Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, making striking assessments regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, which is the world’s most important agenda, draws attention to the importance of fifth column activities in wars. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, author of the books “Psychological Warfare” and “Asymmetric Warfare,” emphasized Ukraine’s superiority, stating that Russian President Putin experienced a failure in terms of fifth column activities. Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that even if physical superiority is with Russia, as Ukraine resists and civilian deaths increase, psychological superiority has shifted to Ukraine.
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist, and author Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan analyzed the Russia-Ukraine war, which has passed two weeks, in a political-psychological context.
Putin failed in fifth column activities
Tarhan, who also drew attention to the importance of fifth column activities in his book “Psychological Warfare,” underlined that fifth column activities must be very well planned and executed for psychological superiority. Reminding that there are invisible wars alongside the visible war, Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that the invisible war is asymmetric warfare.
Right decisions win wars
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that in wars, besides the visible army, there is also an invisible army, and said, “Fifth column activities are very important in the context of the invisible army. An example of this in our history is the War of Independence. Considering the execution of this activity, which is important for psychological superiority, Putin appears to have failed in terms of fifth column activities. If entering a region is targeted, fifth column activities must be carried out there beforehand. It will prepare the people, prepare society, but this is not visible in Russia. For example, America; succeeded in fifth column activities. It entered Iraq and immediately broke the resistance without encountering any resistance. It did this with its secret partners. It later brought them to power. However, Russia, as an intelligence officer, is a complete disappointment; it is now resorting to brute force. It should not be forgotten that healthy and correct decisions win wars. Not only equipment but also the human element wins the war.”
Physical power in Russia, psychological superiority in Ukraine…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed out that even though physical power is with Russia, as Ukraine resists and civilian deaths in the region increase, psychological superiority has shifted to Ukraine, and he stated that the world is behind Ukraine. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that as Ukraine resists, the global community stands behind Ukraine, and said, “NATO, in a way, left Ukraine alone. Ukraine entered trusting it. The Ukrainian leader is a leader with an acting background. He is displaying a very serious, heroic stance here. This is very important in leadership. If the leader in Ukraine resists now, world public opinion will shift in his favor. Even if Russia takes Kyiv, it will not be able to control the people.”
Ukraine’s war ideology is very strong, Russia has no war ideology!
Reminding that Ukraine has banned men aged between 18 and 60 from leaving the country, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Ukraine is conscripting everyone, and this is proceeding resolutely. Ukraine’s stance has a purpose. It aims to defend its own territory. Ukraine’s war ideology is very strong, but Russia has no war ideology.”
Even if Putin succeeds, it will go down in history as the collapse of Russia…
Tarhan pointed out that those who choose the path of war in this era, even if successful in the short term, will not be successful in the medium and long term, and noted that even if Putin succeeds in the war, it will go down in history as the collapse of Russia. Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that Ukrainians, by showing good resistance, will take their place in the pages of history as if they had waged a war of independence.
The Russian people also want peace…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that just like Hitler, Putin is trying to dominate the war zone with policies of fear, and said, “In psychological warfare, the human element and the propaganda element are very important. Secret services conduct global trend surveys. What are the global trends in the world? Do people want war or peace, is freedom more important or power? Are power-oriented policies more important or bridge-building policies? Does the public want war or does it want to build walls? Does it want to integrate with the world? The current unrest among the Russian people shows that they are also peace-oriented, aligning with global trends. There is a grassroots movement saying that it would be more appropriate for us to build bridges instead of erecting walls with the rest of the world. If this movement does not yield results in the short term, it could turn against Putin’s administration in the long term.”
Only his people can make Putin change his decision…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that humanity’s greatest need right now is peace, and said, “Most of the world’s people have tasted economic prosperity, peace, and freedom, and so have the Russians. The world of the 1930s no longer exists. People’s welfare levels have increased, and naturally, they do not want to give this up. That is why humanity currently wants the war to end with peace. Leaders must see this. If psychological superiority also ensures diplomatic superiority, results will be achieved.” Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the sanctions imposed to stop Russia would disrupt the comfort of the Russian people, and said that only his people could make Putin change his decision.
The internet will determine how the war ends
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that many things would be rewritten in this war, but the internet would determine how the war ends, and said, “Who it ends in favor of will continue via social media. Those who succeed in breaking the resistance of rights through propaganda techniques, asymmetric warfare, or in provoking the people will achieve results. In the age of communication, there is no longer any secret propaganda. Everything is open, and those who act in accordance with global trends will win.”
