all figures it previously saw as “threatening” to its existence. There was a flood of emotions in Turkey last Saturday when Erdoğan mentioned the names of figures who have left their mark on Turkey's cultural mosaic. Through the names he mentioned, the prime minister said a picture of Turkey would be complete only with all of its ethnic and religious elements, drawing applause from many.

“There is room for everyone in this great Turkey,” he said, stressing that without Ahmet Yesevi, Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli, Pir Sultan Abdal and Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, Turkey would be devoid of its true foundations. "Without Yunus Emre, Turkey is mute, and without Mevlana [Jelaluddin Rumi], it is spiritless. Closing its ears to Sabahat Akkiraz, Turkey lacks folk songs. Compositions that ignore Tatyos Efendi remain unfinished. Songs that do not pay homage to Ahmet Kaya, who wrote ‘Farewell, My Two Eyes,' lack an essential quality. As one cannot imagine a Turkey without Mehmet Akif, a country without Nazım Hikmet is a deficient Turkey. You may or may not accept their ideas, but without Ahmed-i Hani or Said Nursi of Bitlis, Turkey's spirit is less," he said.

What was behind the applause was the prime minister's show of courage in facing the previous sins of the country and referring implicitly to the erroneous practices of today. Analysts lauded the prime minister for his courage and urged him to extend the scope of his democratic initiative as a way to embrace all people who have fallen victim to the despotic mentality of the state. Among them is Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic scholar known for his promotion of mutual understanding and tolerance between cultures. Gülen has been leading a self-exiled life abroad for many years due to the state's despotic attitude toward him.

“The prime minister mentioned the names of many important figures so far, but has failed to mention that of Gülen. What lies behind this avoidance, for me, is the government's preference to refrain from any emphasis on religion. Whatever the reason, I think a democratic initiative deserves a broader scope,” noted Ahmet Taşgetiren, a columnist from the Bugün daily.

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which holds the majority in Parliament, is considered to have roots in conservatism, but has avoided emphasis on Islam, particularly after a closure case was filed against it in 2008 on the grounds that it had become a focal point of anti-secular activities.

“The government has reservations on the democratization package. Maybe that's why it has avoided calling it a ‘Kurdish initiative' since the very beginning. I guess they view Gülen's name as controversial and prefer not to mention it,” explained the Bugün columnist.

The AK Party government has for the past few months been working on a package through which it hopes to improve the democratic standards of the country. One of the core elements of the package is work toward a solution to the Kurdish question, which has become troublesome for Turkey since it turned violent in 1984, with the emergence of a terrorist organization, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

“I believe it would be more correct if the government embarked on a broader initiative. The fact that Gülen still leads a self-exiled life is a serious problem of Turkey. I hope Turkey will soon pursue a broader initiative,” Taşgetiren added.

Gülen was accused of “establishing an illegal organization to undermine the secular structure of the state with the aim of replacing it with a state based on Shariah law as well as engaging in various activities to this end.” He was acquitted of all charges in 2006.

There are several other figures that have entered into self-exile because they were met with hostility in Turkey. One of them is Kurdish musician Şivan Perwer, who left Turkey in the mid '70s to evade a court case pending against him. The musician has not visited Turkey since, but has expressed strong support for the government's democratization package to bring peace to Turkey.

Similarly, Mahmut Esad Coşan, the former leader of one group of Naqshbandi dervishes, sought peace in a foreign country as he could not find it in Turkey. He was returned to Turkey only after he died in Australia. He is buried in İstanbul's Eyüp Sultan Cemetery.

Kemal Burkay, a poet who has been in exile from his homeland since Turkey's most violent coup d'état in 1980, said the prime minister's speech showed a change in the state's view toward important figures in Turkish culture.

“I was not expecting to be included on the prime minister's list. I find Erdoğan's speech very positive. He brought together 14 very important names in his speech. This is the first time a Turkish prime minister mentioned the names of those figures in a speech. Those people were excluded from society. They were labeled traitors. Now we are embracing them. They are the values of our country. This is very important,” Burkay noted.

The poet also urged the government to continue with its democratization plans. “The process will not be easy. The nation needs a change of mindset. The nation has been conditioned against such moves for years. I hope the democratization process will be completed successfully,” he said.

‘Erdoğan expressed new vision through iconic names’

Mehmet Metiner, a columnist with the Star daily, congratulated the prime minister for his speech and said he need not have mentioned other names as he voiced a historic message with the iconic names he mentioned.

“Erdoğan delivered a speech through symbols. He did not need to make the list longer. We need to read our prime minister's message well and carefully. He said no one should be subjected to discrimination due to his religion, religious sect or race. He said all of us are integral parts of Turkey. He displayed a new vision and spoke about his new Turkey,” the columnist stated.