Kemalist ideology 2167521 224017881 2008-07-06T23:19:40Z Canglesea 4789991 /* Criteria for nationality */ Repairing link to disambiguation page [[Kurdish]] - [[Wikipedia:Disambiguation pages with links|You can help!]] {{Cleanup|date=January 2008}} {{Infobox Mustafa Kemal Ataturk series}} [[Image:RepublicanPeoplesPartyEmblem.png|thumb|250px|"''Six Arrows''" as depicted by the [[Republican People's Party (Turkey)|RPP]]'s logo]] '''Kemalist Ideology,''' "''Kemalism''" ({{lang-tr|Kemalist İdeoloji, Kemalizm, Atatürkçülük, Atatürkçü Düşünce}}) or also known as the "''Six Arrows''" ({{lang-tr|Altı Ok}}) is the principle that defines the basic characteristics of the [[Republic of Turkey]]. It was developed by the [[Turkish National Movement|Turkish national movement]] and its leader [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]]. Kemalist ideology, which found its expression in [[Atatürk's Reforms]], sought to create a [[modern]], [[democracy|democratic]] and [[secularism|secular]] [[nation-state]], guided by educational and scientific progress based on the principles of [[Positivism]], [[Rationalism]] and the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]. ==Fundamentals== Atatürk's conception of [[Realism (international relations)|realism]] and [[pragmatism]] has been the basic element under these fundamentals.<ref>Webster, ''The Turkey of Atatürk: social process in the Turkish reformation'', 245</ref> There are six fundamentals of the ideology. [[Secularism]] and [[reformism]] principles were accepted and entered into the constitution following the first four. The principles came to be recognized as unchangeable and sacrosanct. These principles were formulated and applied but not defined as an ideology during the life of Atatürk. The formulation principles as an ideology has been criticized as a deviation from its pragmatism. ===Republicanism=== [[image:TBMM_pic.jpg|thumb|240px|General view of the [[Turkish Parliament]]. The chair of the [[List of Speakers of the Parliament of Turkey|Speaker]] is seen far back, facing the deputies. The [[Prime Minister]] and the ministers have their seats on the right side of the picture, close to the Speaker.]] [[Republicanism]] ({{lang-tr|Cumhuriyetçilik}}) Kemalist ideology replaced the absolutism of the monarchy with the rule of law, popular sovereignty and the civic virtue with an emphasis on liberty practiced by citizens. In defending the Republicanism over the previous political system, Kemalism claims that all laws should be inspired by actual needs here on Earth as a basic fact of national life.<ref> Mustafa Kemal as quoted in "A World View of Criminal Justice (2005)" by Richard K. Vogler, p. 116</ref> Kemalism believes that only the republican system can best represent the wishes of the people. Among many forms of "[[Republic|republican systems]]," the "Kemalistic republic" is a [[representative democracy]] with an elected head of state, a [[President]], serving for a limited term, and an elected head of government as a [[Prime Minister]]. The Kemalist President does not have executive powers. The president has veto powers, and the right to contest with referendum. The day-to-day running of government is the responsibility of the Prime Minister and the ministers. The government is established by the parliament, with two-thirds majority. The executive, legislative, and judicial powers are separated into distinct branches so that no individual or group has absolute power and the power of the majority of the population is checked by only allowing them to elect the representatives. ===Populism=== [[Populism]] ({{lang-tr|Halkçılık}}) is defined as a social revolution in terms of its content and goals. This was revolution led by an elite with an orientation towards the people in general. The Kemalist reforms brought about a revolutionary change in the status of women through the adoption of Western codes of law in Turkey, in particular the [[Zivilgesetzbuch|Swiss Civil Code]]. Women received the right to vote in 1934. Atatürk stated on a number of occasions that the true rulers of Turkey were the villagers (i.e. common citizens.) This was actually a goal rather than a reality in Turkey. Kemalist ideology was, in fact, based on the supreme value of Turkish citizenship. A sense of pride associated with this citizenship would give the needed psychological spur to the people