Çeviriler

Why was Gülen appreciated by both the centre-right and the centre-left? What was the motive that drove both right-wing and left-wing governments to aid and assist Gülen, and to collaborate with him whenever needed? I believe the reason can be found in the way Gülen’s ideas were able to integrate conservatism, nationalism, and a kind of religiosity that took secularist sensitivities into account.

The West’s traditional Islamophobia has come out of hiding. A younger Western generation in the West is much more hard-lining on secularism and hence nurtures a different concept of democracy. But justified as we are in being furious at the West, we also have to be realistic. At the end of the day, Turkey is still part of the “Western alliance.”

An openly pro-coup German daily has published an article describing contemporary Turkey as “a tumor within the West.” Meanwhile, Turkey itself is trying to excise the real tumor nestling within so as to bolster its own resistance.

15th July was the Gulenist junta’s attempt to take Turkish society prisoner as a whole. And society for its part also resisted this treasonous attempt as a whole. All political parties and the entire media aligned themselves with the government against the coup. Not a single group applauded the putschists. Not a single social group greeted them with open arms.

A real possibility has finally arisen of reaching some kind of consensus over changing the system so as to get rid of military tutelage. At the very least, there are some indications in that regard. As for those who think they are in some kind of “theatre,” it wouldn’t be too bad if they too were to come down from their imaginary “stage,” and to leave their pride behind in joining the people.