Experts, stating that “opportunism,” observed after many disasters in Turkey, has once again come to the agenda with the price increases in fire extinguishers, emphasize that opportunism and similar negative tendencies increase social distrust.
Sociologist Dr. Berat Dağ, noting that there are vital responsibilities for the state, society, and individuals in Turkey regarding the prevention of opportunistic situations, said, “In this context, it is very important for the state to increase its regulations focused on law, politics, economy, and education based on the balance of justice, equality, and freedom.” Dr. Berat Dağ added, “To prevent such tragedies from happening again, every institution and everyone needs to take effective action.”
Dr. Berat Dağ from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, evaluated opportunism, which has come to the agenda with events such as the hotel fire in Kartalkaya and the subsequent increase in fire extinguisher prices.
Western capitalist values are imported defectively
Dr. Berat Dağ stated that Turkish society has been undergoing a process of extreme Westernization for approximately two hundred and fifty years, in which elitist cadres, approaching the public through rhetoric of patriotism or hostility, have tried to be decisive. He said, “This means that interest-based values, which perpetuate Western capitalist nation-states, are being defectively imported into Turkey. Therefore, as long as the ancient values based on justice that integrate the state, society, and the individual in Turkey are not updated, examples of inhumane feelings, thoughts, and actions that try to turn any emerging crisis into an opportunity are increasing.”
Opportunism causes social distrust
Considering Turkey specifically, Dr. Berat Dağ noted that opportunism and similar negative tendencies increase social distrust. He said, “It can be predicted that when the weakening of social trust in Turkey is gradually observed, instances of opportunism will further intensify this situation. In other words, the proliferation of opportunistic examples in an environment where everyone suspects each other and no one likes anyone can lead individuals to isolate themselves. This indicates that social life, one of the most fundamental necessities of the individual, is at risk.”
The historical accumulation based on fair and solidarity-oriented values, centering society, should not be forgotten
Dr. Berat Dağ stated that historical examples containing self-serving cultural values can be found in every society. He said, “The main problem here is concerned with how effective these examples are in the eyes of history and society. At this point, it can be recalled that the Ottoman Empire had an ancient tradition focused on distributing existing resources to society by preventing their accumulation in the hands of private individuals. Therefore, it is important to realize that in such crises, Turkey has a historical accumulation based on fair and solidarity-oriented values that center society.”
There are vital responsibilities for society and the individual!
Dr. Berat Dağ from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, continued his words as follows:
“Regarding the prevention of opportunistic situations, there are vital responsibilities for the state, society, and individuals in Turkey. In this context, it is very important for the state to increase its regulations focused on law, politics, economy, and education based on the balance of justice, equality, and freedom. In relation to this, it is also highly meaningful for society and individuals in Turkey to start building libertarian organizations that reconcile their own interests with the interests of others, in the context of the ethics of responsibility. If an interaction can be re-established between the state, society, and the individual in Turkey, the likelihood of such destructive consequences decreasing will increase in the initial stage.”
Action must be taken to prevent such tragedies from happening again
Dr. Berat Dağ also expressed his sadness over the Kartalkaya fire disaster. He concluded his words by saying, “To prevent such tragedies from happening again, every institution and everyone needs to take effective action. Therefore, we must put aside futile conflicts and continuously increase the possibilities for justice and solidarity-based structures and interactions, from the most micro to the most macro level.”