Both the right and the left turn to Atatürk in times of trouble, so why does no one openly say that the name of the founding values is Kemalism?
I also use this title from time to time. However, one of the most remarkable uses of this phrase in recent times was in an article written by Ahmet Hakan after July 15th.
In fact, this is no ordinary praise. It has a history and never loses its relevance.
Celal Bayar, the Prime Minister of Atatürk's era and a prominent member of the Second Group, which represented a more liberal and right-wing line in the Turkish Grand National Assembly during the one-party era, after Atatürk's death:
“Loving you is worship, Atatürk.”
He said.
Welfare Party Chairman Necmettin Erbakan:
“If Atatürk had lived, he would have been a Welfare Party member.”
He had used the expressions.
After the July 15 FETO coup attempt, a poster of Atatürk was hung at the AK Party Headquarters. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan:
“Atatürk is the common value of the nation.”
He said.
In the same period, there were two other expressions that we frequently heard in right-wing and conservative circles:
“Turkey must return to its factory settings.”
and
“It must return to the founding values.”
What is remarkable is that the authors of these remarks were politicians from different ideological traditions other than Kemalism.
Recently, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also stated that the CHP should return to its founding values.
Özgür Özel, on the other hand, made one of his first major outbursts in his most politically difficult days by visiting Anıtkabir and again emphasized “founding values”.
In fact, this is not only an issue of today. In Turkey, Atatürk has often been the common meeting point for the political movements that oppose each other most fiercely.
It seems that every political actor who gets into trouble, loses direction or seeks social legitimacy somehow finds his way back to Atatürk and the founding philosophy of the Republic.
So what are these founding values?
Why is everyone talking about founding values but not naming them?
Isn't Kemalism the name of this system of thought, which is principled with the Six Arrows, which established the nation state, which shaped the understanding of the homeland with the Misak-ı Milli and which is based on full independence?
If you keep talking about factory settings, then name these settings.
If you talk about returning to the founding values, then clearly state which system of thought these founding codes are based on.
Because both the founding values of the Republic of Turkey and the founding philosophy of the Republican People's Party have a political and historical name:
Kemalism.
It is a contradiction to try to claim it without naming it, to use the concept but avoid the name.
Either name it clearly or don't take refuge in the rhetoric of founding values every time you get stuck.
That is why I am making the same statement once again:
How great you are Atatürk!
Because in this country, ideas change, parties change, leaders change, but the address to turn to in times of crisis does not change.
Whenever direction is lost, whenever legitimacy is sought, whenever a way out is expected, eyes are turned to the same place.
It is as if someone is always whispering the same sentence in politicians' ears:
“If you are in trouble, call Atatürk...”