PAMER Director Assist. Prof. Dr. Fehmi Ağca, speaking at the event titled “The Direction of Coups in the Execution of Colonial Policies” organized by Üsküdar Üniversitesi Postcolonial Studies Application and Research Center (PAMER), said; “To abolish new colonialism, local collaborators must first be eliminated. Coups in exploited countries have been carried out with the support of local collaborators. Coup plotters are groups who have surrendered all their values to Western groups.”
“Colonialism began with geographical discoveries”
Ağca stated that colonial policies began with geographical discoveries and were seemingly ended after World War II. Ağca said; “Europe gained its prosperity and wealth by exploiting Asia, America, and Africa. With the Industrial Revolution, an economic gap emerged between Europe and America and the rest of the world. After World War II, some rights were granted to colonial countries. However, these countries were still not given full independence. The reason for this is the increasing cost of direct colonialism and the decisions of imperialist countries to change their methods. They thought that investing in their own lands would be better for their economies than investing in colonies.”
“New colonialism grants nominal independence”
Ağca stated that new colonialism is the political and economic management of a society; “This concept was first used to describe how African countries, despite being politically defined as fully independent, could be kept under dominance in political, economic, military, and social aspects. In this system, exploited countries cannot independently determine their own economic policies.”
“Local collaborators must be eliminated for the end of colonialism”
Ağca stated that colonialism is a crime against humanity; “The 1960s were the most intense period of colonialism and imperialism. To abolish new colonialism, local collaborators must first be eliminated. Coups in exploited countries have been carried out with the support of local collaborators. Coup plotters are groups who have surrendered all their values to Western groups. In countries where coups occur, education policies are implemented with slogans and in a way that makes people servants to them. The West is presented as the sole source of science. What is done in these countries can be called cultural imperialism.”
“In Turkey, coup plotters wear an Atatürkist mask”
Ağca stated that groups seen as anti-imperialist are used as tools of imperialism; “These individuals hide behind this mask in society. Military coups are carried out by disrupting order, under the pretext of bringing democracy, by disregarding governments that came to power through democratic elections and the will of the nation. As anti-imperialist Uğur Mumcu said, ‘In Turkey, the best mask for carrying out a coup is Atatürkism.’ All coups in Turkey have been hidden behind this mask. The coup plotters struck at the Republic's administration established by Atatürk. The coup plotters who overthrew the Menderes government, which came to power with the popular vote in 1960, removed the principles of Revolutionism, Statism, and Populism from the new Constitution, which were among the six fundamental principles placed in Article 2 of the Constitution by Atatürk in 1937. However, the coup plotters and the leaders of some political parties supporting them have continuously claimed to be revolutionary and populist until today. On July 15, 2016, FETÖ-aligned coup plotters used Atatürkism as a mask by taking the concept of ‘Peace at Home’ from Atatürk’s foreign policy motto ‘Peace at Home, Peace in the World’.”
“To avoid coups, democracy must be internalized”
Ağca stated that France overthrew heads of state in Africa through coups, installing its preferred leaders; “France has continued to gain economic benefits from its former colonies using this method. In colonies, leaders who will defend the interests of major powers are brought to power through coups. Imperialist states have sometimes supported dictators in their colonies and sometimes waged war against the same dictator, like Saddam. In the last 50 years, France has carried out 56 coups in Africa. Through defense agreements, France has obtained permission to intervene militarily and maintain military bases there. Many African countries are managed like a company of France. Furthermore, France has imposed a ban on its former colonies from forming alliances with other states. The US is known to have been involved in military coups in the Middle East and Turkey. To prevent coups and coup plotters, political and social groups must internalize democracy. Otherwise, they will not be able to escape being tools of imperialist powers.”