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TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN AND MARGINALITY
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
June 17 2013
DAVID HENDRIX
In recent days, thousands of protesters have gone to the streets all
across Turkey, with all eyes on Gezi Park in Istanbul. But is this
really just about a park? Yes it is, but it really is about much more.
It is a dispute over the future of Turkey.
Development is central to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdošan's
Justice and Development Party (AKP). Erdošan himself has been a man
with many projects. This is evident all over Istanbul, where new
apartment buildings, hospitals, universities and shopping malls are
popping up everywhere. No one can deny that Erdošan has done much
for the country, given that it is now seeing unprecedented prosperity.
However development, in the broadest sense, is also what makes him so
controversial. His vision for the future of the country is not shared
by everyone. Whether it is about nuclear energy or education reform,
Erdošan consistently angers diverse segments of society throughout
the country. And this has all come to a head in Gezi Park.
Erdošan's authoritarianism has become abundantly clear in his reaction
towards peaceful protests. It is even clearer in his words that this
is not just a reaction, but a deep part of the way he tries to lead
Turkey. This can be seen in the way he uses the word "marginal". While
he automatically assumed it meant something negative, marginality is
also synonymous with diversity. In fact, marginality, as the opposite
of the mainstream, is actually the source of creative, innovation
and ultimately development. By embracing marginality and diversity,
leaders encourage creativity in art, innovation in business and
development of the economy.
Companies like Apple or Toyota know that if they do not create
new products, they cease to be competitive. This is why they all
have research and development departments. The most innovative R&D
departments allow for diversity of opinion, where practices like
brainstorming and experimenting are encouraged. The best innovation
allows for an open-ended process to find what works best, and this is
accomplished only by creative people with marginal ideas or marginal
practices.
Successful companies organize the structure of the company in a way
that does not interfere with the creative process of R&D departments.
For example, if the accounting department controls research and
development, it will easily refuse funding of potentially successful
projects. R&D departments must be able to give input to the company,
thus CEOs cannot be too authoritarian if they want the company to
succeed. In other words, CEOs must allow the creative individuals of
the company to speak.
Diversity is also very important for governance of states. We have
seen, time and time again, certain cultures which have had explosions
of creativity. One important example can be seen in the Golden Age of
the Islam. Around a thousand years ago, the Islamic world was among the
most advanced societies in the world. The best of these emirs, caliphs
and sultans did not rely on just one branch or school of Islam, but
encouraged diversity in society and even welcomed Jews and Christians
to their centers of power. They also supported diversity in thought,
by being patrons of science, medicine, theology and philosophy. This
helped make them become so powerful.
The Ottoman Empire in its early days also accepted that diversity
was an asset. Not only did it utilize the knowledge of Greeks and
Armenians, it also welcomed persecuted Jewish refugees coming from
Spain. The Muslim world began to decline, in part, when diversity
of ideas and practices where replaced with dogmatism that dominated
every aspect of society. Perhaps the best example of this can be
seen with Hezarfen Ahmed Celebi, who was exiled by Sultan Murad IV,
because he was experimenting with flight in the 17th century.
These are all lessons Erdošan should take to heart. Unfortunately,
he does not even seem willing to listen to his own country. By
doing this, he is now undermining all of the good he has done for
his country. Indeed, he now seems intent on following the patterns
of the late Ottoman Empire rather than the early one.
The protest in Gezi Park has thousands upon thousands of supporters.
They are the marginal, creative individuals of Turkey. They are
a major part of the future of Turkey's development. While Erdošan
says he wants to see Turkey develop even more, he needs to learn the
ways development actually works. Right now, the majority of Turkey's
creative, innovative individuals are now in the protests. If Erdošan
does not start listening to them, Turkey will never become the world
power that it seeks to be.
June/17/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-prime-minister-erdogan-and-marginality-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=48910&NewsCatID=396
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
June 17 2013
DAVID HENDRIX
In recent days, thousands of protesters have gone to the streets all
across Turkey, with all eyes on Gezi Park in Istanbul. But is this
really just about a park? Yes it is, but it really is about much more.
It is a dispute over the future of Turkey.
Development is central to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdošan's
Justice and Development Party (AKP). Erdošan himself has been a man
with many projects. This is evident all over Istanbul, where new
apartment buildings, hospitals, universities and shopping malls are
popping up everywhere. No one can deny that Erdošan has done much
for the country, given that it is now seeing unprecedented prosperity.
However development, in the broadest sense, is also what makes him so
controversial. His vision for the future of the country is not shared
by everyone. Whether it is about nuclear energy or education reform,
Erdošan consistently angers diverse segments of society throughout
the country. And this has all come to a head in Gezi Park.
Erdošan's authoritarianism has become abundantly clear in his reaction
towards peaceful protests. It is even clearer in his words that this
is not just a reaction, but a deep part of the way he tries to lead
Turkey. This can be seen in the way he uses the word "marginal". While
he automatically assumed it meant something negative, marginality is
also synonymous with diversity. In fact, marginality, as the opposite
of the mainstream, is actually the source of creative, innovation
and ultimately development. By embracing marginality and diversity,
leaders encourage creativity in art, innovation in business and
development of the economy.
Companies like Apple or Toyota know that if they do not create
new products, they cease to be competitive. This is why they all
have research and development departments. The most innovative R&D
departments allow for diversity of opinion, where practices like
brainstorming and experimenting are encouraged. The best innovation
allows for an open-ended process to find what works best, and this is
accomplished only by creative people with marginal ideas or marginal
practices.
Successful companies organize the structure of the company in a way
that does not interfere with the creative process of R&D departments.
For example, if the accounting department controls research and
development, it will easily refuse funding of potentially successful
projects. R&D departments must be able to give input to the company,
thus CEOs cannot be too authoritarian if they want the company to
succeed. In other words, CEOs must allow the creative individuals of
the company to speak.
Diversity is also very important for governance of states. We have
seen, time and time again, certain cultures which have had explosions
of creativity. One important example can be seen in the Golden Age of
the Islam. Around a thousand years ago, the Islamic world was among the
most advanced societies in the world. The best of these emirs, caliphs
and sultans did not rely on just one branch or school of Islam, but
encouraged diversity in society and even welcomed Jews and Christians
to their centers of power. They also supported diversity in thought,
by being patrons of science, medicine, theology and philosophy. This
helped make them become so powerful.
The Ottoman Empire in its early days also accepted that diversity
was an asset. Not only did it utilize the knowledge of Greeks and
Armenians, it also welcomed persecuted Jewish refugees coming from
Spain. The Muslim world began to decline, in part, when diversity
of ideas and practices where replaced with dogmatism that dominated
every aspect of society. Perhaps the best example of this can be
seen with Hezarfen Ahmed Celebi, who was exiled by Sultan Murad IV,
because he was experimenting with flight in the 17th century.
These are all lessons Erdošan should take to heart. Unfortunately,
he does not even seem willing to listen to his own country. By
doing this, he is now undermining all of the good he has done for
his country. Indeed, he now seems intent on following the patterns
of the late Ottoman Empire rather than the early one.
The protest in Gezi Park has thousands upon thousands of supporters.
They are the marginal, creative individuals of Turkey. They are
a major part of the future of Turkey's development. While Erdošan
says he wants to see Turkey develop even more, he needs to learn the
ways development actually works. Right now, the majority of Turkey's
creative, innovative individuals are now in the protests. If Erdošan
does not start listening to them, Turkey will never become the world
power that it seeks to be.
June/17/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-prime-minister-erdogan-and-marginality-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=48910&NewsCatID=396