Every country’s history has asymmetric wars
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that there are examples of asymmetric warfare in the history of every country, and said, “Every country has a typical example of asymmetric warfare, irregular warfare. In our history, it is the War of Independence. Our War of Independence was waged by the Ottoman deep state.
The Special Forces Command has an irregular warfare concept. Within this concept, the people and society are organized. There are many examples in the War of Independence. Journalist Eşref Edip supported the national struggle movement through a magazine during the War of Independence. Here, he organizes the people and encourages them to support. These are fifth column activities.”
He explained fifth column activities in his book “Psychological Warfare, Gray Propaganda”
Emphasizing the importance of fifth column activities, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan extensively covered fifth column activities in his book titled “Psychological Warfare, Gray Propaganda,” which he wrote in 2002. Tarhan uses the following expressions in his book:
Activities such as corrupting and destroying all living and inanimate elements that elevate, sustain, strengthen, mobilize, and develop a country are within the scope of subversive activity called fifth column activity.
Strategic fifth column activity…
In fifth column activity, the aim is to discredit the spiritual dynamics existing in the country’s past and to make society admire the spiritual and cultural values of others. A societal inferiority complex is awakened. For this, the flaws of society are brought to the forefront through media. Values such as morality, faith, patriotism, and heroism are discredited. Existing entertainment culture is attempted to be changed by frequently using slogans such as sexual freedom and progressivism. A sense of inferiority is awakened in the face of modern countries. Communities with diminished self-confidence begin to imitate successful communities and want to live like them. This process requires a sociological phase of 30-60 years. Since the cultural identity of society can be changed through 30-60-90 year sociological phases, the strategic psychological activity achieves its goal. The solution is achieved by pursuing the strategy of ensuring society’s modernization while preserving its own cultural identity.
Fifth column activity is the activity of first corrupting the soul of society and then destroying its body. It should be debated whether the covert support provided by international capital for the decline of moral values in societies, in order to effectively exploit them, aims to spiritually corrupt and then exploit societies.
Types Used:
Those who knowingly participate in subversive activity for self-interest.
Those who unknowingly and naively serve subversive activity.
Consists of individuals obtained by chance and then used through blackmail and coercion.
Combatting the Fifth Column:
Subversive fifth column activity heavily uses black and grey propaganda methods. It should be known that every broken home, every tension developing in society, is a gain for the fifth column. In the fight against an external enemy, the target is clear. It achieves results with clearly defined lines in conventional warfare. Psychological activity is carried out against an internal enemy. The internal enemy acts through secret and circuitous ways, masking their actions. They create conflict within the family through deceit and trickery. If we consider a country as a large family, domestic problems are not resolved with pressure, threats, intimidation, or fear. They are resolved with listening, understanding the other party, offering ideas instead of commands, dialogue, and compromise.
A conciliatory, dialogue-open commander and manager gains a strong position in Fifth Column activities.
What is the controlled tension strategy?
Mass internal enemy is a term Hitler introduced to the literature. It is used as a method in fascism. A segment of society is labeled as suspicious and objectionable. It is perceived as a potential threat. Capital is coded with definitions like red capital, green capital. Law enforcement agencies profile individuals in society who are law-abiding but hold dissenting views. Then, plans are made against these individuals. Various psychological warfare methods, including provocation, are applied to try and make them commit crimes. Universally accepted rights such as the right to education, the right to trade, and the right to speak one’s mother tongue, which are natural rights, are taken away from them.
When these individuals react because their rights have been taken away, the justification “they are disrupting public order” is used as propaganda. It is perceived much like a father taking food from his child’s hand and then interpreting the child’s reaction as rebellion. Controlled tension is a method developed by the powerful side to maintain its dominance. While it may yield results in the short term, in the long term, the aggrieved party becomes stronger if it maintains the right stance. The counter-psychological warfare method that would disrupt the effect of the controlled tension strategy is “to determine one’s own war.” The other side wants to wage war by its own rules. The most correct psychological warfare against a party that does not trust its ideas and holds a weapon is for people who trust their ideas to express their thoughts persistently and patiently, using democratic methods.
The elephant method can be used
An elephant is an animal that passes the same way every day. Elephant hunters set traps on the road, causing the elephant to fall into a pit. They come dressed in black and beat it thoroughly. A day or two later, they come dressed in white and rescue it. The elephant now sees them as saviors. This is another psychological warfare method: put society into crisis, then rescue it and bind it to yourself.