Türkiye's Democracy Journey Discussed at the School of Politics

In the second week of the School of Politics program, organized for the eighth time this year by the Bahçeşehir University School of Government and Leadership, many topics were addressed, from coups, trials and military tutelage to the importance of energy resources, the role of sport in politics and Türkiye's democracy journey, with the participation of Sabah newspaper columnist Nazlı Ilıcak, former Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Dr. Mehmet Hilmi Güler, Istanbul Member of Parliament Atila Kaya, former CHP Chair Altan Öymen and A&G Research Company President Adil Gür.

Highlights from the program are as follows:

NAZLI ILICAK:

No matter how many mistakes a political government makes, the solution must be at the ballot box. We must not forget that we are within a democratic system. The constitution that came with the 1960 coup restricted freedoms. Instead of saying 'we are educated, so what we know goes', the decision should be left to the people, to the national will. They hanged Adnan Menderes, but even today they have not been able to kill him. New Menderes figures are coming, but you cannot forcibly bring in those the people have not elected. The Turkish Armed Forces saying 'we founded the Republic and we will protect it' is against the law. It is parliament that should decide whether democracy is in danger.

Dr. MEHMET HİLMİ GÜLER:

Energy is a sector and an institution that is not what it seems. Imagine energy suddenly disappearing; we would go back to the Stone Age. Energy routes and energy resources are of enormous importance in the world. Energy relations are referred to as energy diplomacy. In energy, two plus two does not make four; nothing is as it seems, and it is a field of very complex relationships. Oil has a much more transparent structure than natural gas; some countries can at times use natural gas as a weapon. While using resources, we must also think of the environment. It is useful to consider energy, environment and food as a trio, which we can call a trilemma. In the past period, oil, which set out its rules more clearly, was king, but now natural gas is ahead. Hydrogen energy will be one of the energies of the future, and if the lobbies allow it, it will even replace oil. Solar energy is always a natural energy source. All of these may seem different from one another to you, but if we reduce the share of natural gas with them, we will gain both in terms of protecting the environment and external dependency. The subject of energy is intertwined with many fields and sectors.

ATİLA KAYA:

Today, sport is a field that concerns very broad masses. Sport is very important for strengthening peace and solidarity between societies by overcoming differences of language, religion and race among people. As in every field, capitalism aims to extract rent from sport too, and seeks to profit from sport in developed countries and in developing countries like ours. The mentality in Türkiye that sees the other side not as a rival but as an enemy damages the social fabric. It is also a fact that sport is used as a tool of manipulation to cover up society's real issues.

ALTAN ÖYMEN:

The development and establishment of democracy has not been easy, and this applies to both Türkiye and other countries. The 1982 Constitution prevented students and university youth from participating in politics; the participation of university students in politics was presented as if it were bad. Now this has been loosened somewhat. In the 1920s, the press began to write things, and there was no interference with journalists. In 1923 there were two groups in parliament, which indicates that steps toward democracy were being taken. In 1925, with the Takrir-i Sükun law, the single-party period began. The 1931 Press Law was enacted, and the press began to be controlled by the government. The single-party system, far from democracy, continued until 1945. With the end of World War II, democracy movements came to the fore. Looking toward 1960, both parties in parliament were inexperienced in democracy. Today, in terms of intra-party democracy, the CHP is on the right path.

ADİL GÜR:

Contrary to popular belief, men make up more than half of the voter population in Türkiye. Moreover, out of every hundred people who vote, twelve are university graduates while six are illiterate. A survey on how voters describe themselves found 50.1% Kemalist, 47.6% Nationalist, 35.1% Secular, 31.7% Democrat, 30.9% Religious, 26% Conservative and 14.3% Social Democrat. The 3 most important elements that bind people together in Türkiye are Unity of Religion and Faith, Sharing the Same Land, and Cultural Unity. To the question of whether a new constitution should be adopted, the majority said yes, adding that social consensus should be sought in the new constitution. Support for the EU is steadily declining, and the majority think that the EU is not Türkiye's friend and ally.