“Turkey is in a process in which it is facing up to its taboos. Following each step taken in the process, there is an increase in the quality of democracy even though there are painful times. This fact has been recognized by the world,” he said as a journalist who visited more than 100 countries.
Çelik pointed out that there is growing curiosity and respect for Turkey and its culture almost everywhere he has been to.
As a prominent journalist who has been working for media organizations which usually stand at the opposite ends of the political spectrum, Çelik also shared with us the intricacies of his position, not so usual in Turkey.
You work in media organizations which have been in involved in public scuffles. How is it possible for you to work, for example, for both Kanal 24 and Posta, which seem to stand at almost opposite ends?
When political tension rises, groups or representatives of those groups use a harsh style against one another. They even accuse each other of not having similar views. And as you said, I work for media organizations that are distinguished by their different owners, who usually stand at politically opposite ends. There are difficulties related to that, but the guests who come to my television or radio programs do it because they believe in my journalistic integrity. They probably don’t say that Hakan Çelik is the man of the Doğan Group or Hakan Çelik works for a television channel which is sympathetic to the ruling party’s policies. The question is: Do you evaluate a news story from the viewpoint of your engagements with a certain media group? Or do you evaluate a news story from the viewpoint of universally accepted standards of journalism?
The second option, indeed, is what needs to be preached and practiced by journalists.
Our job is to search for the truth and listen to different voices and opinions, and communicate those different views to the public. After presenting facts, sides and the background information, we also need to leave room for the public to make a decision about their choices. Speaking for myself, I don’t like to direct viewers or readers to support a certain idea because they are intelligent enough to do it themselves. But instead, readers or viewers are manipulated to support certain ideas.
Is this a result of the polarization that the society faces?
This is an important factor. I have been a journalist for 22 years and the society has been polarized at times. But I have never before seen the media, society and politics as polarized as now. Looking for the truth is a hard task in today’s polarized environment. This is like trying to stay inside your lane while trying to make a turn on the road. You have to be an excellent driver in order to do that. Otherwise you will naturally skid off the road. In our profession, we constantly face challenging turns. Journalists have been pressed to take a side and if not, they face elimination. So it is difficult to concentrate on the requirements of journalism under those circumstances. But there are some principles like sticking to the norms of a pluralistic, democratic and free society in which minorities can live their lives freely as well as the majority. In that regard, having the European Union as an anchor for Turkey is important.
‘Turkey isn’t moving away from the West’
What do you think about the recent discussion over whether Turkey is moving away from the West?
We entered this discussion at a time when Turkey became dismayed by the EU. Had this not been the case, we would not have had such a discussion since Turkey’s opening to the East would not attract this much attention. Almost no day goes by without leaders from the leading countries of Europe, such as France and Germany, making disappointing statements on Turkey. In this environment, Turkey’s long-lost interest in its immediate neighborhood has begun to draw attention even though Turkey has been late in approaching the countries in its immediate neighborhood. And this does not mean that Turkey is changing its direction. There is no change of direction. Turkey’s basic principles are same. But Turkey is more assertive today in its region. In addition, Turkey’s economy is the world’s 15th largest economy with regard to purchasing power parity. When you look at direct foreign investment in Turkey, you see that it has reached more than $20 billion annually in the last few years. When this is the case, it is not realistic for Turkey to put all its eggs in one basket, namely that of the EU, whose economic activity has been decreasing. Indeed, Turkey’s increasingly good relations go beyond its neighborhood. Turkey has been opening consulates in Africa and Latin America.
You travel a lot as part of your job. How many countries have you been to?
More than 100.
What do you see when you go out of Turkey?
Turkey’s image abroad is much better than the impression we get here in Turkey. Personally, I feel better about Turkey when I go abroad. In some places, people are quite curious about Turkey. In other places, people admire Turkey. And in some other places, there is concern about Turkey’s growth potential because Turkey might be a serious competitor. This is how the EU sees Turkey. In France, for example, they see a future Turkey which is a partner but at the same time a rival.
What strikes you most regarding perceptions about Turkey when you go abroad?
I was in Turkmenistan with President Abdullah Gül and came across children in a desert-like land. They talked about Turkish series on television. In a pizza shop in Italy’s narrow streets, an Egyptian pizza parlor owner told me about Turkish soccer players in detail. Turkey is now present in many areas of the world with its cultural exports. This is also the case not only in the Middle East and in Arab countries but also in Africa, the Caucasus and in the Balkans. This is also due to Turkey’s changing role in the world. Turkey used to be an introverted country with an inward looking economy. This has been changing. Turkey started to play the role of mediator in the international arena and it has been producing solutions. It was not an easy task to be a mediator between Russia and Georgia. But the Turkish prime minister did it. Turkey gained Russia’s trust and has become a respectable country in the eyes of Russia, which comes from the Soviet tradition.
