Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Viewing Western culture as superior and our own culture as inferior is a betrayal of the national struggle.”

Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, pointing out that if we do not understand the War of Independence correctly, we may fall into the same mistakes again, said, “In the past, the enemy was clear, but now it is within us, culturally decaying us, assimilating us, and destroying us. Viewing Western culture as superior and our own culture as inferior is herd psychology, and this is a betrayal of the national struggle. It is a betrayal of Kuvâ-yi Milliye. It is a complete misunderstanding of Kuvâ-yi Milliye.” 

Stating that courage is not blindly rushing into danger, but rather acting by using reason, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “In this context, we must be courageous, but we must act with our minds.”
 

Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, addressed the topic of “The Place of Heroism and National Struggle in Child Development and Their Effects on Society.”

All the pashas who founded the Republic were Ottoman pashas…

Starting his words by saying, “I wish there had been no need for the War of Independence. Because every liberation brings with it destruction, the formation of ashes, and a process of rebirth. Focusing solely on a story of liberation can lead to history repeating itself. We must evaluate events from a broader perspective,” Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan continued, “What happened during the process leading up to the War of Independence? What lessons did we learn from this process? This is our past; a part of the values of our ancestors, our fathers, with their pros and cons. It should not be forgotten that all 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. Viewing this war merely as a heroic epic misleads our children. The real issue is to understand why the country was forced into this war, which values we lost, and what decay we experienced. To prevent the repetition of the same mistakes, we must set national ideals and aspirations. If a ship leaves port without knowing its destination, the wind will toss it around. Similarly, a society must also be guided by high ideals,” he said.

In the past, the enemy was clear, now it is within us… Destroying us by making us like itself.

Noting that large-scale wars became difficult after World War II with the emergence of nuclear powers, and that psychological warfare became the most effective form of conflict during this period, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Especially in the medium and long term, cultural and psychological warfare is at play. Exporting one's own culture to assimilate other cultures is a form of voluntary imperialism, and currently, this manifests as cultural warfare. The Hollywood-centric cultural change in the world is also part of this. Today, the form, color, and symbols of the national War of Independence have changed. It is important to create new acts of heroism and to boast about them; however, the real enemy is now invisible. In the past, the enemy was clear, but now it is within us, culturally decaying us, assimilating us, and destroying us. Today's global capital and powers also follow 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 slaves to others. Viewing Western culture as superior and our own culture as inferior is herd psychology, and this is a betrayal of the national struggle. It is a betrayal of Kuvâ-yi Milliye. It is a complete misunderstanding of Kuvâ-yi Milliye,” he stated.

The War of Independence became an example for the struggles of all oppressed and victimized peoples

Pointing to the spirit that emerged at the beginning of the Kuvâ-yi Milliye, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “The War of Independence served as an example not only for Turkey but also for the struggles of all oppressed and victimized peoples; it inspired figures like Che Guevara. This war shed light on independence struggles worldwide.”

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

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also emphasized the need to preserve local culture to exist at a global level, stating, “When we change our own culture, we fall into the trap of those who wish to defeat us. Therefore, when teaching heroism to our children, we should emphasize the importance of making sacrifices for the country rather than world conquest. Heroism is defined by fighting evil, not bowing to tyrants, and helping everyone in need. Heroes like Dede Korkut and Köroğlu stand out with these characteristics. While heroism was seen as world conquest before Islam, after Islam, the cause was sanctified, and the goal of exalting Islam came to the forefront. The Ottoman Empire also adopted this ideal. Heroism continued not as the sanctification of individuals but as the glorification of a cause.  This was the ideal of the Ottoman Empire. With this ideal, they were able to sustain the state. The moment this ideal was abandoned, collapse and decay began,” he said.

We must also make our children aware of moral decay

Noting that the judicial system in the late Ottoman period, especially before the Constitutional Monarchy, was full of serious injustices, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Trials were secret, while investigations were open, which led to the weakening of law and the loss of justice. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire was based not on colonialism, but on deviation from its founding principles and moral decay. During the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, Yahya Efendi's 'Neme lazım' (What do I care?) warning to Süleyman stated that despite the state's power, if corruption, lawlessness, oppression, and poverty spread, the Sublime State (Ottoman Empire) would face a bad end. This letter summarizes the dangers of the state's moral decay and is currently located in Topkapi Palace. Therefore, we should not only teach our children heroism but also raise awareness against moral decay. This decay experienced in the late Ottoman period could lead to similar consequences in the future,” he remarked. 

Courage is acting by using reason

Stating that courage is not blindly rushing into danger, but rather acting by using reason, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan concluded his words as follows:

“In this context, we must be courageous, but we must act with our minds. For example, while the war plan for 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 also a high probability of losing. “If we lose the war, our heads will be lost,” he said. Mustafa Kemal, however, showed his determination by saying, “Don't worry, if heads are lost, mine will be. The Assembly will take our heads.” This is true courage. While the plan for the Great Offensive (Başkomutanlık Meydan Muharebesi) was being discussed, Mustafa Kemal developed the strategy of advancing with infantry through paths impassable for cavalry to strike the Greeks from behind. This war should not be seen as the success of a single person. In military terms, if there is a success, it is the success of the entire battalion; failure, however, belongs to the battalion commander. The War of Independence is also the success of the entire nation. Sacrifices, like someone in Anatolia selling one of their two chairs to donate, made this victory possible. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly explain that the War of Independence was the success of the entire nation. Otherwise, the tendency of Eastern culture to produce a savior and attribute everything to one person could misrepresent this success. We must be cautious against this danger.”