Nationalism is ideology which is controversial. I will write about nationalism which was not defined by European perspective. Nation may refer to a large group of people who share a common culture, language, history, ethnicity, descent in modern terminology. Nation can refer to a people, race, or tribe; those having the same descent, language, and history. And also I will try to explain why nationalism is important. We can not understand the importance of the nationalism in Turkish foreign policy. We are not ready for that. It is our main target in this article. I will try to explain why it is like that. Nation can refer to a people, race, or tribe; those having the same descent, language, and history in modern terminology.
The word nation came to English from the Old French word ‘’nacion’’, which in turn originates from the Latin word natio (nātĭō) literally meaning "that which has been born". The word ''millet'' comes from Quran. Quran metions about Abraham's nation.''millet'' may refer to a large group of people who come together for faith. How did we learn from religious text? ''I am from Adam's descended. I am from Abraham's nation. I am from Mohammed's ummah'' Which one is more comprehensive? Nation is more comprehensive than ummah. Ummah is a concept that encompasses the nation. In 20th century, the word ummah combined with Islam, the nation has been brought word meaning tribes .If we understand tribalism when it comes to Turkish nationalism it means that we do not know our past and we think that it is same nation and millet for us. ''Ulusçuluk'' is a word which has no religious content. Religious people do not use ''ulus'' or ''ulusçuluk'' because of it is not same with ''millet''. Turkish nationalism and tribalism are not same thing as we know.
Turkishness is not name of a race. Turkishness is a name of character. Our nationalism is not based on race. We can see it in National Anthem of Turkey. Our National Anthem says ‘’Smile upon my heroic race! Why the anger, why the rage?’’ and ‘’ Neither you nor my race shall ever be extinguished!’’ Also note that the poet M. Akif was of Albanian and Uzbek originally. How he could say that? ‘’ Also M. Akif’s this popular verses says that our nationalism is not based on a race.
“Hani milliyetin İslam idi, kavmiyet ne
Sarılıp sımsıkı dursaydın o milliyetine
Arnavutluk ne demek, var mı şeriatta yeri
Küfür olur başka değil, kav-mini sürmek ileri’’
You can be Turkish. You do not have to born as a Turk like Mehmet Akif Ersoy. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha also was Turk but he was originally Bosnian. He was born into a Christian family, Mehmed was taken away at an early age as part of the converted system of Ottoman collection of young boys to be raised to serve as a janissary. When he became Muslim, he became a Turk. He grow up in Turkish culture. He tried to connect the Volga and Don by canal go to Turkmenistan over Iran. How can we say for him that he was not a Turk?
As I mentioned before the term nationalism meaning is controversial topic. This word’s meaning has changed by the media and writers who are orientalist, secular and liberal because of some reasons of course.
We should understand and accept something. Modern world was established under the pressure of Turks. Modernism is anti-Turk. How it is like that? To understand these nationalism and modern world we should know how was the political situations in Europe and how modernism was started? Europe had many rebellions which were like French Revolution, The Dacke War of 1542 in Sweden, The Knights' Revolt of 1522-1523 in Germany etc… To make sense of upheavals we need to look briefly at the past wider context. In a short, There was a monarchy political system in Europe. Rulers were self-centered. All European monarchies under the pressure of Turks. Western Europe and its historiographers long considered this sea battle pivotal even as they played down the events on Cyprus. With the triumph of a Catholic league at Lepanto in 1571 after almost two centuries of humiliation, the balance was considered to have swung away from the Ottoman "pestilence." The combat also was said to have launched the decline of the Ottoman Empire, which thus occupied itself over the next 350 years with slowly disintegrating. After Battle of Lepanto, Europeans placed on consciousness that Turks will not come again. Europeans were living in poverty especially between 1500-1800. Many of rebels and revolutionaries was started cause of poverty, sect (religion) and high taxes.
Trade links and diplomatic contacts notwithstanding, ‘fear of the Turk’ was another, recurring reason for reflection on European identitiy. ‘’Mamma li Turchi!’’ (Oh mother, the Turks are coming!) is one of the most used Italian phrase to suggest an imminent danger, as when the Ottoman Turks threatened Europe. People still use in rural areas of Austria "Es ist schon dunkel. Türken kommen. Türken kommen" (the weather already dark. Turks are coming. Turks are coming.) As we can see, Turks affected Europeans very much. Europeans lived under the pressure of Turks until Battle of Lepanto (1571). Turkish preassure on Europeans was ended completely in 18th century. They started to establish modern world.
