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Star, Turkey
June 7 2013
Erdogan's Character and Great Transformation
Commentary by Erdogan's Aide Yalcin Akdogan
Every government, every politician, every prime minister can
criticize, can make mistakes, can be debated. Menderes, Ozal, Demirel.
They all accomplished great things by securing the support of very
large masses. And they were also exposed to criticism again by very
large masses. The point achieved in Turkey in every field under the
AKP [Justice and Development Party] cannot be compared to any other
period. The transformation effect by Erdogan in order to democratize
the system is again incomparable.
Despite this, there are attempts being made to day to categorize
Erdogan as a "dictator" because of certain styles, approaches and
deeds. I ask those liberal pens who are criticizing Erdogan's style,
"For God's sake, is this not bullying? Do those who are inciting
rebellion against Erdogan not wand a democratic Turkey?" The terrorism
that is being inflicted on the conservative masses in the city
centres, the insults being levelled at the AKP's voting body, the
attacks; what is human about all that? Putting aside the youths, the
environmentalists and the artists who are protesting in Gezi Park,
what on earth are those people who get organized in an instant in
dozens of cities attacking public buildings, torching party buildings
and clearly bent on taking down the government? These are not people
mingling with innocent crowds. They are agitators who keep innocent
people in reserve and who mask them. Those people who are with good
intentions always showing Gezi Park are actually unwittingly
overshadowing a much larger photograph.
There is an attempt afoot to give Erdogan a certain image. Within this
consortium there are people who would give him a lesson, and those who
would destroy him. There are those who do not want him to become
President of the Republic. There are those who want to see the back of
the AKP never to return.
A mindset similar to the one that treated Abdullah Gul becoming
President of the Republic as cause for military coup on 27 April is
emerging today from self-style democrat circles. Erdogan supposedly
should announce he is not going to run for President of the Republic
or there will be civil war in Turkey. You make a lot of fuss about
Erdogan imposing his will, but you are not afraid to make impositions
of your own and dictate terms against the national will.
If you look at the facts you will see that the footsteps heralding
this great conspiracy were the string of weighty insults levelled at
the prime minister by Kemal Kilicdaroglu calling him a "murderer" and
a "terrorist."
In the wake of this and just one day before the incident one Turk
elder warned about "imposing a way of life."
It is sad to see certain liberal, democrat and conservative circles
being used with various pretexts as tools for the new model 28 Feb,
which the neo-national front is trying to create.
Those who are saying that the government has completely failed to
understand the reaction of society's new generation are fighting not
to see the big picture.
International power centres appear to be disturbed by "Erdogan type
leadership." It is a form of leadership that develops serious
cooperation with the West but which at the same time does not hesitate
to question the West. It is a form of leadership in which friends can
and do say the harshest things. It is a stance that does not turn its
back but which also does not enter orbit as a satellite. The West is
unaccustomed to this stance and this kind of leadership. It is an
attitude that fought the hardest to enter the EU and demonstrated
transformation but which is not shy to shout out the EU's double
standards and hypocrisy. A country that criticizes the EU's
resolutions and its decision-making mechanism but which still managed
to get chosen as a temporary member of the UN with great support. An
understanding that treats anti-Semitism as a crime but which is not
going to sign off on Israel's murders.
What is wanted is for Erdogan to fix all of Turkey's problems that
have been in place for decades, for him to tackle the Kurds' issues,
the Armenians' issues, the Alevis' issues and the minorities' issues
but not to deal with the pious masses' issues.
What is wanted is for Erdogan to make roads, make dams and make
bridges but not to make Imam Hatip High Schools. He can concern
himself with the nation's garbage, water and parks, but stay out of
culture and art.
He must always embrace everything, take it on the chin, empathize and
absorb everything but he must never criticize, never question, never
be defiant. He must never stray from the sentiments and the demands of
those who did not vote for him, not those who did.
Was the prime minister the same person 10 years ago? Open the
newspaper pages from back then and take a look. There was far more
criticism of him then than there is today. The more the system
normalizes, the more attempts there are to portray the steps being
taken for the pious segment of society as "imposition" "creeping
Islamization" and "neighbourhood pressure" in a bid to stop this.
Some people do not want a prime minister who has a backbone and
self-confidence. They want to create a leader who is under the thumb,
who has complexes, who cannot be defiant, who is afraid of his own
shadow and who always observes the balances. It is because Erdogan
does not fit this mould that Turkey was able to carry out this great
transformation and push back the status quo.
Erdogan's unbending, unyielding and untainted character does not work
for some people today. If there are any who think, "He has done what
we wanted, now let us crush this character and take him under our
control" they are gravely mistaken. It is this leader, this character
that has brought the democracy energy of the great masses to life.
It is because Erdogan heeded the criticism levelled at him and
responded positively to the people's sentiments and reactions that he
was able to secure 50 per cent of the national vote for his party.
Today, the criticisms being voiced by friendly columnists will of
course be given due consideration. However, we are not about to sign
off on those who are unhappy not with Erdogan's style but with his
political presence.
