Turkish Nationalists’ Understanding of Statism – Ali Aksoy

[This article was published in Ali Aksoy’s archive, on 30.04.2006, and has been included in his other articles on this site.]

Turkish Nationalists’ understanding of “statism” and what they mean by “state” has now become a subject that needs to be seriously discussed. How “statist” are Turkish Nationalists and which state is “statist”?

In fact, the phenomenon of statism is a necessary consequence of nationalism. It is unthinkable that an opinion that prioritizes the nation and its interests should not defend a state belonging to the nation. At this stage, the problem is what to do when the state of the nation ceases to be the state of the nation or when the state of the nation turns the defenders of the nation against itself, how much and to which state to be a statist. Nationalist doctrine did not foresee such a possibility and did not prepare an answer for it.

Similar to the attitude it took in the events of May 3, 1944, the state did not deprive its defenders of torture and persecution when the revolution in 1980 took a break from democracy and political life, and dealt the greatest blow to the Turkish Nationalists. During this movement, the state used the sacredness of the nation, the military, and caught the Turkish Nationalists, who saw it as a taboo to oppose the sacred, unprepared and helpless. He tried the Turkish Nationalists as terrorists. It later emerged that some of the extensions of the same state made the greatest contribution to the development of the terror environment in the country, and the holy nation of the nation deliberately and willingly watched this terror environment rise to a level that would constitute the environment for a coup d’état. Before 1980, when the governments demanded that martial law be declared in some provinces, the soldiers refused the demands on the grounds that their strength would not be enough due to the current troop distribution, but the same soldier declared martial law all over the country in 1980 and cut the events like a knife. The US children, whom the US officials of the time described as “I guess our children succeeded”, turned to the Turkish Nationalists on the same day and later.

The leader of the Turkish Nationalists, Alparslan Türkeş, while describing this incident in his memoirs much later, explains that he hid in a central village of Ankara before the revolution, that he said to those around him “Let’s not surrender” after the revolution, but that he could not see the courage and will of those around him. How does the will that proposes not to surrender when the sacred of the nation strikes a coup and says to surrender, how compatible with the understanding of statism that exists in general among Turkish Nationalists, and which thought is really statist?

The current and current aspect of the issue is as follows: Today, there is an atmosphere of terror in the country. PKK terrorism cannot be suppressed and the country is gradually brought to the brink of a civil war. The “state” authorized by the nation to find solutions to the events on its own behalf cannot solve the problem. When the issue of terrorism is examined, it can be seen immediately that the state has neglected the development of terrorism, and this reality is perceived in the social mind and conscience of the nation in this way. Today, if you were to go out on the street and ask why terrorism has spread so much, almost all of the answers you will get will be directly or indirectly based on the state. Those who fail to balance the level of development and income distribution in the country fairly, who allow foreign powers to run wild in the country and spread strife, who do not fight terrorism with the right means, who fight with the unconventional war method, respond with regular armies and turn a blind eye to the martyrdom of thousands of our soldiers. Due to the mistake made, over 100 billion dollars wasted in 10-15 years in the wrong way, and our other assets that can be spent in the solution of these problems are given to the bank bosses, profiteers, whistleblowers, causing the terrorist organization to take a place in the underground world, the people of the east and south east, who treat the people of the east and south east as a community other than a minority and nation, who treat the people of the region from time to time just as it does in other places, who hand over the terrorist corpses to the supporters of terrorism so that they can carry out more actions, Isn’t it the same state that can’t stand up to the countries that it has sources for, that turns red in the issues related to the north of Iraq, that licks its spit and that humiliates our nation?

Well, if these neglects continue like this and the events take the Turkish Nationalists to the streets, which state will judge the Turkish Nationalists for “showing up” and torture and torture them? same state!

It is seen that; The state, which we know as the “father”, cannot paternity and leads the motherland and its inhabitants to the process of extinction.