The Age of Discovery was started because of Turks preassure. Europeans did not have any place to go. The Age of Discovery (also known as the Age of Exploration) was a period starting in the early 15th century and continuing to the 17th century. During this period Europeans explored Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 severed European trade links by land with Asia leading many to begin seeking routes east by sea and spurred the age of exploration.
As a result of this, European people started to read and devoloping trade provided many facilities, Turks preassure was ended. Modern world was started when Europeans get rid of the fear of Turks. People started to produce more and more, they did think that their agricultural products will not be waste or taken. After all of these, people prospered in a short time. People needed more and consumption increased then colonialism became widespread between 16th and 17th century.
Now, media organizations have exploited the term nationalism who do not care about nationalism. Actually, they wanted to change meaning of nationalism. Nationalism is a fact. It's not just political an idea. They against this idea indirectly. Because they also need nationalism. Politicians use it before elections as we know. Politicians also know nationalism is a fact! Nationalism is philosophy of life. We can see some news, articles, panel discussions which say currents of nationalism which is new nationalism or modern nationalism or culturel nationalism. If these currents show up it will not be surprise for real nationalist people.
Hatred of communism is not nationalism or hatred of capitalism is not nationalism. Hostility is different dislike is different. American hostility or Greek hostility or Russian hostility is enough denination for nationalism. Hostility to nationalism can not be installed on. Nationalism can not be explained by hostility. There is no need to specify, disslike is different, hostility is different. For instance; Turkish people do not sympathize with the Portuguese and even Turkish people never feel hostility against to Portuguese because no reason for these situations. Many developed countries have nationalist or national policy. For example; Israel, Japan, Russia, France, Italy.
Nationalism is absolutely not a counter reaction to the movement of opposing ideas and not it is anti -thesis of other thesis. Nationalism is not a tool, nationalism is a purpose, intention. Nationalism is not method, it is a soul.
Problems of the Turkish nation and the struggle of life is to think that on event of short term, they think before a century or after half a century. This attitude confuses us. We have to think out of the box as we can. Where should evaluate nationalism in these light of views. Turkish nationalism shows us, all Muslims people are together. Turkish nationalism is exist to live free and independent for all of Muslims. Self-seeking's meaning is to keep everything for benefit. Rationalism's meaning is to give the most value for mind. Nationalism meaning is keep nationality on the top of everything. Nationalism in terms of information, history, literature, art, culturel philosopy of life, system of thought measures of value, morality, traditions to know everything. You should believe and practice, knowing nationalism is nothing. ''Turkishness is to fight against infidels.'' When we say ''Turk'' we just understand Muslims nothing else.
Turkish nationalism is comprehensive. It includes all Muslims. Turkish foreign policy is not ready for this. Our government is not working on it as far as I understood. Understanding the power of nationalism also tells us a lot about what is happening today in the European Union. During the Cold War, European integration flourished because it took place inside the hot-house bubble provided by American protection. Today, however, the United States is losing interest in European security, the Europeans themselves face few external threats, and the EU project itself has opened too far and badly overreached by creating an ill-advised monetary union. What we are seeing today, therefore, is a gradual renationalization of European foreign policy, fueled in part by incompatible economic preferences and in part by recurring fears that local identities are being threatened. When Danes worry about Islam, Catalans demand autonomy, Flemish and Walloons contend in Belgium, Germans refuse to bail out Greeks, and nobody wants to let Turkey into the EU, we are watching nationalism at work excluding Turkish nationalism. We need time to see Turkish nationalism in international scale. At least I have hope to see it.
Sources;
http://www.mehmetakifarastirmalari.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=78
http://www.istiklalmarsidernegi.org.tr/
Harper, Douglas. "Nation". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 5 June 2011
Türkçe ulus siyasi amaçla bir araya gelmiş olan boylar konfederasyonunu ifade eder (ayrıca eski Türkçedeki budun) - http://www.tdk.gov.tr/
İstiklal Marşı’nın 6. Mısrası.
İstiklal Marşı’nın 39. Mısrası.
Mehmet Akif Ersoy - Safahat, Hakkın Sesleri, sf. 183
Ottoman Empire and Islamic Tradition – Norman Itzkowitz p.35
"Turkey, Sweden and the EU Experiences and Expectations", Report by the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, Nisan 2006, s. 6
İsmet Özel – Karşıt Görüş Programı – 29.12.2009