[Translated from Turkish]
June 7 2013
Erdogan's Character and Great Transformation
Commentary by Erdogan's Aide Yalcin Akdogan
Every government, every politician, every prime minister can
criticize, can make mistakes, can be debated. Menderes, Ozal, Demirel.
They all accomplished great things by securing the support of very
large masses. And they were also exposed to criticism again by very
large masses. The point achieved in Turkey in every field under the
AKP [Justice and Development Party] cannot be compared to any other
period. The transformation effect by Erdogan in order to democratize
the system is again incomparable.
Despite this, there are attempts being made to day to categorize
Erdogan as a "dictator" because of certain styles, approaches and
deeds. I ask those liberal pens who are criticizing Erdogan's style,
"For God's sake, is this not bullying? Do those who are inciting
rebellion against Erdogan not wand a democratic Turkey?" The terrorism
that is being inflicted on the conservative masses in the city
centres, the insults being levelled at the AKP's voting body, the
attacks; what is human about all that? Putting aside the youths, the
environmentalists and the artists who are protesting in Gezi Park,
what on earth are those people who get organized in an instant in
dozens of cities attacking public buildings, torching party buildings
and clearly bent on taking down the government? These are not people
mingling with innocent crowds. They are agitators who keep innocent
people in reserve and who mask them. Those people who are with good
intentions always showing Gezi Park are actually unwittingly
overshadowing a much larger photograph.
There is an attempt afoot to give Erdogan a certain image. Within this
consortium there are people who would give him a lesson, and those who
would destroy him. There are those who do not want him to become
President of the Republic. There are those who want to see the back of
the AKP never to return.
A mindset similar to the one that treated Abdullah Gul becoming
President of the Republic as cause for military coup on 27 April is
emerging today from self-style democrat circles. Erdogan supposedly
should announce he is not going to run for President of the Republic
or there will be civil war in Turkey. You make a lot of fuss about
Erdogan imposing his will, but you are not afraid to make impositions
of your own and dictate terms against the national will.
If you look at the facts you will see that the footsteps heralding
this great conspiracy were the string of weighty insults levelled at
the prime minister by Kemal Kilicdaroglu calling him a "murderer" and
a "terrorist."
In the wake of this and just one day before the incident one Turk
elder warned about "imposing a way of life."
It is sad to see certain liberal, democrat and conservative circles
being used with various pretexts as tools for the new model 28 Feb,
which the neo-national front is trying to create.
Those who are saying that the government has completely failed to
understand the reaction of society's new generation are fighting not
to see the big picture.
International power centres appear to be disturbed by "Erdogan type
leadership." It is a form of leadership that develops serious
cooperation with the West but which at the same time does not hesitate
to question the West. It is a form of leadership in which friends can
and do say the harshest things. It is a stance that does not turn its
back but which also does not enter orbit as a satellite. The West is
unaccustomed to this stance and this kind of leadership. It is an
attitude that fought the hardest to enter the EU and demonstrated
transformation but which is not shy to shout out the EU's double
standards and hypocrisy. A country that criticizes the EU's
resolutions and its decision-making mechanism but which still managed
to get chosen as a temporary member of the UN with great support. An
understanding that treats anti-Semitism as a crime but which is not
going to sign off on Israel's murders.
What is wanted is for Erdogan to fix all of Turkey's problems that
have been in place for decades, for him to tackle the Kurds' issues,
the Armenians' issues, the Alevis' issues and the minorities' issues
but not to deal with the pious masses' issues.
What is wanted is for Erdogan to make roads, make dams and make
bridges but not to make Imam Hatip High Schools. He can concern
himself with the nation's garbage, water and parks, but stay out of
culture and art.
He must always embrace everything, take it on the chin, empathize and
absorb everything but he must never criticize, never question, never
be defiant. He must never stray from the sentiments and the demands of
those who did not vote for him, not those who did.
Was the prime minister the same person 10 years ago? Open the
newspaper pages from back then and take a look. There was far more
criticism of him then than there is today. The more the system
normalizes, the more attempts there are to portray the steps being
taken for the pious segment of society as "imposition" "creeping
Islamization" and "neighbourhood pressure" in a bid to stop this.
Some people do not want a prime minister who has a backbone and
self-confidence. They want to create a leader who is under the thumb,
who has complexes, who cannot be defiant, who is afraid of his own
shadow and who always observes the balances. It is because Erdogan
does not fit this mould that Turkey was able to carry out this great
transformation and push back the status quo.
Erdogan's unbending, unyielding and untainted character does not work
for some people today. If there are any who think, "He has done what
we wanted, now let us crush this character and take him under our
control" they are gravely mistaken. It is this leader, this character
that has brought the democracy energy of the great masses to life.
It is because Erdogan heeded the criticism levelled at him and
responded positively to the people's sentiments and reactions that he
was able to secure 50 per cent of the national vote for his party.
Today, the criticisms being voiced by friendly columnists will of
course be given due consideration. However, we are not about to sign
off on those who are unhappy not with Erdogan's style but with his
political presence.
[Translated from Turkish]