to make them work harder and to achieve a sense of unity and national identity. ===Secularism=== {{Seealso|Secularism in Turkey|Islam in Turkey}} The [[secularism]] ({{lang-tr|Laiklik}}) of Kemalist ideology aims to banish religious interference in government affairs, and vice versa; solidified in public education and government-subsidized cultural and legal affairs. It is a rationalist, anti-clerical secularism, differing from that in most predominantly Christian societies, but similar to the concept of [[laïcité]] in [[France]]. Many of [[Atatürk's reforms]] were brought forward to establish secularism, such as the establishment of a modern, non-religion-based school system. The roots of Kemalist secularism extend to the Ottoman Empire, especially the [[Tanzimat]] period and the later [[Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)|Second Constitutional Era]]. In that period the Ottoman parliament pursued secular policies, which was stated as the reason for the [[Countercoup (1909)]], because, as the crowed claimed, "the state's hostility to religion became clear". The allegation of hostility to religion of the Ottoman parliament's secular policies also factored in the [[Arab Revolt]] during WWI. Kemalist secularism does not imply or advocate [[agnosticism]] or [[nihilism]]; it means freedom of thought and independence of the institutions of the state from the dominance of religious thought and religious institutions. In neutralizing [[political Islam]] as a force Kemalism aimed at developing a pluralistic (liberal) Islam on the social front. The Kemalist principle of secularism is not against an enlightened Islam, but against an Islam opposed to and fighting modernization and democracy. The [[Islamists]] are opposing the secularism of Kemalism, claiming that the removal of political Islam is the secularisation of an [[Islamic society]]. The social narrative of Kemalist secularism continues into the 21st century, with a [[Islam in Turkey|Turkish Islam]] rooted in [[Sufism]], particularly [[Naqshbandi]] Sufi orders, and punctuated by frontier conditions of Turkey. ==== Politics and religion ==== The Kemalist form of separation of state and religion pursued the replacement of a complete set of institutions, interest groups (such as political parties, unions, lobby groups), the relationships between those institutions and the political norms and rules that govern their functions (constitution, election law). The biggest change in this perspective was the abolishment of the [[Caliphate]] on [[March 3]], [[1924]]. The removal of the [[Ottoman Caliphate]] was followed by the removal of its political mechanisms. The article stating that "the established religion of Turkey is Islam" was removed from the constitution on [[February 5]], [[1937]]. Kemalism, from a political perspective, is an anti-clerical secularism which abolished the religious political establishment of the Ottoman Empire. In the Kemalist political perspective politicians cannot claim to be the protector of any religion or religious sect, and such claims constitute sufficient legal grounds for the permanent banning of political parties. The current Prime Minister of Turkey, [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], while mayor of [[Istanbul]], was once jailed for using religious terminology in the form of poetry, which was deemed by the judiciary to advocate separatism among the Turkish people, into camps of "believers" and "non-believers". ==== State and religion ==== According to the Kemalist perception, the Turkish state is to stand at an equal distance from every religion, neither promoting nor condemning any set of religious beliefs. The Republic of Turkey is neutral in religious affairs. Kemalism has an "Active Neutrality" and actions related to religion should be carefully analyzed and evaluated by the government through the [[Presidency of Religious Affairs]], which is responsible for managing the religious affairs and institutions in the country. The Presidency of Religious Affairs pursues the responsibility for planning, coordinating, and implementing the balance. Kemalism has to balance the space between different religious sects. Religious education, which was originally left to private initiative with after-school courses until 1980, was brought to secondary education with a formal curriculum covering religious