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Hıfzı Topuz
ThE WORLD SEARCh TO FIND
RATIONALISM
By Hıfzı Topuz Turkey
Translated by Mesut Senol
There are futurist approaches concerned
with where the world is heading. According
to a report written by Americans, the US
will lose its domination. Old Yugoslavia
and the Soviet Union will disintegrate.
Besides these developments new ideas
and tools are surfacing and having an
impact on the world. On television stations
in many countries you watch people who
take to the streets. The 1968 incidents
started in Paris. It was mostly among the
youth. They did not know what to do. It
was a destructive movement. This time
around though, the incidents are more
widespread. There seems to be unrest
in Egypt, the United States, Britain, Italy,
and Greece and in many other places. In
the backdrop of all these events stands
the financial power which rules the world.
The US borrows from that financial power.
Even governments do the same thing.
Now this financial power is a target, and
it is eventually going to collapse. They
say wages will dwindle. Everybody takes
to the streets. Drop in wages would not
bring salvation. The power of finances
cannot control the streets. The police
force is providing a level of control at the
moment. Economically speaking, financial
power is not in a position to give direction
to the world. It cannot create employment
opportunities, unemployment is on the
increase. There is an unemployment
problem and social justice throughout the
whole world.
Furthermore, the media today faces various
boundaries and obstacles. The Internet
disseminates the news that the mainstream
media would not provide. During the
incidents of the Arab Spring, the youth had
continuously communicated on the internet.
Now in the whole world the measures are
being taken to quiet the Internet.
Ataturk brought to Turkey rationalism and
Enlightenment. This foundation cannot be
destroyed. Ataturk realized what Europe
did in the 18th century. We had a Tevfik
Fikret. He was the first one to apply the
idea of the Enlightenment in the field of
culture. It was Ataturk who made them
a part of state policies. Ataturk raised a
youth culture. He changed the schools,
and he promoted a new educational
system. He knew that youth would
progress through rationalism. Because
of that he entrusted the republic to the
youth. However, the youth standing up for
Ataturk is in the minority. They advocate
for Ataturk but it is not done in a very well
organized fashion. The prison terms are
being demanded from them because they
throw eggs or made some controversial
remarks. Are there not freedoms to say
no and to protest here? If you do not allow
these freedoms, then you are doing nothing
but provoking the youth.
The world takes its true guidance from
rational faculty. The world problems would
be solved through intellect not through
superstition and old wives’ tales.
Recently, I have been writing a book about
Namık Kemal who came into prominence
as an intellectual. He authored novels,
plays and heroic verses. Namık Kemal
was pursuing Westernization but not
for Enlightenment and Rationalism, he
revolted against the Sultanate. He was
an intellect from the late Ottoman time.
He went to France, and was well aware
of the contemporary French literature.
Then he journeyed to Britain to live there
for some time. Namık Kemal studied a
variety of literature in Britain. When he
applied the revolting reactions in Turkey,
he found himself in hot water; he was
sent to exile. But Westernization is one
thing and Enlightenment is something
else. For example, Westernization would
mean imitating the West in dress and
in architecture. However, it is not the
same thought processes. Mithat Pasha
is also a pro-Western person but not a
pro-Enlightenment person. Mithat Pasha
advocates for constitutionalism and
democratic order, that’s fine but, these
are all characteristics of Westernization.
NeitherMithat Pasha or Namık Kemal
were supporting the Enlightenment nor
changing the mentalities. That means
these persons are not aware of the
Enlightenment Movement abroad. They
would not liberate themselves from the
perception of Islam. Had Ataturk and
Namık Kemal lived in the same period,
their thinking would have clashed. Ataturk
adores Tevfik Fikret and Namık Kemal.
He has been affected by Namık Kemal’s
patriotism. During Namık Kemal’s time,
there was a heated discussion about
whether to adopt the Latin script or not.
Namık Kemal said the following: “It is a
disaster, never ever”. If we adopt the Latin
script then our religion would be lost,
the Ottoman State collapse, and there
would be no nation, no nationality and
no homeland. “But again it was Namık
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