At this stage, what we understand by “state” and what the state is must be determined correctly. The state is a great organization, a great power that has authority over the individual, regardless of its organ or official. It takes its power from the nation that submits to it and surrenders its power to it. From this point of view, the government, parliament, military, municipality and all other institutions, even the health center, school and headman in a remote place are also the state. The illegal secret forces and decision makers formed by the legal state are also the state. Because the reason for existence is the legal state. Although the state is an institution and an organization, since it is managed by the human element, its decision makers and order makers represent the state. Therefore, when being statist, it is not possible to keep these rulers separate from the state phenomenon. The crime committed against the official of the state is considered to have been committed against the state, the opinion and decision of the administrator of the state is the opinion and decision of the state. The state is a whole with its organization and human element. So is anti-state. The logic that I am not against the state but against its rulers is unrealistic. This is the main point of the statism issue and it is the main issue that misleads the Turkish Nationalists.

Why can’t it be pro or anti-state by keeping its rulers separate? Or, why can’t the state be for or against its rulers by keeping it separate?

The constitution and laws determine the limits of authority of the state and the nation, who will govern whom and how. For a moment, in accordance with the general tendency of Turkish Nationalists, let’s be pro-state but anti-government. The aim will be to change the aspects that we find wrong by gaining the title of “manager” in the state within the legal framework. When the wrong aspects are corrected and the administrators act in accordance with the interests of the nation, one can become a full supporter of the state with its administrator and organization.

At this point, it should be questioned whether this is possible. That is, when we play within the rules of the current game and get ahead in the game, will we be able to change the rules and conditions of the game that we do not like? For example, could Atatürk save the homeland by being the “government” within the rules of that game, instead of engaging in a national struggle and being against the Ottoman “state”? There is a “de facto impossibility” both in this historical example and in the example before us today. It is true in theory, but it is not possible to realize it in real terms.

This; This is so for three reasons. First reason; It is not possible to raise the real will of the nation to the top of the state. In this country, the nation can only act as a notary public, and there can never be a leader who takes his power from the people and who will change the rules of the game when he comes to the head of the state. Because this is a threat to the existing order and the current order will never allow it. The national will can only reach the state level through political parties. Political parties, on the other hand, are governed by the law on political parties and related legislation. Political parties are always kept under control by anti-democratic laws and practices, and in case this is breached, the dominant powers, the media, etc. He stands ready and ready with his forces. The nation once gave its hand to the disease called politicians in the face of current law and practice practices, lost its arm and was rendered invincible. Whether it is a voter, a delegate, a provincial or district president, the national will can never make itself represented in accordance with its purpose. This is the case in all political parties, and this practice is consistently maintained for the purpose of the sovereign powers to keep the nation under control. The nation can do nothing but approve the representatives dictated to it by the political parties. Since the same scenario is valid for all political parties, although it is theoretically possible for the nation to overthrow this leadership and raise its true leader and will to the state, it is not actually possible.

Second reason; Even if the nation reflects its true will to the state, the state is not under the command of the nation’s representative. Authority is divided among various powers. Parliament and government are just two of these powers. Administrative division, administrative division of duties, which should be divided into three as “legislative”, “executive” and “judiciary” according to the Constitution, has now been transformed into a sharing of sovereignty, and the three institutions are joined by the military, President of the Republic, bureaucracy, YÖK, BRSA, ÖİB, CBRT and so on. By adding autonomous institutions, the possibility of governing the nation and the state with the real representative of the nation was removed. In addition to these, external effects such as EU, IMF, UN etc. When you add the elements of oppression, how much room is left for the will of the nation in the administration and administration of this state?

Third reason; Currently, and for a long time, there is no national unity and will in the nation that can eliminate the first two causes.

Who is it that prepares and strives to maintain all this environment? Isn’t it the state and the people who are embedded in it in one way or another? Look what else this state is doing:

This state does not hesitate to give away to greedy bosses what our nation has earned with its bayonet, and what the nation has paid to those they defeated so that they can earn it with sweat and use it in good works. This state has forced our nation to hunger and unemployment. For years, this state has mistreated my nation, despised and humiliated it with many of its officials, especially with the law enforcement officers, even to the most unauthorized doorkeeper. This state destroyed the entrepreneurs by bringing high taxes, unnecessary bureaucracy and bribery, and took measures to leave the market in the hands of a few bosses. This state, high premium etc. This has caused our people to work without health insurance due to various reasons. Many more remain unemployed, even without social security. This state, with its disgraceful health system, has caused the death and suffering of many members of our nation unnecessarily. This state has left our nation without education. This state has left our nation dependent on foreign sources for the weapons and defense systems needed to defend our nation. This state could not meet our nation’s need for justice. This state protects our forests, our land, our farmers, our natural beauties, our past, our future, etc. etc. has destroyed. This paragraph can be extended so much that…. As a result, the state could not do the job of administration correctly, causing our nation to lose its advantageous position that it gained during the years of national struggle. Now, since we have explained above that the state and its ruler cannot be separated from each other, will we be the supporters and statists of this state? Are we going to be a Turkish nationalist, and remain a spectator to the state’s betrayal of the nation, with its manager and the organization that brought it into existence, with its law? Or will we be a supporter rather than a spectator?