Facing up to taboos
You go to Israel, too. Do you think this is a dominant view in Israel as well?
The number of Israelis who view Turkey suspiciously has increased recently. We should remember that a hard-line government is in power in Israel. When there was an Israeli government which was more integrated with the world, we saw in the past that it was able to cooperate with Turkey without prejudice. We should remember that President Gül brought together Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara [in 2007]. That was very important. Turkey has this potential because Turkey is trusted in this region. Current tension in Turkish-Israeli relations should not persist.
Do you find Turkey’s democratization process an issue that is speculated on abroad?
Especially in the past, Turkey’s problems with its Kurdish population were questioned a lot. In the most recent period, Turkey has been doing a good job of communicating that it is going through a sincere democratization process, and that involves not only Turkey’s Kurdish population but also its minorities. Turkey is in a process in which it is facing up to its taboos. Following each step taken in the process, there is an increase in the quality of democracy even though there are painful times. This fact has been recognized by the world. That’s why I feel on top of the world when I go abroad as opposed to feeling demoralized while in Turkey. We should remember that some European countries won’t sell Turkey arms, fearing they’ll be used in the Southeast against the Kurdish citizens of our country. Sweden used to campaign against Turkey in Europe. Today, the strongest support in the EU for Turkey comes from Sweden and Finland. This shows that Turkey’s bad record in the area of human rights has been fading away.
What do you think could stop the democratic initiative?
Everyone should be aware of the responsibility falling upon their shoulders. The opposition should not fall into the trap that the initiative of the ruling party could win them votes if they oppose it. This is an important period in Turkey and it requires societal consensus. Even Diyarbakırspor (which is viewed by some ultranationalists as synonymous with the PKK) has a responsibility. They should not say that they would withdraw from their next match in the wake of racist slogans chanted by rival Gaziantepspor supporters because they are one of the teams in the Republic of Turkey. What they should do is seek legal ways to protect their interests. And the (pro-Kurdish) Democratic Society Party (DTP) should not raise the Kurds’ expectations on issues which would not have not much chance to be realized.
‘Insidious plans are alarmIng for non-Muslims, Turkey’
You attach great importance to recognizing the rights of minorities and non-Muslim Turkish citizens of the country. You also say the Heybeliada seminary should be reopened. Please elaborate.
I am ashamed of the fact that the seminary is still closed. There are only 2,500 Greeks left in Turkey. They cannot educate their future religious leaders without having such schools. They have to bring religious leaders from Greece to Turkey. Turkey should realize that if the İstanbul-based Greek Orthodox Patriarchate loses ground, other Orthodox patriarchates in the world would gain power, and there could be related political developments which would not please Turkey. And there is an ongoing debate in Turkey about the ecumenical status of Patriarch Bartholomew. He has been recognized as ecumenical by other patriarchates and that means he is ecumenical. This is an interfaith issue that Turkey should not have a debate on. Plus, Patriarch Bartholomew is a respected member of Turkish society. He is a Turkish citizen who served in the Turkish military. He has been received by respect and honored in every country he goes to. It is a big plus for Turkey to have him as the ecumenical patriarch and to have the patriarchate in İstanbul. Turkey should promote that in the world with ongoing campaigns.
As part of an ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine gang whose suspected members are currently standing trial on charges of having plotted to overthrow the government, it has been revealed that an alleged anti-democratic formation within the Naval Forces Command planned to destroy the government by assassinating prominent non-Muslims in Turkey and putting the blame for the killings on the ruling party. What do you think?
These are quite startling news. It is scary for Turkey. Recalling the past killings of Armenian-Turkish editor Hrant Dink, Catholic priest Andrea Santoro and three Christians in Malatya, and even before, the assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II by Mehmet Ali Ağca, we see that Turkey comes into the international limelight when there is an attack on non-Muslims. This is not the Turkey which turns its face toward a bright and modern future. These are insidious and bloodthirsty plans which are alarming for non-Muslims and Turkey. It is even more important for the government to emphasize not only with its words but also its actions that non-Muslims are citizens of this country. Again, there are only 2,500 Greeks left in Turkey. It is very concerning that there are still some anti-democratic formations which can have organic ties to the state. This is inexplicable and quite frankly very embarrassing.
Hakan Çelik, award-winning journalist who knows the world
Hakan Çelik has been the Ankara representative of the Posta daily for the last five-and-a-half years. He has been a columnist for the newspaper since 1997. Çelik’s “Weekend” show on the Habertürk TV station was among the most widely viewed weekend shows in Turkey. He now has a similar show on Kanal 24. In addition, his TRT-3 radio music show “Tren Yolculuğu” (Train Ride) takes listeners on a smooth journey on Sundays. A graduate of İstanbul University’s School of Communication and Political Science, he has been a journalist since 1988 and has received many awards.
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