doctrines. This change of politics to balance religious doctrine is debated. There are three main ideological perspectives in this debate. The first one views this change as a breach of Kemalist secularist ideology, and demands a return to the previous policy. The second perspective accepts the religious education but objects to its compulsory position. The third position accepts the compulsory position except those responsible for minority communities, who wish to have their own religious courses, within the boundaries of the regulations administered by the Ministry of Education. ===Revolutionism === [[Revolutionism]] ({{lang-tr|Devrimcilik}}): a principle formulated by Atatürk, which means that the country should replace the traditional institutions and concepts with modern institutions and concepts. This principle advocated the need for fundamental social change through [[revolution]] as a strategy to achieve a modern society. The core of the revolution, in the Kemalist sense, was an accomplished fact.<ref name="durkiem"> Peter Hamilton, Emile Durkheim: Critical Assessments, Page 69 </ref> In Kemalist sense there is no possibility of return to the old systems which were deemed backward. The principle of revolutionism went beyond the recognition of the reforms which were made during Atatürk's lifetime. Atatürk's revolutions in the social and political life are accepted as irreversible. Atatürk never entertained the possibility of a pause or transition phase during the course of the progressive unfolding or implementation of the revolution. The current understanding of this concept can be described as active modification.<ref name="durkiem" /> Turkey and its society, taking over institutions from the West, must add Turkish traits and patterns to them, and adapt them to the Turkish culture, according to Kemalism.<ref name="durkiem" /> The making of the Turkish traits and patterns of these reforms takes generations of cultural and social experience (which results in the collective memory of the Turkish nation). ===Nationalism === [[Image:GNAT speakers.jpg|thumb|200px|"Unconditional, unrestricted [[sovereignty]] belongs to the [[nation]]" is embossed behind the speaker's seat at the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|Grand National Assembly]]]] [[Nationalism]] ({{lang-tr|Milliyetçilik, Ulusçuluk}}): The Kemalist revolution aimed to create a [[nation state]] ({{lang-tr|Ulus}}) from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. The meaning of Turkishness "{{lang-tr|Türküm}}" is frequently misunderstood by those who fail to realize that it is not a description of ethnicity [the [[Turkic]] ethnicity] but a commitment to an 'imagined' nationhood of people living within the [[Misak-ı Milli|National Pact]] ({{lang-tr|Misak-ı Milli}}) borders.<ref name="osmansdream">Finkel, Caroline, Osman's Dream, 549-550</ref> "Turkishness" (citizenship of Turkey) is the cornerstone of the Republic of Turkey.<ref name="osmansdream" /> Kemalist ideology defines the "[[Turkish People]]" as "those who protect and promote the moral, spiritual, cultural and humanistic values of the Turkish Nation."<ref name="TurkishNational">{{cite web |url = http://www.meb.gov.tr/Stats/apk2001ing/Section_1/1Generalprincipals.htm |title = Turkish National Education System |accessdate = 2008-02-20 |author = Republic Of Turkey Ministry Of National Education |publisher = T.C. Government |language = English }}</ref> Kemalist ideology defines the "Turkish Nation" as a nation of Turkish People who always love and seek to exalt their family, country and nation, who know their duties and responsibilities towards the democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law, founded on human rights, and on the tenets laid down in the preamble to the constitution of the Republic of Turkey.<ref name="TurkishNational" /> [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] defines the Turkish Nation by saying "the folk which constitutes the Republic of Turkey is called the Turkish Nation." This statement clearly emphasizes that the definition of "Turkishness" is the "citizenship of Turkey" rather than an ethnic or racial origin. Kemalist nationalism is an extension of the Kemalist Westernization movement. It was brought against the political domination of sheikhs, tribal leaders and [[Islamism]] (Islam as a political system). Initially the declaration of the republic was perceived as ''"Returning to the days of the [[The first four Sunni Caliphs and the Sunnah|first caliphs]]"''.