They are not laurels, nor palms, and certainly not date palms. These people are pines—strange men who have not been able to shed Eastern culture, nor fully embrace Western culture. Without knowing their own soil, they cannot become the right kind of tree. They cannot wield Fatih Sultan Mehmet without appreciating the Turkish general Belisarius. They do not know their own country; if they set out on a path, they would lose their way.
In earlier writings, we criticized emulating the West, illustrating how Napoleon poisoned the Turks by urging them to try wearing a crown of laurels—a pursuit that has not yielded positive results for two centuries. Now, we must analyze a larger system of values: Islamic values and their inability to escape the influence of Arab culture.
Turks may prefer being the soldier of the Arab world rather than the doorman of the West. However, even in that scenario, they would still not be themselves; they would be tools used as instruments. They might claim to draw from Islamic culture rather than Arab culture, but Islam, though universal, has never truly freed itself from Arab culture. It is still under the influence of desert life and the historical Arab context. Its concepts have not been updated and, like emulation of the West, remain little more than imitation.
Slavery, polygamy, social statuses, tribalism, worship practices, and the concept of God—along with the rules derived from them—have unfortunately not been subjected to critical thinking or consultation. They remain tied to the political definitions of a specific culture. Moreover, these political definitions not only hold back their own audiences but also drag down other cultures that attempt to imitate them.
Of course, over time, everything will evolve and be reformed. For instance, the verse that says, “Go to war with horses,” will be updated to “Go to war with planes.” Instead of “jihad with the sword,” Muslims will be compelled to “engage in jihad with science.” The practice of “shooting arrows” as a Sunnah will give way to “shooting bullets.” The use of “armor” will be replaced by “air defense systems.” In places where camel’s milk is unavailable, offering ayran (yogurt-based drink) began long ago.
The nation needs to be itself, just as every person should be. Because no matter what it tries to emulate, it always ends up with only this, and it cannot move forward from here. In other words, without becoming itself, it cannot create something else—something greater, a superior identity. We always point to the Ottomans as the closest example. It is impossible to create a new identity without embracing one’s own. To awaken from this illusion, we propose civil nationalism that prioritizes the welfare of the people within the country’s borders.
