Almost every Turk is worried, if not obsessed, about the image of Turkey, especially in the West. After the AK Party came to power, this issue has been tediously raised by laicist circles vis-à-vis the headscarves of politicians’ wives. Dailies publish so-called modern pictures of the Syrian or Jordanian leaders’ wives, emphasizing how they are so modern, unlike our politicians’ wives.
As far as the laicist circles, including their friends in the Turkish media, are concerned, ignorance is bliss. They have, of course, never pondered the meaning of modernity, what differences exist between modernity, modernization, contemporariness and so on. They have never heard of multiple modernities. They only talk through their hats about these issues. Thus they view and envy dictators’ wives as modern just because they do not wear headscarves. Diversity, individual freedoms, human rights, democracy and acceptance of the other are all secondary issues compared to appearance and visibility in the Turkish laicist “modernity.”
Speaking about appearance and visibility, we must also look at what other type of headgear could be harming Turkey’s image. Two types of hat come to my mind. One is Demirel’s infamous hat and the other is military hat. And, these two hats are somewhat related to each other. Demirel has long been accused of running away and disappearing with his hat when soldiers showed their hats and staged a coup. Simmering tensions surrounding the visibility of military hats in the civil and political spheres have been an everyday reality of life in Turkey.
Nowadays, we are discussing the new memorandum from the military. Apparently, some soldiers prepared a report about the Turkish media outlets and “media elite,” dividing them mainly into two groups, supporters and opponents. Life is not composed of only black and white, unlike how some of our soldiers would see it. Life is more colorful, sophisticated and complicated, and that is why democracy, freedoms and being able to agree to disagree is a vital need for modern life. And that is precisely why the military should be out of politics. People who are so concerned about Turkey’s image in the West should also worry about the harm done to our image because of what kept happening to Demirel’s hat and because of the visibility of soldiers’ hats in public life. A headscarved lady can and does get respect in Western societies, despite difficulties, but a Turkey with so many appearing and disappearing hats in public is seen as a banana republic, with which one does business but never respects.
Western societies are not monolithic. There is not a monolithic British or English society. They are not all intellectuals or all racist hooligans. Their perceptions of Turkey depend on their backgrounds, education, intellect, ideology, etc. As diaspora Turks experience daily, while there are many Westerners in whose eyes Turks are and will always be the other regardless of what we wear, headscarf or miniskirt, there are also many modern-minded and tolerant folk who see and respect the person behind the appearance. Even though there is no absolute remedy to bigotry and stereotyping, presenting a reality -- and not just a “Potemkin village” image -- of a Turkey where democracy, rule of law, differences and diversity are cherished is essential.
No comments:
Post a Comment