No matter from which perspective you look at history, you will see that states cannot last only with military might, only with political moves or only with economic means. What sustains great civilizations are invisible values rather than visible power, faith rather than calculations, conscience rather than rules, and the world of the heart rather than the sword. The real power behind the Turkish nation's ability to survive for centuries is hidden in this deep and spiritual foundation.
When analyzing the historical process from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Turkey, it is possible to see the traces of the same spirit, the same wisdom and the same path. At the source of this spirit lies the understanding of the Ahlul Bayt; the justice, mercy and morality of the Prophet; the knowledge and courage of Hz. Ali; the truthfulness, sacrifice and submission of Hz. Hasan and Hüseyin were embodied in Hünkâr and spread to the Turkish nation.
The most powerful representative of this light in Anatolia is undoubtedly Hacı Bektaş Veli. He was born as a beacon of hope in the difficulties of the 13th century, guiding and uplifting Turkish communities torn apart by Mongol invasions and migrations. This guidance was not only a Sufi doctrine, but also a social model, a moral education and one of the cornerstones of state philosophy.
A Seed Falling in Anatolia: The Yeast of Hacı Bektaş
When we look at what makes Anatolia a “homeland” today, we see a very clear fact: This geography was not only conquered, but also fermented. The land taken on the battlefields was kneaded with the understanding of the human being taught by Hacı Bektaş Veli; nomadic communities that came with tribal strife were transformed into a nation with his philosophy.
Haji Bektash Veli's “be careful with your hands, your waist and your tongue” It is no exaggeration to say that the maxim was the three fundamental moral pillars that made Anatolia a homeland. This teaching was directly influential even in the foundation of the Ottoman Empire; the janissary quarry was built on this philosophy. The spiritual vein stretching from “Pir-i Turkistan“ to the "Khorasan Eren's" made the Ottoman soldiers moral as well as warriors. Because the Ottoman soldier was first trained in heart and soul, and then put to the sword.
It is no coincidence that even today, the elderly living in Balkan villages call the Ottoman soldier “blessed soldier”; this spiritual training is behind it.
The Foundation of the Ottoman Empire A Miracle of Spirituality
When you look closely at the founding of the Ottoman Empire, you will see that it was not just a conquest movement. The yeast played by Hünkâr Hacı Bektaşi Veli, Osman Bey's dream, Sheik Edebali's advice, the moral order of the Ahis, the villages founded by dervishes and the organization of zawiya... When all these come together, a deep social and spiritual architecture emerges that will sustain an empire for centuries.
At the core of this architecture Love for Ahlul Bayt has. The Ottoman sects, ahi organizations, quarries and the scholarly class took this love as a basis. Most of the Ottoman sultans wrote their reverence for the Ahl al-Bayt in inscriptions, edicts and foundation conditions. Even Mehmet the Conqueror is known to have issued a special protection decree for the members of the Ahl al-Bayt.
This is why the founding of the Ottoman Empire was not the birth of an ordinary state; it was a spiritual move, a moral order, a humanitarian philosophy that was made known to the nation.
The same light is at the core of the Republic
Although many people do not realize it today, the Republic of Turkey is one of the children of this leaven. Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's childhood education was deeply influenced by the fact that his father and mother, named after Imama Reza, came from a valuable Bektashi tradition and that Bektashism was very active in the Balkan geography. Atatürk always continued on his path with the spiritual strength he received from Hünkar and was able to overcome difficulties. It is a well-known fact that Atatürk, in many of his speeches, showed his respect for the Ahlul Bayt and cited the knowledge and courage of Hz. Ali as an example.
According to the late Prof. Dr. Haydar Baş, Atatürk laid the foundations of our Republic with Cemalettin Çeleb, the postmaster of the time, at the Haci Bektash lodge, which he visited regularly. One of the fundamental principles of the Republic scientificity, equality, respect for human rights, justice, In fact, it was emphasized much earlier in the works of Hacı Bektaş Veli.
The Republic was not a rupture that rejected the spiritual heritage of the Ottoman Empire; on the contrary, it was a great renewal that adapted, updated and reinterpreted it to the conditions of the modern world. Since the essence of the nation remained the same, the leaven of society did not change even though the form of the state changed.
Why is the Ethics of Ahlul Bayt the Leaven of the Foundation?
Reducing the understanding of Ahlul Bayt to a belief group is one of the greatest injustices that can be done to Turkish history. This understanding is a system of mind and morality that has been kneading the Turkish tradition for 1200 years. Because Ahl al-Bayt means:
- Justice means.
- Being on the side of the oppressed means.
- Rise with knowledge means.
- Controlling your ego means.
- To uphold the right, not the position means.
- Decency means.
- Becoming a man means.
Is it possible that these values are not the foundation of a state? It was this morality that founded the Ottoman Empire and raised the Republic.
Even today, the Turkish nation's unity in a problem, solidarity in disasters, standing shoulder to shoulder in war, and meeting in a “common conscience” despite different views show that this yeast is still alive.
If Yeast Fails, the State Collapses
History has taught us one thing: It is not economic distress that destroys states, but moral decline. Societies that forget their founding philosophy first weaken their unity, then their justice, then their trust, and finally their state.
The loosening of this spiritual bond is at the root of many of the problems we face as a country today.
When yeast weakens;
- Polarization increases,
- Respect decreases,
- “The consciousness of ”we" is lost,
- The state-nation bond becomes thinner,
- Common values erode.
However, in our history, the thing that heals these wounds has always been the same: Remembering the love of Ehli Beyt, the justice, virtue and unifying breath of Hacı Bektaş.
Why Should We Return to This Leaven Today?
Because societies are sustained not only by material projects, but also by shared meanings. It is not bridges, airports and roads that make a nation a nation; common conscience, common values, a common spiritual language. In short, national and spiritual values. The understanding of Ahlul Bayt is the most fundamental source that establishes this common language.
This nation may have different sects, different views, different identities. But what keeps us under the same roof is the wisdom in that famous sentence of Hacı Bektaş:
“Let us be one, let us be big, let us be alive.”
This promise is not just an admonition; it is a social contract from history to the present day.
Today, to say that the same spiritual yeast was used in the founding of the Ottoman Empire and the construction of the Republic does not mean that one period is superior to the other. On the contrary, it shows that this nation has been able to adapt to different conditions by remaining loyal to the same spirit throughout history.
If Turkish history is a whole, this yeast is the mortar that unites it.
This is yeast:
- The nation made us.
- He created a state.
- It increased our resilience to difficulties.
- Even as geographies changed, the essence remained.
What we need to do today is very clear:
To remember this yeast again, to embrace it again, to bring it to life again. Because as Hacı Bektaş Veli said:
“Do not hurt even if you are hurt.”
This sentence alone is a philosophy of state. It is the moral compass that kept both the Ottoman Empire and the Republic alive. And the future of this land depends on this compass.