Turkije Instituut – Utrecht31 January 2008

‘Taksim – Kars’

Modernization, democracy, and the future of Turkey

Intellectuals and Westernizationin Turkey

(1923-2008)

Baskin Oranoran@politics.ankara.edu.tr

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Part I

Intellectuals

Intellectuals in Underdeveloped Countries:the Aydın

- Aydın has no equivalent in Western languages. Origin: Aydınlanma (Age of Enlightenment).

- Driver and engine of Westernization- BUT may also be the brake..

Class background

Petty Bourgeoisie

Small tradesman Aydın

Petty Bourgeoisie and the West

- Small tradesman: Destroyed by the West

- Aydın: Created by the West(ern education)- Creator of a simulation of the West in its country. . “… is product of modernization before modernization reaches its country” (J.Kautsky)

- Therefore:-Identifies itself with the West, its creator

- (but, which West?)

- Identifies itself with the Nation-state, its creature

-(but, what kind of State?)....

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Part II

Westernization

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The Kemalist Revolution from Above:An Appraisal

- Huge Successes - Contradiction:

- Strong nation-state under heavy influence of the military vs. - “Contemporary Civilisation”

- Responses against Kemalist revolution: - Ethnic reactions- Religious reactions

- Civilian/Democratic reactions ..

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Two Westernization Movements: a comparison

.

Türkiyeli

(“from Turkey”)

Turk

(Muslim Turk)

Supra-identity:

Muslim

The human being Nation

(homogenous and secular)

Umma

Citizen

(voluntary)

Citizen

(compulsory)

Subject

Democratic state

(pluralist)

Nation-state

(monist)

Semi-feudal empire

EU Reform PackagesEU Reform Packages

(2001-2004)(2001-2004)

Kemalist RevolutionKemalist Revolution

(1920s)(1920s)Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire

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Reactions against EU Reform Packages“Raise the flags high!”

- Started with: Insulting and penalizing the Minority Report (Arts. 301, 216)

Slogans:- “We’ll be split” (Cyprus, Pontus, Phanar, Diaspora, Kurds, sale

of summer houses, privatisation, etc.) - “Islamists will take over” - “Christian & imperialist West”Actions:- The website of the Gen.Staff: “Who doesn’t say ‘I’m proud to be

a Turk’ is an enemy and will stay so”- Lynching the leftist and Kurdish demonstrators; killing the non-

Muslim citizens and foreign missionaries ..

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Why this aberration ?

• A fear from Zombies: Unsolved problems stuffed in the closet now coming out all at once:

– Armenian p.– Islam p.– Kurdish p.

• A reaction against globalization symbolised by the EU Reforms - a new precondition for Turkish candidacy at every new EU document (Budget + Islamophobia/Turcophobia)

– Result: “Sevres Paranoia” - Panic among the Kemalist elites - they cannot

cope with all this by using the prescriptions of the 1930s - Panic among the masses – they are afraid of

losing “the dominant nation” position ...

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Analysis of the Present Situation Despair and Hope

1920s & 30s 2000s Kemalism EU Reform Packages

Religious Reaction Nationalist Reaction

(“Sèvres Paranoia”)