A crusade for safeguarding identity

The failed coup in Turkey was initially hailed as a success for democracy but over the past few days, it has become apparent that it has only strengthened Turkey’s elected autocracy. There was much more to the coup than meets the eye, mainly an underlying clash over Turkey’s identity. The Turkish military has always been the protector of Turkey’s secularism whereas President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in favour of an Islam-centric nation. Following the coup, almost 18,000 citizens have been detained or dismissed. Thousands of teaching licenses and academics have been barred from leaving the country. Every single step taken by Erdogan’s government in the aftermath of the coup looks less and less democratic.

Instead of taking a moment to think about the coup and the need to mend splits in society, Erdogan declared a state of emergency and instantly started a crackdown on those with opposing views. Turkey was often citied as a secular democratic Muslim nation but that’s not the case these days. With Erdogan’s recent actions, Turkey’s bid to enter the EU has also been jeopardised. Meanwhile, Nato has made it clear that upholding democracy and tolerating diversity is one of the key requirements for continued membership.

Almost half the country opposes the religious direction Erdogan is steering Turkey towards but the 49.5 per cent that did vote in his government are fiercely loyal. His policies have raised living standards and brought the neglected conservative Turks to the forefront. Even though there is a deep division between the supporters and opponents of Erdogan, few were in favour of a military dictatorship. Erdogan is mainly supported by the conservative Muslim base of Turkey. He Islamised Turkey’s secular education system, lifted the ban on wearing scarfs for women, tried to criminalise adultery and even attempted to introduce alcohol-free zones. The Turkish military, on the other hand, is the protector of secularism, and it has intervened four times in the past to restrain the rise of religious influence mostly by banning Islamic parties.

The response by Pakistani politicians to the coup in Turkey has been particularly interesting. Many took to twitter calling for prayers and praising the Turks for defending their right to rule. Such statements make it seem like the Bhuttos, Sharifs and their scions honestly expect Pakistanis to sacrifice their own lives for them. There’s no support for such a fantasy when each subsequent bout of democracy has been plagued with rampant corruption, money laundering scandals and neglect of Pakistan’s populace. Pakistani politicians should perhaps adopt Turkey’s secular constitution and economic ideals before expecting citizens to lie down in front of tanks.

Negative implications of the idea of a coup aside, the failed attempt in Turkey appears to represent another victory for religious fundamentalism over secular ideals. Erdogan’s resolve towards Islamism has only been strengthened. Today’s Turkey lies in sad stark contrast to the nation envisioned by their revered founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who stated, “He is a weak ruler who needs religion to uphold his government; it is as if he would catch his people in a trap. My people are going to learn the principles of democracy, the dictates of truth, and the teachings of science.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2016.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.