In this land, Türkiye, it seems quite difficult to break free from old political reflexes when it comes to viewing the West. Instead of producing solutions to its own problems independently, there is a deeply rooted tendency to take the easy way out by presenting the West’s preferences as ready-made solutions – and, when things get tight, to call upon the West for help. This reflex, of course, did not emerge overnight. Turkish political life has arrived at this point through significant ruptures over time.
Behind this reflex lies a transformation in state-society relations, where the traditional order was disrupted and replaced by a bureaucratic domination, a process that was reinforced through Westernization. Over time, Westernization policies became mainstream within the cultural structure. As a result, resources were concentrated in the center for a long period, while the periphery was subjected to a one-sided indoctrination. Consequently, both the bureaucracy and cultural institutions adopted a Western-centered perspective and attempted to reshape the society and its margins accordingly for many years. Society was seen merely as the field upon which this project would be implemented – yet little effort was made to understand the nature and dynamics of that field truly. Alienation, therefore, became inevitable.
Given these conditions, a Western-oriented perspective on our own issues became deeply entrenched in our country for many years, gaining a strong momentum of its own. Knowledge and content were produced upon this foundation. Stepping outside this framework was rendered nearly impossible. Since the mainstream was structured in this way, living and thinking along these lines offered a great deal of comfort across all areas of life. While this process continued, the masses pushed to the periphery and were constantly subjected to Western indoctrination, and they also persisted in their struggle to move toward the center. In this context, significant gains were achieved. Especially in recent times, this struggle has triggered a new rupture, and for the first time, it has become possible to construct a new discourse – one that does not exclude the world, yet shifts the relationship with the West from dependency to reciprocity.
We are now witnessing concrete examples of this new discourse across various domains – from all areas of social life to foreign policy. Of course, nothing is finalized; the construction of this new discourse continues dynamically in the face of ongoing challenges. The real difficulty at this point lies in content creation. It is essential both to stay attuned to global developments and to carry forward our nation’s rich historical legacy and past achievements in a way that can serve as a foundation for new syntheses. We must find solutions to this new era’s entirely new problems. Therefore, every effort made along this path will play an enabling and pioneering role.
On the contrary, attempting to revert to outdated reflexes that fail to offer real solutions to our problems is not only unproductive but also drains our energy. These reflexes, which do not belong to us and offer no way forward, only deepen the sense of alienation from our own land. In such a scenario, all that remains are the policies and reflexes of a bygone era – and one ends up trapped within the comfort zone of those earlier times. Yet, as this alienation deepens, it gives rise to ironies that fail to grasp the spirit of the present. A simple example was recently seen in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), where a headscarf-wearing student was denied entry to school – a familiar reflex reemerging once again.
From past to present, those who relied on this discourse and built their politics around it have seen their ability to represent society steadily diminish. Over time, they have become unable to represent not only the broader public but even the very segments they once claimed to speak for. Time continues to move forward and it rewards those who embrace an authentic discourse rooted in this land and those who contribute to its fluid evolution. This is the current reality. In contrast, the opposing reflexes, when cornered, bitterly fall back on the West, seeking its support as a supposed way out.
However, in today’s world – one marked by fragility in every sense – the West has run out of narrative fuel and can no longer inspire, let alone provide practical benefit. Continental Europe, once a point of reference, is now unable to generate solutions to its own internal problems. As Israel’s massacres continue, the West’s feeble reactions expose the rotting foundations upon which these outdated reflexes still rest. In the United States, the situation of academic freedom in higher education institutions is rapidly deteriorating. The recent case involving professor Cemal Kafadar, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, is a stark and telling example.
On the other hand, production is not only a pillar of a country’s development – it is also one of the most critical elements in reinforcing its independence. The most powerful driving force behind the construction of a new discourse is domestic production capacity. In recent years, Türkiye has made significant strides in this regard and achieved major gains. Calls for boycotts that threaten these achievements – thereby harming commercial life and ultimately employment – would come with a heavy economic cost. During the so-called Feb. 28 period in Türkiye, our country witnessed many such polarizing attempts, and unfortunately, our society bore the burden. No one has the right to impose such costs on our nation again. On the contrary, this is a time to strengthen our unity and solidarity.
The defense mechanisms and alliances of the Cold War era are now being abandoned, leaving countries to face their destinies on their own. New security architectures are emerging – or being actively constructed. The entire world is being pushed, through immense turbulence, toward forging a new path. In this context, the safest course of action is to strengthen unity and solidarity, to break down echo chambers, and to channel our energy into solving our country’s problems. Contributing to the construction and reinforcement of Türkiye, which stands on its own feet, means dismantling the obstacles that prevent such contributions. If we pay close attention, the spirit of the times also encourages efforts toward finding solutions by taking one’s own society as the primary reference point.