<ref>Mango, ''Atatürk'', 394</ref>. However, Kemalist nationalism aimed to shift the political legitimacy from [[autocracy]] (Ottoman Dynasty), [[theocracy]] (Caliphate) and [[feudalism]] (tribal leaders) to the active participation of its citizenry, the Turks. Active participation, or the "will of the people", was established with the republican regime and Turkishness rather than other forms of affiliations that were promoted. The shift in affiliation was symbolized with: {{Quote|{{lang-tr|Ne Mutlu [[Turkish People|Türküm]] Diyene.}}<br>({{lang-en|How happy is he/she who calls himself/herself a [[Turkish People|Turk]]}})|Mustafa Kemal Atatürk}} The term "Ne Mutlu Türküm Diyene" was promoted against the "long live the Sultan," "long live the Sheikh" or "long live the Caliph." Kemalist nationalism originates from the [[social contract]] theories, especially from the principles advocated by [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]] and his [[Social Contract (Rousseau)|Social Contract]]. The Kemalist perception of social contract was effected by the [[dissolution of the Ottoman Empire]] which was perceived as a product of failure of the Ottoman "[[Millet (Ottoman Empire)|''Millet'']]" system and the ineffective experimentation with [[Ottomanism]]. Kemalist nationalism, after experiencing the Ottoman Empire's breakdown into pieces, defined the social contract as its "highest ideal". {{Quote|In the administration and defense of the Turkish Nation; national unity, national awareness and national culture are the highest ideals that we fix our eyes upon.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.tsk.mil.tr/eng/Anitkabir/milli.html |title = Ataturks Principles |accessdate = 2008-02-20 |author = Republic Of Turkey Turkish Armed Forces |publisher = T.C. Government |language = English }}</ref>|Mustafa Kemal Atatürk}} Kemalist nationalism's social content does not accept any adjectives placed before the definition of a nation [a nation of ...]; denounces the types of national unity based on [[Race (classification of human beings)|racial]], [[religion|religious]], [[totalitarian]] and [[fascist]] ideologies, by claiming: {{Quote|Unconditional, unrestricted [[sovereignty]] belongs to the [[nation]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.turkishembassy.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=188&Itemid=165 |title = Constitution and Foundations of the State System |accessdate = 2008-02-20 |author = Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, Washington, DC. |publisher = T.C. Government |language = English }}</ref>|Mustafa Kemal Atatürk}} Regarding expansionism, Kemalist nationalism opposes [[imperialism]] and aims to promote peace in both the domestic and the international arenas. {{quote|Within the political and social unity of today's Turkish nation, there are citizens and co-nationals who have been incited to think of themselves as Kurds, Circassians, Laz or Bosnians. But these erroneous appellations - the product of past periods of tyranny - have brought nothing but sorrow to individual members of the nation, with the exception of a few brainless reactionaries, who became the enemy's instruments. This is because these individual members of the nation share with the generality of Turkish society the same past, history, concept of morals and laws.<ref name=mangokurds20>[[Andrew Mango]], ''Atatürk and the Kurds'', Middle Eastern Studies, Vol.35, No.4, 1999, 20</ref>}} ====Criteria for nationality ==== Kemalist criteria for national ''identity,'' being a Turk, refers to a shared [[language]], and/or shared [[values]] defined as a common history, and the will to share a future. Kemalist nationalism was not [[Xenophobia|xenophobic]]; membership is usually gained through birth within the borders of the state and also the principle of [[jus sanguinis]]. The nationality is protected by the [[Turkish nationality law]] which states that it could only be deprived with an act incompatible with loyalty.<ref>Citizenship is defined in the {{ws|[[s:Constitution of the Republic of Turkey#66|1982 constitution, Article 66]]}} (amended on October 17, 2001).