It is not possible for the Turkish nationalists to accept this doctrinally. Opposing views are nothing but ignorance and inconsistency. It is contrary to the reason for existence of Turkish Nationalism’s view and movement. It is evident with many known examples that the Turkish Nationalists were used by the state for a long time due to this understanding of statism and were thrown away after the task was completed. In the same way that a gang leader uses and sacrifices people who are emulated or in need of dark deeds under the influence of the movies he watches, the state has used our people for a long time, who have grown up with an understanding of statism that has exceeded its purpose, and this understanding of statism has been reinforced by the political organization it is in. Many of us, knowingly or unknowingly, have become extras for the high interests of the state, which has tortured and betrayed our nation in many ways, perhaps in environments we have never known.

If this is the case, how should the Turkish Nationalism doctrine approach this issue?

First; The nation does not exist for the state, but the state exists for the nation. The state has to serve its nation in every business, to glorify the nation and to honor it with concrete achievements in every environment. The nation’s creation and authorization of the state is based on consent. If the phenomenon called the state does not use this consent-based authority in accordance with the purpose of authorization and prevents the return of the authority to its owner, a freak above the nation, other than the nation and superior to the nation, will emerge. This is such a freak that; it both feeds by using the resources of my nation by force, and also works against the nation. This freak is using his authority to use force against the nation when the nation is against it. Its definition is nothing but colonialism. The doctrine of Turkish nationalism should accept that when the nation wants to amend or take back the authority it has given with consent, if it is hard for them, the nation should also resort to force. Because what matters is not the continuation of the existence of the freak authorized by the nation, but the continuation of the existence of the nation. Here, it is the job of the Turkish Nationalists to organize the use of force by the nation. If changing the current order with the force of the nation instead of politics can lead to the destruction of the nation; nationalists would not consider it peculiar to this condition. At this stage, the Turkish Nationalism doctrine and Turkish Nationalists; At a time when the state puts itself in trouble with its own weakness, cannot get out of the business with its ordinary forces, and asks for help from the nation, together with the help of the nation to the state; should accept the necessity of changing the ready order by force of the nation. Just like Atatürk did…. Ataturk; He is a really great leader and Turkish Nationalist who personally organized and succeeded in this event. Since he destroyed the ready-made order, made the will of the nation dominate, and knew very well how the process works, he described a scenario that we will face in 10-15 years, perhaps even sooner, in his address to the youth, as if he had seen this day. The primary part of this scenario describes the possibility of the absolute victory of the enemy forces outside the nation and the state, and predicts the possibility of the rulers’ betrayal of the nation after saying “more painful and terrible than this…”. Even in this situation, the duty of the Turkish Youth is to save the independence and the republic. It is to save, because the republic is no longer the republic of the Turk. This rescue work is not obedience to the command of the sold-out rulers or submission to their subordinates. It is to organize the nation, as he did, and to wage a struggle with a greater power against the treacherous horde. When necessary, it means not obeying the order to surrender and throwing the uniform off.

Latter; Turkish Nationalists; In order to put an end to the state’s betrayal and persecution against the nation, the potential power of the Turkish Nationalists should be increased, and their ability to act and influence. In order to do this, they must first trust the nation in their own organizations and be able to reveal its will. First of all, this happens when the Turkish Nationalists manage themselves successfully and struggle with the leader dominance that creates a state within the state. The most important thing in this struggle is the awareness of the Turkish Nationalists about this situation. No matter what he does, no matter what he does, no matter what he does, no matter what he does, no matter what he beats or swears, the state is my state, my leader’s mistake is right from my right, the leader – the organization – the doctrine is indisputable, the order cuts the iron, what is among the classical approaches that turn Turkish Nationalists into bigoted, dogmatic and vagrant crowds? Is there a difference? All of them are fed by the same logic and the same source. What a coincidence, the results that emerged at the level of the nation and the Turkish Nationalists are the same.

