The anomaly of war


Date posted: September 15, 2016

BURAK BEKDİL

The anomaly of war, French essayist Emile Auguste Chartier wrote, is that the best men get themselves killed while crafty men find their chances to govern in a manner contrary to justice. How much of that applies to modern Turkey remains unknown – though predictable.

Normal, in the new Turkish political lexicon, could be best defined as “a brief period of fewer anomalies between two long periods of anomaly.” This, sadly, marks the “New Turkey” that our leaders promised to grant us a few years earlier.

The country has been in a state of emergency since the failed coup of July 15. But was it a peaceful, normal country before July 15, with half of the nation hating the other half, an ethnic civil war and bombs killing thousands in the name of an ethnic land or a Sharia state? Now in addition to the tens of thousands of home-grown Kurdish terrorists the government is cracking down on tens of thousands of home-grown devout Muslim terrorists – without court verdicts proving that they are terrorists. This is the Turkish purge.

It is an old Turkish joke: A car is stolen and the police are unable to find the thief. Frustrated, the superintendent gathers his officers and shouts at them: “I want that solo-working thief caught at once! Understood? Or I’ll have you all posted to all sorts of unpleasant stations and duties!” The next day the police squad happily brings in 11 thieves. One of the officers proudly announced to the chief: “Sir, they all confessed to the thievery.”

A bureaucrat friend reminded me of that joke a few days ago. And he added: “If, one of these days, I ordered my personnel to bring me a list of Gülenists in our department, they will come back and hand me a list of at least 600 personnel. The trouble is our department has only 400!”

This is a non-violent, modern day version of the German “Röhm Putsch,” or the Soviet “Yezhovshchina.” Anyone can be the victim of what looks like a witch-hunt because he or she had studied secondary school here or high school there, if these schools are believed to be “Gülenist” schools; while, on the other hand, the energy minister, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son-in-law, publicly says that he, too, studied at a Gülenist school.

It is understandable that the government has the reflex to minimize risks in what it rightfully views as an existential war. But, when, hopefully, the danger is over Turkey will not be a peaceful, normal country. Normal, in the years ahead, will only be a brief period of fewer anomalies between two long periods of anomaly.

Mr. Erdoğan’s populist rhetoric has invariably been based on convincing the average Turk that his beloved country is surrounded by (real or imaginary) enemies, outside and inside the country. That rhetoric, and consecutive policy-making, has created powerful and weak state and non-state enemies. The post-putsch Turkish “Yezhovshchina” should respect universal norms of law. It does not. Injustice will create new enemies within, enemies who, let alone being Gülenists, hate Gülenists; enemies united around the feeling of being victimized.

This columnist has often found the government’s pretext to fight (real or fake) enemies childishly amusing but shrewd at the same time: We are about to revive our glorious past and the enemies are trying to stop us.

The wrong diagnosis worsened Turkey’s “health.” Why should the world’s major powers feel envy for a country with barely $8,000 or so per capita income? And the deliberate policy to polarize… Until recently we could talk about polarization. Now we have polarization and hostility among different groups of Turks along religious and ethnic lines. And we are adding the “Turkish Purge” into the flames. Not a good mix.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News , September 14, 2016


Related News

Over 30 Turkish diplomats, families seek asylum in Germany

Nearly three dozen Turkish diplomats and family members have claimed asylum in Germany over alleged affiliation to the network of US-based opposition leader Fethullah Gulen, whom the government in Ankara claims to have masterminded the failed July 15 coup attempt.

Zaman school [in Cambodia] resists call for closure

Zaman school officials and parents yesterday urged the Cambodian government not to shutter the schools as the Turkish Ambassador to Cambodia Ilhan Tug has requested, saying students will ultimately suffer. Officials would also need to consider legal and administrative procedures, and so far, the schools have not violated any Cambodian law or regulation, he said.

4 Turks deported from Saudi Arabia sent to jail over donations to Gülen movement

An Ankara court sent to jail 4 out of 16 Turkish nationals who were deported back to home from Saudi Arabia as part of Turkey’s ever-growing crackdown against the Gülen movement that that has spread to overseas in the recent past.

Chronology of Dec. 17: The stones are settling into place…

İSTANBUL Dec. 17, 2013: On the morning of Dec. 17, Turkey wakes up to a bribery and corruption operation. Simultaneous operations in İstanbul and Ankara take place after an investigation that included allegations of land being opened up to illegal city zoning, bribery and money laundering. The operations, which are carried out on the orders […]

Gülen’s critics have no supporting evidence, says academic

EMRE OĞUZ American sociology professor Helen Rose Ebaugh, who has written a book analyzing the Gülen movement, has said those criticizing the movement have no documents to back up their criticisms. Ebaugh, the author of a book titled “The Gülen Movement: A Sociological Analysis of a Civic Movement Rooted in Moderate Islam,” was speaking at […]

Hizmet movement and perceptions

We are going through a very critical period. We need the common sense and support of all the precious members of the Hizmet movement as we have never needed them before. We must protect our democratic gains. I pen this article as a person who closely sided with the Hizmet movement during the attacks of Ergenekon — a clandestine organization nested within the state trying to overthrow or manipulate the democratically elected government — and the deep state, and who backed its justified objections to the government’s plan to shut down the prep schools.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Setting the facts straight on the Gülen movement

The Shadow Politics of Shadow Education

Turkey confiscates $billions worth more than 200 companies in operations targeting Gülen

Gaza group: Oppression targeting Kimse Yok Mu harms needy the most

Reassignments — new mobbing on massive scale by gov’t to silence dissent

‘Mr. Gülen is to me simultaneously both incredibly modest and a visionary’

Raindrop Turkish House Featured in New York Times

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News