</ref> Everyone bound to the Turkish state through the bond of citizenship is a Turk. Every citizen within the borders of Turkey is to be recognized as a Turk, regardless of such factors as ethnicity ([[Turkic peoples|Turkic]], [[Kurds in Turkey|Kurdish]],…), religion ([[Islam]], [[Christianity]],…), gender, race, religion, sect, or philosophical belief. ==== Extent of nationality ==== Kemalist nationalism believes in the principle that the Turkish state is an indivisible whole comprising its territory and people, which is defined as the "unity of the state". It was a nationalism which respected the right to independence of all other nations. Kemalism had not only displaced "[[Pan-Turkism]]" as the official state ideology; it also focused on the nation-state's narrower interests, renouncing the concern for the "Outside Turks".<ref name="Pan-Turkism">{{cite book |last=Landau|first=Jacob M. |title=Pan-Turkism: From Irredentism to Cooperation|location=|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=1995|page=275|isbn= 0253209609}} Page 186-187 </ref> Pan-Turkism was an ethnocentric ideology [to unite all ethnically Turkic nations] while Kemalism is polycentric [united under a " common will"] in character.<ref name="Pan-Turkism" /> Kemalism wants to have an equal footing among the mainstream world civilizations. Pan-Turkists have consistently emphasized the special attributes of the [[Turkic people]], and wanted to unite all of the Turkic people. Kemalism wants an equal footing (based on respect) and does not aim to unite the people of Turkey with all the other Turkic nations. The Kemalists were not interested in Pan-Turkism and from 1923 to 1950 (the single state period) reacted with particular firmness.<ref name="Pan-Turkism" /> Kemalism had not only displaced "[[Turanism]]" as the official state ideology; it also focused on the Turkish People, within the alive and historical cultures and peoples of [[Anatolia]] [an Anatolian-centered view]. Turanism centered the nation as the union of all [[Turanian]] peoples ([[Mongols]], [[Tungusic people|Tungus]], [[Hungarians]], [[Finns]], [[Estonians]], and [[Ryukyuans]]) stretching from the [[Altai Mountains]] in [[Eastern Asia]] to the [[Bosphorus]].<ref>Paksoy, H.B., ‘Basmachi’: TurkestanNational Liberation Movement 1916-1930s - Modern Encyclopedia of Religions in Russia and the Soviet Union, Florida: Academic International Press, 1991, Vol. 4</ref>. Kemalism had a narrower definition of language which wanted to remove [purify] the Persian, Arabic, Greek, Latin, etc. words from the language used in Anatolia. Turanian leaders, such as [[Enver Pasha]], wanted an evolving language common to all Turanian peoples, minimizing differences and maximizing similarities between them. ===Etatism=== [[Etatism]] ({{lang-tr|Devletçilik}}): Kemal Atatürk made clear in his statements and policies that Turkey's complete [[modernization]] was very much dependent on economic and technological development. The principle of Kemalist Etatism was interpreted to mean that the state was to regulate the country's general economic activities and the state was to engage in areas where private enterprise was not willing to do so, or where private enterprise had proven to be inadequate, or if national interest required it. In the application of the principle of etatism, however, the state emerged not only as the principal source of economic activity, but also as the owner of the major industries of the country. ==History== The history of the concept of Kemalism can be traced back to the [[Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)|Second Constitutional Era]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The political experience of the [[Ottoman Empire]], through [[Tanzimat]], and the [[First Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)|First Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire]] were synthesized into Kemalism. The [[Republican People's Party (Turkey)|Republican People's Party]] was established by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on [[September 9]], [[1923]], not long before the declaration of the Republic of Turkey on [[October 29]]. The party uses the ideology to symbolize itself. == Criticism == Jung and Piccoli state that "the Kemalists incorporated certain elements of cultural [[Pan-Turkism]] in order to construct a new and cohesive nationalist ideology".<ref name="OttomanLegacy">Dietrich Jung and Wolfango Piccoli: ''Turkey At the Crossroads: Ottoman Legacies and a Greater Middle East'', London: Zed Books, 2001.