In the fall of 2013, I came to Turkey. The plane flying from Chisinau was supposed to land at the airport, which at that time still bore the name of Atatürk. We were coming to one of the biggest city ants on the planet, Istanbul. With a full suitcase of dreams and plans, I set out to conquer Istanbul, but the opposite happened, it conquered me. Besides, he conquered me a few years ago when I was his tourist. However, this time everything was more serious. I was about to become a graduate student at one of Turkey’s oldest universities, Marmara University. During my student years, many of my teachers often and proudly repeated Napoleon’s words about Istanbul: “If the Earth were one country, Istanbul would be its capital”this phrase tickles their pride for being Turks and living in Istanbul.

2013 has gone down in Turkish history as the year of the Gezi Park protests, protests that for the first time became a clear message for Turks against the policies imposed by the ruling AKP party. The protests took place in May, and in the fall, when I arrived in Istanbul, there was still indignation and anger in society. Protesters could be seen in most areas of Istanbul, and I experienced moments of spiritual elevation and kept repeating to myself, “God, what kind of people! How well he defends his country and his rights!” But over the years, the protest spirit of the Turks subsided, and recently it almost ceased to exist. And even though I know the answer, I still ask rhetorically, “Why?” With the exception of Turkey’s major cities, such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, where protests can still be seen under the watchful eye of dozens of police officers, the rest of the cities are…quiet.

The beginnings of the Turkish Republic

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the War of Independence, on October 29, 1923, with the help of a bill of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey under the leadership of Atatürk, the foundations of the Republic of Turkey were laid, and Atatürk was elected president. During the 15 years of his presidency, Atatürk carried out radical reforms in all spheres of the country’s social and political life, and managed to build a secular, democratic and secular state on the ruins of the former Ottoman Empire. Atatürk understood that he could save the country only by adopting the European way of life and carrying out urgent reforms. The transition from the caliphate to secularism by separating the state from religion was one of the most famous reforms, and the abolition of religious schools laid the foundations for secular education. Taking into account the lifestyle, customs and political system to which the Turks were accustomed, it can be assumed that these reforms were quite radical for the time and had a great impact on the population, perhaps even traumatic. At the time of its founding, Turkey had a population of 12 million, 90 percent of whom lived in rural areas, and 90 percent of these villages had no schools or teachers and a literacy rate of only 10 percent. In the Ottoman Empire, printing came almost 300 years late, so we can understand how difficult it was for the Turks to understand and accept any reform they wanted to implement. ¹

Atatürk was a visionary and revolutionary leader who sought to demystify the idea that Islam was incompatible with modernity and democratic values. This complex process of building a secular state slowed down in the 1980s when Kenan Evren became Turkey’s seventh president, who allowed Islamic parties to come to power in Turkey.

Atatürk’s doctrine, called Kemalism, is based on six principles: nationalism, statesmanship, republicanism, populism, secularism and revolution. It is difficult to say how many of these 6 principles are still alive in Turkey. It is not for nothing that in recent years editorial articles signed by well-known journalists appear in the Turkish press more and more often, apologizing in a melancholy tone to Atatürk for not being able to save what he once built. Critics of the regime in Ankara say that Turkey is undergoing a process of transformation into a typical Middle Eastern country, and society is undergoing a process of re-Islamization. Contemporary Turkish society is divided by identity, religion, sect, and ideology, and the main dispute in the public sphere is between Islamists and secularists. It seems that Orhan Pamuk was right when he stated that: “In the first years after the establishment of the republic, the Turks were forced to be ‘Western’, and when they almost succeeded, they were told that they had better be more ‘Eastern’.” ‘.

Is the “century of Turkey” beginning?

Today, from the stands of politicians, Turks are increasingly hearing the phrase “Turkey’s century”, which represents President Erdogan’s vision of the country’s development for the next hundred years. In his opinion, the “century of Turkey” should begin with the change of the Constitution. On the grounds that it is no longer relevant but reminiscent of the 1982 coup, President Erdogan says the new constitution will “strengthen the rule of law, pluralism, justice and equality”.

Since 2002, which coincides with the coming to power of the AKP, Turkey has experienced rapid development. Economic reforms produced tangible results, and Turks witnessed the “golden period” of the AKP regime. 2015 was a turning point for the Turkish economy, as during this period Turks began to feel the effects of the onset of the economic crisis, characterized by income inequality and the gradual disappearance of the middle class. The failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, which the Turkish president compared to a “gift from God,” was a test in which Turkey as a country lost and the AKP regime emerged victorious. A showdown with Fethullah Gulen’s group and a massive purge of members of the group from state institutions and the army paved the way for a constitutional referendum in 2017 that transformed Turkey from a parliamentary republic to a presidential one. Since 2022, Turkey is experiencing one of the worst economic crises in the entire history of the Republic. I’m not saying it, but statistics and economic indicators say it. 10 years ago, Turkey aspired to be among the world’s 10 largest economies, but today it is making great efforts to stay at least in the top 20. In terms of education, Turkey is not even among the top 40. data Transparency International, Index of perception of corruption in 2022, Turkey was ranked 96th out of 180 countries, compared to 29th in 1995. Despite having a very young population, 1 in 10 people of working age are unemployed, and 1 in 5 young people are unemployed. Half of Turkey’s population is under the age of 32, so you can understand how young this country is.²

The extremely rapid process of urbanization that has taken place over the past 50 years has given rise to many social problems. Over 70 percent of Turkey’s population, who lived in rural areas, ended up in cities in just 50 years. Unfortunately, the mentality, habits and way of life of the people have not kept up with urbanization, which has led to the appearance of those ghettos, so specific to the cities of Turkey, where people are still learning to adapt to the cosmopolitan culture. The concentration of economic or business structures only in the largest cities of Turkey, such as Istanbul, Ankara or Izmir, and their disproportionate distribution throughout the territory, have brought great harm to smaller cities. In Turkey, the happiest people are over 65, and the unhappiest are young people. 1 in 2 young people say they are unhappy in their country. And 1 in 2 young people find a reason to be angry. Turkey is a country of unhappy and anxious people, and according to the happiness index, Turkey is not even among the top 100 countries. People don’t trust the justice system, the media, and perhaps worst of all, people don’t trust other people. There is a serious problem of mutual trust in society. After World Freedom IndexTurkey is not even among the top 100 countries.³

In response to many problems or challenges, Turks often give a short answer: “Our geography or destiny is the cause of all the problems we face”, and I am still trying to understand this fatalistic answer. Turks also say that the country has a very full, overflowing memory, so we often “forget everything too quickly”. Modern Turkey is facing big problems such as ethnic and religious minorities, terrorism, refugees, but in my humble opinion, the main problem facing Turkey now is the area of ​​justice. This is where the reform should begin, otherwise the entire country will suffer without a fair and effective justice system.

For people who admire culture and civilization, Turkey is the right place to learn something new every day. The social agenda of the country is so rich and diverse that it is impossible to get bored. The mosaic of cultures, religions, and ethnic groups is the invaluable wealth of the country. In addition to the picturesque natural landscapes or unique historical places, tourists and foreigners who come to Turkey are first of all fascinated by the humanity of the people. With a typical Mediterranean, even Eastern, native warmth, Turkey is a country where humanity feels at home.

I admire and often envy the pride and love of Turks for their country. Every year on November 10 at 9:05 in the morning, when Atatürk is commemorated, I am very moved when Turks, as a sign of respect for the memory of Atatürk, freeze wherever they are: on the street, at home, in traffic jams. –

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