Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "Seeing Western culture as high and our own culture as inferior is a betrayal of the national struggle."

Pointing out that if we do not understand the War of Independence correctly, we may fall into the same mistakes again, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan expressed that "In the past, the enemy was obvious, but now it is within us and destroys us by culturally decaying us and making us look like itself. Seeing Western culture as high and our own culture as inferior is herd psychology and this is a betrayal of the national struggle. It is a betrayal of the Kuva-yi Milliye (National Forces). It is not understanding the National Forces at all."

Stating that courage is not to be blindly thrown into danger, but to take action using reason, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan expressed that "In this context, we must be brave, but we must act mindfully."

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan discussed the topic of "The Place of Heroism and National Struggle in Child Development and Its Effects on Society".

All the pashas who founded the Republic were Ottoman pashas...

Tarhan continued his remarks as follows: "I wish there was no need for the War of Independence because every salvation brings behind it a process of destruction, the formation of ashes and rebirth. Focusing on just one story of redemption can lead to history repeating itself. We should evaluate the events from a broader perspective." Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "What happened in the process leading to the War of Independence? What lessons have we learned from this process? This is our history, with its pros and cons… It is part of the values of our ancestors and fathers. It should not be forgotten that all of the pashas who founded the Republic were Ottoman pashas, and they achieved this success with the education they received. If we do not understand the War of Independence correctly, we may fall into the same mistakes again. To see this war only as a heroic epic misleads our children. The main thing is to understand why the country was forced into this war, what values we have lost and what social decay we are experiencing. We must set national ideals and ideals so that the same mistakes are not repeated. If a ship does not know where to go when it leaves port, the wind drags it. In the same way, a society must be guided by high ideals."

In the past, the enemy was obvious, now it is within us... It destroys us by making us look like itself

Noting that major wars became more difficult with the emergence of nuclear powers after World War II and that the most effective war in this period was psychological warfare, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "Especially in the medium and long term, there is cultural and psychological warfare. Suppressing other cultures by exporting one's own is a form of voluntary imperialism, and it is now manifesting itself in the form of cultural warfare. Cultural change in the Hollywood-centered world is also part of this. Today, the shape, color and symbols of the War of Independence have changed. It is important to uncover new heroic deeds and boast about them; however, the main enemy is no longer visible. In the past, the enemy was obvious, but now it is within us and destroys us by culturally decaying us and making us look like itself. Today's global capital and powers are pursuing a similar strategy through cultural warfare. We must also teach our children about modern threats. It is important to protect ourselves from the dangers of social media and to modernize without losing our identity. Otherwise, we become someone else's slave. Seeing Western culture as high and our own culture as inferior is herd psychology, and this is a betrayal of the national struggle. It is a betrayal of the National Forces. It is not understanding the National Forces at all.”

The War of Independence set an example for the struggle of all oppressed and victimized peoples

Pointing to the spirit formed at the beginning of the Kuva-i Milliye (National Forces), Prof. Nevzat Tarhan expressed that "The War of Independence set an example not only for Türkiye, but also for the struggle of all oppressed and victimized peoples. It has inspired names such as Che Guevara. This war has shed light on independence struggles around the world."

When we change our own culture, we fall into the trap of those who want to defeat us...

Emphasizing that local culture should be protected to exist at the global level, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "When we change our own culture, we fall into the trap of those who want to defeat us. Therefore, while teaching our children heroism, we should emphasize the importance of making sacrifices for the country rather than being a world conqueror. Heroism is defined by fighting the wicked, not giving in to the oppressors, and helping anyone in need. Heroes such as Dede Korkut and Köroğlu stand out with these features. Before Islam, heroism was seen as a world conqueror, but after Islam, the cause was sanctified, and the aim of glorifying Islam came to the fore. The Ottomans also adopted this ideal. Heroism continued in the form of glorification of a cause rather than the sanctification of individuals. This was the ideal of the Ottomans. With this ideal, they were able to keep the state alive. As soon as this ideal was abandoned, collapse and decay began."

We must also raise awareness of moral decadence in our children

Pointing out that the judicial system was full of serious injustices in the last period of the Ottoman Empire, especially in the pre-Constitutional period, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "The trials were secret, and the investigations were open, which led to the weakening of the law and the loss of justice. The basis of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire is not colonialism, but deviation from founding principles and moral decay. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, Yahya Efendi were warning him and stated that the State would face a bad fate if corruption, lawlessness, cruelty and poverty spread despite the power of the state. This letter summarizes the dangers of the moral collapse of the state and is now in Topkapı Palace. Therefore, we must not only teach our children heroism, but also raise awareness of moral decadence. This decay in the last period of the Ottoman Empire may have similar consequences in the future."

Courage is taking action using reason

Stating that courage is not to be thrown blindly against danger, but to take action using reason, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan concluded his remarks as follows:

"In this context, we must be brave, but we must act mindfully. For example, when the war plan in Afyon was being prepared during the War of Independence, one of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's teachers said that they could win the war with this plan, but there was a high probability of losing it. He says, ‘If we lose the war, our heads are gone.’ Mustafa Kemal, on the other hand, said, ‘Do not worry, if heads will be gone, it will be mine. The parliament will take our heads.’ This is true courage. While discussing the plan of the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief, Mustafa Kemal develops the strategy of advancing on foot through roads that horsemen cannot pass and hitting the Greeks from behind. This war should not be seen as the achievement of a single person. If there is an achievement in military service, it is the success of the whole battalion, and failure is the responsibility of the battalion commander. The War of Independence is the success of the whole nation. Sacrifices such as someone who had two seats in Anatolia selling one or donating one made this victory possible. For this reason, it is necessary to correctly explain that the War of Independence was the success of the whole nation. Otherwise, Eastern culture's tendency to extract a savior and dump everything on one person may misrepresent this success. We have to be mindful of this danger."

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)