Third; Turkish Nationalists should be able to stand against the state on legitimate grounds, after ensuring the unity and order within themselves. Standing against the state on a legitimate ground, primarily determining which state to be a statist in doctrine and education is to express this openly and loudly. Turkish Nationalists; It should lead the nation in the use of the legitimate ground and the opportunities developed against the wrong actions of the state. This; Civilization, which we call civil courage, happens when those living in a society know their rights and obligations towards others and the state. Administrative courts, constitutional courts, criminal courts exist for this. Since nationalism is to protect and defend the rights of the nation, this should be one of the duties of the organizations formed by the Turkish Nationalists. This, as a mandate, should be accepted for our organisations. Nationalist power should channel its legal and political power in this direction in a coordinated manner. This stance should be used not only in violations of individual rights, but also in violations of social rights, within all the possibilities of the legitimate ground, even with some difficulty. Turkish Nationalists should resist the authority that does not allow them to hold demonstrations and press statements in their just struggles, and reinforce this with legal and political follow-up. These are not the usual things in the social movements of the Turkish Nationalists. In the tradition of Turkish Nationalists, active reaction on social issues is not seen much. In this respect, for example, organizations such as Greenpeace, which chain themselves to the entrance of a factory that poisons our nation by poisoning the nature and try to draw the attention of the society in this direction, are more successful and experienced than the Turkish Nationalists. Political representatives of Turkish Nationalism; Aside from being a group that only criticizes the wrong, it should be a force that “takes account” by forcing them a little, aside from taking advantage of all the opportunities available on behalf of the nation. Since the issue of statism in our doctrine and doctrinal education has exceeded its purpose, we are faced with the following contradiction: Many public officials who mistreat and persecute our nation, even with the smallest actions, define themselves as Turkish Nationalists. These people, who claim a so-called nationalism with a so-called statist approach, are more statist and sadistic, sick-spirited people than the state. The sad thing is that the nationalist political force, instead of rejecting and excluding such people, accepts that person as a link within the state, as a statesman, according to his position in the state, and preserves the existing power and possibilities of such people in the state and makes them worse. uses reinforcements. In many places, it has been seen that these sick-spirited people come to places with the nationalist power and then make it difficult and mistreat even the truly nationalist people. Our nation’s stance against a state that does not serve it or even betrays it can only be possible if the nationalists reconsider their understanding of statism and apply it by defining it in accordance with its purpose.

Now, we are faced with a state that is dragging our nation towards a civil war and laying the groundwork for it by condoning it as much as possible. And the dirty extensions of this state invite Turkish Nationalists to the streets to serve their purposes. When the flag was burned somewhere, Turkish Nationalists should have taken to the streets and reacted… Why? Where is the legal and legitimate response that the state should show to this issue? The state can use force against force if it encounters an actual intervention while doing its duty through its own organs and officials. Moreover, he is not blamed for this reason… Haven’t the state’s police, gendarmerie, who put a gun on their waist, a uniform on them, an identity card in their pockets, and money in their wallets? Turkish Nationalists are so keen to protect the state that allows the burning of flags in this country by providing free gendarmerie and setting the scene that the leader of their political organization is accused as much as possible of not reacting to the events.

In fact, real Turkish Nationalists should perhaps really take to the streets in these situations. He should go down and look for a state worthy of him.

That said, this approach; It may be offensive to many people who call themselves Turkish Nationalists. They may be the majority…

Whatever the result and effect, personally, I would rather be a part of a truthful minority that looks at the Turkish state in this way, who is completely loyal to each other, if you share your pain and joy, instead of being among the desperate crowds who are part of the problem and will persecute my nation and persecute my nation. I am not a statist of a traitor state.

Ali Aksoy, 30.04.2006

(Translated with google translate)

For the original article, see:

Türk Milliyetçilerinin Devletçilik Anlayışı – Ali Aksoy