Prof. Dr. Mustafa İsen, Academician, Bureaucrat, and Politician, was the guest of the conference 'Our Distant Yet Close Problems: Evaluations on the Turkic World,' organized by the Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine within the scope of the University Culture course. At the event held in Üsküdar University Central Campus Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall and broadcast live on ÜÜTV and YouTube, Prof. Dr. Mustafa İsen spoke about the effects of Islam on Turks. Prof. Dr. Mustafa İsen stated: "From the 8th century onwards, Turks became, on one hand, the sword and shield of Islam, but later also its pen, trowel, geometry, and science. In this regard, they did not merely remain in faith and practice but also embraced the civilization created by the Islamic religion with all its institutions. Starting with the Seljuks, they largely represented this religion in military, science, and art."
Prof. Dr. Hikmet Koçak: "Turkish society represents an ancient civilization and culture"
Prof. Dr. Hikmet Koçak, Vice Rector and Faculty Member of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, who moderated the program and gave the opening speech, said: "Turkish society represents an ancient civilization and culture. Looking back at our past, we are talking about a language and culture that dominated and was spoken in a geography stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. They even used to say for those times, 'If you know Turkish, you can easily travel to these places.' We have been able to spread our civilization and culture over such a wide geography. For instance, I want to explain our distant closeness during the period when my esteemed colleague Mustafa served as the Presidential Secretary General, and I served as the President of the Union of Turkic Universities. During our visit to Kazakhstan in that period, they told me at Al-Farabi University, 'You left the homeland, Central Asia, and moved slowly. We understand. Your departure was slow, but you never returned. You didn't come, and you forgot these lands. You forgot your ancestral homeland, your motherland.' Studies and discussions about the Turkic world have always been like this. History bears witness to some, and we bear witness to others."
Prof. Dr. Mustafa İsen: "A new Istanbul-centered world will be established"
Prof. Dr. Mustafa İsen, highlighting the effects of Islam on the development of Turks, said: "Turks have had an area of activity in Central Asia since much older times, but their true emergence onto the stage of history is with their conversion to Islam. The Islam they encountered in Transoxiana in the 8th century brought about very significant changes in their lives. There is even a saying, 'Islam caught the Turk on horseback but brought him down from the horse,' implying that it led them to a settled life. It is true that from that date onwards, Turks became, on one hand, the sword and shield of Islam, but later also its pen, trowel, geometry, and science. In this regard, they did not merely remain in faith and practice but also embraced the civilization created by the Islamic religion with all its institutions. Starting with the Seljuks, they largely represented this religion in military, science, and art."
Prof. Dr. Mustafa İsen: "A good museum tour with a good guide can change a person's perspective on life and things"
Prof. Dr. Mustafa İsen advised participants to recognize the importance of Istanbul, the city they live in, reminding them that: "Throughout history, Istanbul has always been a first-class city due to its extraordinary geographical location. It was first-class during the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods. During the Republic era, it was not the capital, but it still became the capital of trade, culture, education, and many other things that can be added. I particularly want to tell my young friends this. As mentioned in my resume, I served as Undersecretary for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. I managed Turkey's cultural life for a period. There's a famous aphorism: 'I read a book, and my life changed.' Can our lives change just by reading a book? I'm not sure. But let me tell you this much: a good museum tour with a good guide can change a person's perspective on life and things. Istanbul provides you with a diploma as you walk through it. In this respect, Istanbul is a city with extraordinary opportunities. History has shown that whoever governed Istanbul dominated the Balkans, the Middle East, etc. A new Istanbul-centered world will be established in this region. I particularly advise friends to live by being aware of the city they live in, aware of its museums, in other words, ultimately aware of this city."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "If there is no consensus in purpose, there is no unity"
At the end of the conference, which also included a Q&A session, Üsküdar University Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan spoke, discussing the importance of unity and solidarity. Tarhan said: "Now, sociological changes are also occurring in our culture. Some things can change over time. The only thing that doesn't change from top to bottom is culture. When unity is established, consensus in purpose and method can be easily achieved. However, if there is no consensus in purpose, it becomes difficult to establish unity there, and unity does not materialize. We also address this issue in leadership psychology. In the Armed Forces, scientific leadership is now being taught instead of charismatic leadership. The essence of such leadership is for individuals to remain themselves while becoming 'us.' It is about achieving unity. That is, to enable people to become 'us' while remaining within their own cultures. This is valid within families and within cultures. Because they established a system in the style of multi-culture. They realized this after the ordeal of the Second World War. Now, we are suffering from a serious civilizational pain in our Central Asian and Middle Eastern geography. We need to break our prejudices by taking advantage of this pain and form a unity in the same way."