Emphasizing the importance of the Battle of Malazgirt in highlighting the spirit of social unity, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the spirit of Malazgirt should be explained and passed on to younger generations, saying, “We must adopt keeping the Malazgirt spirit alive as a principle; we need to underscore this.” Tarhan, emphasizing that in the age of information, those with strong ideas prevail, said, “We will embrace our past, live for today, but look to the future.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, in his assessment on the occasion of the 951st anniversary of the Malazgirt Victory, drew attention to the spirit of social unity.
The Importance of the Spirit of National Unity is Emphasized
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the spirit of unity in the Malazgirt Victory should be well understood, stating, “At that time, all peoples in the Southeast supported Sultan Alparslan. Not only Turks but also Kurds provided significant support. This unity had a crucial impact on winning the Malazgirt Victory. The saying ‘If language and religion are one, the nation is one’ is an important one. The Malazgirt Victory holds a special place in terms of emphasizing the importance of the spirit of national unity that brings together all peoples and cultures.”
The Celebrations in Muş are Very Meaningful
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the celebrations held in Muş for the 951st anniversary of the Malazgirt Victory are also very meaningful, adding, “It is important that the Malazgirt Victory is celebrated in a way that unites all peoples in that region. It is significant that this victory is celebrated not only by Turks but also by other peoples in the region together. It is very meaningful that our esteemed President went to that region and these celebrations were held there. This is actually a step towards Turkish nationalism.”
Alparslan’s Motivation is Important in the Malazgirt Spirit
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that to understand the success in the Malazgirt Victory, the spirit of Malazgirt must be understood, stating, “What needs to be emphasized here is the spirit of Malazgirt. Just as in the spirit of Çanakkale, Alparslan and his companions were motivated in the spirit of Malazgirt. We need to examine what Alparslan's motivation was. For a person to have motivation, there must be a need for it. To have a need, there must be a desire. Desires create needs. Needs also motivate. So, with what desires and intentions did Alparslan act? Here, Alparslan's action is not one of world conquest, but one of martyrdom.”
A High Ideal is Required for a Person to Sacrifice Themselves
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the word "şehitlik" (martyrdom) comes from the root "şehadet," meaning "to see," stating, “So, a martyr is someone who is like they have seen the truth. That is, being able to see them as individuals who could sacrifice themselves. What is the most important thing in a person's life? Their life. They sacrifice their life for a high ideal. For a person to be able to sacrifice themselves, a high ideal is required. There is a reward-punishment system in the human brain. In return for the reward-punishment system, there is a spiritual rank. There are two important questions: Is it your life, or the life of the person you serve? A person is obliged to sacrifice their own life.”
We Need to Formulate a National Principle
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, emphasizing the importance of explaining the spirit of the August 26th Malazgirt Victory to younger generations, said, “It should be explained just like the spirit of Çanakkale. Young people should be given the opportunity to feel that excitement. To keep this spirit alive, the Japanese take primary school children to historical sites. They form a national principle by saying, ‘We paid a price for the lands and values we possess.’ We also need to keep our national assets alive, just like Çanakkale, to form a national principle.”
Education Should Be Value-Oriented
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said that teaching and preserving these values should also be included in the education system, stating, “This system currently does not value our values much. At one point, very good studies were being done on values. Then they were stopped. They need to start again, but values cannot be taught through conferences. There must be value-oriented education. Values are a spirit that makes a society a society. What distinguishes humans from other living beings is having abstract values. There are behaviors, norms. There are things that guide a person's life and add meaning to it. One of these is common values shared by society.”
We Must Adopt Keeping the Malazgirt Spirit Alive as a Principle
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the spirit of the Malazgirt Victory also emerged in the Ottoman Empire, and that spirit later enabled the establishment of the republic, adding, “Look at the founding codes of the Republic; there is the spirit of Çanakkale. There is the spirit of Malazgirt. That is what mobilizes the people. We need to keep this spirit and understanding alive. As Mehmet Akif said, 'May God never again have this nation write an Independence March.' Wise people take precautions before disaster strikes. Let us do the same.” Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the Alperens in Malazgirt set a good example for the people in that region with their sharing and helpfulness, stating, “The Alperens introduced us to the foreign culture there during those periods. They explained that Turks were not cruel. As a result, resistance was broken. Therefore, we must adopt keeping the Malazgirt spirit alive as a principle; we need to underscore it. These define our cultural standards. That is why we need to transmit values within classrooms, not just like conferences anymore.”
The Malazgirt Victory and its Spirit Should Be Explained to Children
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also advised parents to explain the importance of the Malazgirt Victory to their children, stating, “Parents need to teach their children what happened in Malazgirt today. Why is the Malazgirt Victory important today? What happened in Malazgirt, children? Why are ceremonies held? What is the spirit there? Which values led to winning that battle there? These are very important. If we lose our spiritual values, our cultural values, our sense of martyrdom, we will lose our fighting spirit. This is very important. Therefore, parents, teach your children.”
In the Age of Information, Those with Strong Ideas Win
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the wars of ancient times have now been replaced by ideological wars, stating, “Back then, there was jihad. Material jihad transformed into spiritual jihad. Now, there are ideological wars. Those with strong ideas win because we are in the age of information. The greatest thing is power now. Information power. We are subjected to cultural imperialism. There is serious cultural deformation in our society. We need to protect and keep our own cultural values alive because after a while, the spirit of Malazgirt will disappear. There is a saying: ‘War is not lost when you die, it is lost when you become like the enemy.’ If we adopt the enemy’s values and make them our own, we will resemble the enemy. We will be among the losers, and after a while, many cultures will disappear after cultural imperialism. We must not lose our spirit. When one speaks of the human spirit, behaviors and thoughts are understood. We need to protect our cultural codes.”
We Must Keep Our Own Culture Alive
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that the most important thing to focus on in the current period is to modernize while preserving our core values, stating, “The advent of modernism is beneficial, but we need to transfer our own identity here. If we cannot do this, we will lose the spirit of Malazgirt. Culture is not entirely formed within the family. National education needs to do something about this. In 20-30 years, we will be like the cultures currently eroding in Cyprus. Therefore, to prevent our cultures from eroding, we need to keep our own culture and spirit alive. Here, Malazgirt and Çanakkale are symbols. Keeping these symbols alive leaves a mark on such developing spirits and minds. We get to see what is right, what is wrong, what is good, what is bad, and what is fair.”
We Must Take Measures Against the Global Pandemic
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan warned that people who are not 'us' might appear to be like us and change our culture, stating, “When you change needs, cultures change. In cultural psychological warfare, when you change the needs of a society, they voluntarily change their culture. We absolutely must protect our meanings, our cultures, our values, our rules. Currently, there is a global pandemic. We must take measures against this pandemic. We cannot save our national values with just PR. Every parent is responsible. We are all responsible for this.”
For a Healthy and Strong Society…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan underlined that a healthy and strong society is possible not only with individuals who only think of themselves but also with those who do something for the country and nation they live in, stating, “We will also do things for the country we live in. We will also do things for the society we are part of. Do we not owe anything to society? Do we not owe anything to our ancestors? Let us remember these, act with this responsibility, and at the same time, act with its excitement and joy.”
We Will Embrace Our Past
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that for social values to live on and continue, they must be made shareable, stating, “A person's duty is not only to fulfill values but also to transmit values to society. Everyone should do their part. Sharing is a value. Gratitude is a value; thankfulness is a value. When we keep these alive, we are both happy and successful within ourselves. We will embrace our past, live for today, but look to the future. If this is the case, we might have fulfilled our responsibility by being committed to our national goals, national values, and ideals.”