</ref> On the other hand, according to [[Don Peretz]], the Turkish nationalism has been free from racism.<ref>Don Peretz. ''The Middle East Today'', Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1963, p. 165</ref> Until 1991 Kurds were subject to strict [[Turkification]]{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. School children of Turkey, including Kurdish children, have to recite the saying by Atatürk "''Ne mutlu Türküm diyene''", meaning (roughly) "''How happy is the one who can say: I am a Turk''" (meaning: a citizen of Turkey). A recent message from the [[Turkish General Staff]], expressing concern over attempts to undermine the secular character of Turkey, stated: "whoever opposes [Atatürk's] concept of 'Ne Mutlu Türküm Diyene' is and will remain an enemy of the Republic of Turkey."<ref>Genelkurmay Başkanlığı (2007, Nisan, 27). [http://www.tsk.mil.tr/10_ARSIV/10_1_Basin_Yayin_Faaliyetleri/10_1_Basin_Aciklamalari/2007/BA_08.html BASIN AÇIKLAMASI]</ref> In the 1920s and 1930s the Turkish government attempted (with little success) to promote [[Turkish language|Turkish]] as a liturgical language for Islamic rituals, and even to force [[imam]]s to recite the [[adhan]] in Turkish. The Turkish recitation of the adhan, traditionally recited in Arabic, came as a shock to the Muslim community in [[Turkey]] and led to widespread dismay. "Religion was viewed as a potential threat to the Kemalist nation-state", and therefore "the state actively attempted to reduce the role played by religion in private lives."<ref name="CEPS170">Tocci, Nathalie, [http://www.ceps.be 21st Century Kemalism : Redefining Turkey-EU Relations in the Post-Helsinki Era]. CEPS working document №. 170, September 2001.</ref> In constructing an identity based on the Western model, the new Turkish state imposed [[laïcité]] on its citizens. The constitutional concept of laïcité is also used to justify a ban on Muslim women wearing [[Hijab|Islamic coverings]] such as headscarfs in public universities and other public buildings. [[Joost Lagendijk]], a [[member of the European Parliament]] and chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee with Turkey, has publicly criticized these [[dress code|clothing restrictions]] for Muslim women;<ref>Lagendijk, [http://arsiv.sabah.com.tr/2006/03/22/siy113.html Başörtüsü yasağı savunulamaz]. Sabah (2006, March, 22).</ref> whereas the [[European Court of Human Rights]] ruled in numerous cases that such restrictions in public buildings and educational institutions do not constitute a violation of human rights.<ref>[http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=9958 ECHR Rules for Turkish Headscarf Ban]: The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in favor of Turkey's policy of banning headscarves at universities. (Today's Zaman, 30/06/2004)</ref><ref>[http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=40196 ECHR Insists on Headscarf Ban] (JTW News, 17/10/2006)</ref> == Notes == {{Refimprove|date=May 2007}} <div class="references-small"> <!-- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for guidance on adding references using <ref> tags --> <references/> </div> == References == *{{cite book |last=Hamilton |first=Peter | title= Emile Durkheim: Critical Assessments|year= 1995 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0415110467}} *{{cite book |last=Mango |first=Andrew|authorlink=Andrew Mango| title= Ataturk: The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey |origyear= 1999 |edition= Paperback |year= 2002 |publisher=Overlook Press, Peter Mayer Publishers, Inc |location= Woodstock, NY|isbn=1-58567-334-x}} *{{cite book |last=Webster |first= Donald Everett|title=The Turkey of Atatürk; Social Process in the Turkish Reformation |year= 1973 |publisher=AMS Press|location= New York |isbn=978-0404563332}} *{{cite book |last=Finkel |first=Caroline |title=Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire |year=2006 |publisher=Basic Books |location= New York |isbn=0465023967}} <!--categories--> [[Category:Criticisms]] [[Category:Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] [[Category:Turkish political movements]] [[cs:Kemalismus]] [[de:Kemalismus]] [[fr:Kémalisme]] [[it:Kemalismo]] [[nl:Kemalisme]] [[pl:Kemalizm]] [[sl:Kemalizem]] [[fi:Kemalismi]] [[tr:Atatürkçülük]]