Reading Manzikert and the Great Offensive Victories in the Context of the Domestication of Anatolia and the Anatolian Renaissance

Reading Manzikert and the Great Offensive Victories in the Context 

August is the Turkish victory month. 26 August 1071 Manzikert, Otlukbeli (1473), Chaldiran (1514); Mercidabık (1516), Mohaç (1521), Cyprus (1571), Sakarya (1921) and Great Offensive victories were always in August. With the victory of Manzikert, Anatolia was made a homeland with the basic values ​​brought from Atayurt and became the Homeland. Again on the same day, that is, on August 26, 1922, the Great Offensive launched against the forces trying to invade Anatolia ended in victory on August 30.

With the cultural and political accumulation of the Seljuk and Ottoman state, the foundations of our new state, the Republic of Turkey, were laid in Anatolia. Celebrating the victory of Manzikert by saying, "He who does not have a past cannot have a future," seems to be turned into a state ceremony. It was announced that the ceremonies to be held with the participation of our President will be held continuously, just like the Çanakkale ceremonies. Soldiers representing the 16 Turkish states established in history and the military band performing a demonstration is the symbol of our Atayurt accumulation before the Motherland; Giving the key to the Anatolian gate to President Erdogan as a representative is important in terms of showing the previous and present knowledge. It will also reveal the futility of trying to exclude the Turkization and Islamization process of Anatolia and/or the concept of Turkish lately.

After the First World War, a new state was established based on Anatolia, whose geopolitical strategic position dates back a thousand years, but in fact, its political and intellectual foundations had already been laid as of 1908. With the 1789 French Revolution, the socio-political structure of the world began to transition from monarchy to Republic, from religion to secularism and secularism, from kingdom to republic. The Ottoman state also tried to adapt to these changes with three styles of politics (Ottomanism, Islamism and Turkism). All the ideas and these movements that emerged with their different contents were aimed at solving the problems in the relationship between nature and identity. The Republic of Turkey was established by taking the last of the policies of adaptation to the new situations, namely Turkishness, to the center.

'Anatolia', which comes from the ancient Greek 'Anatole', means 'the place where the sun rises' in the meanings of the East and the East. In the adoption of the Turkish national identity as mother + homeland and mother + hail, the image of state, father and Anatolia were identified by reading in accordance with the definition of national identity and family on which the newly established Republic of Turkey built its nation-state nationalism. In this context, the official doctrine and civil Blue and Islamist Anatolianism that emerged in order to create a new nation-state and construct the concept of Turkishness as a new identity are important in this context. These teachings are united in a common sense of homeland centered on Anatolia.

Anatolianism as a civic doctrine evolved over time and turned into two conflicting currents. One of them, Mavi Anatolianism, was shaped by the influence of both institutional and personal ties that it established with the official policies of Hasan Ali Yücel in the 1940s. Against the discourse of the Mavi Anadolucuk movement, which sees secularism and westernization as identical with modernization, a discourse that we can call conservative Anatolianism, which has turned into a 'culture-based nationalism/traditionalism and conservatism', has been developed. The conservative understanding of Anatolianism formed by scholars such as Ali Fuad Başgil, Mümtaz Turhan and Nureddin Topçu is different from the Turkish or Ethnic Anatolianism vision formed around the Anatolian magazine published by Mükrimin Halil Yinanç and his team between 1923-1925. In short, if we analyze the problems experienced in the founding period of Turkey and the solutions offered to them, and the differences between them, we can find the reasons for today's conflicts and divisions.

The Establishment Period of the Republic of Turkey and the Philosophy of Anatolianism

The currents of ideas that emerged in order to create a new nation-state and to construct the concept of Turkishness as a new identity are as follows:

With the modernization process, three basic ideologies, namely Ottomanism, Islamism and Turkism/Turanism, were defended; With the establishment of the nation-state, Turkish nationalism was adopted as the official ideology in the context of radical Western secular modern identity. During the single-party and national Chief İnönü period (1923-45/50), it was tried to be transformed into an official ideology with the characterization of Kemalism. This situation was redefined as Kemalism in Turkey after 1980.

The starting point here is Nationalism in Nutuk (2nd arrow of CHP) cultural and spatial/Anatolian nationalism, that is, it defines national belonging within existing borders. Because the new world paradigm that changed after the 1789 French Revolution was based on nationalism and secularism, and the elite who founded the Turkish Republic saw the necessity of creating a "Turkish Nation" at the point reached in the context of the recent modernization projects. Because in Anatolia, which became Islamized since the 11th century, hybrid Anatolian Turkishness was formed with mass conversions. Invasion and retreat of the Mongols, 19th century After the migration of the Caucasian Muslim peoples and the loss of the Balkans from the beginning of the year, Turks living in the region as well as Albanian, Bosnian and other Muslim units settled in Anatolia. Considering the Arabs and Kurds, who are among the ancient peoples of the region, it was focused on creating a new national vision from the Turkish Republic and Anatolian mosaic.

The founding elite of the new state made Anatolia a homeland, determined its physical and political borders, and placed Anatolia at the center of Turkish national identity. In short, the basic idea in the foundation of the Turkish Republic, whether it evolved as Kemalism or Kemalism, was Anatolianism. Here, the transition of the Turkish identity from the Ottoman interpretation to the Anatolian interpretation was tried to be handled as the most determining element of the new identity that would take place after the proclamation of the Republic. In other words, after the First World War, the founding elite adopted Anatolia as their homeland; He wanted to create a 'homeland' in the civil sense with cultural transformations and institutional reforms that equated modernization with westernization. It prioritized a mentality revolution that was formed around a new set of values ​​that did not give importance to mass emotions and collective values. For this reason, he gradually abandoned the religious themes he used during the War of Independence after the establishment of the nation-state and formed an official nationalist discourse. In short, the common denominator of all pursuits, except for ummatism/Islamism, including the civil and official discourse that some call Kemalism, such as Mavi, Islamist and Turkist Anadolucuk, is based on re-reading the Anatolian geo-cultural structure.

At this point, the date of August 26, 2017 may indicate a change and transformation in this sense. Because, it has been announced that now, under the auspices of President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it will be celebrated with the slogan "He who does not know his past cannot know his future". Soldiers representing the 16 Turkish states established in history and the mehter team will demonstrate. The key to the Anatolian gate will be given to President Erdogan as his representative. The importance of this event for me is that it shows the futility of efforts to disable Anatolian Turkishness and Anatolian Nationalism in the name of Islamism and/or Ummahism. Let's unpack this a little more with Nurettin Topçu's envision of Anatolian nationalism.

"Anatolian nationalism" and the Anatolian Renaissance according to Nurettin Topçu

First of all, the religion of the nation is the religion of Islam, which has kneaded its morals, customs and heart, and has become the direction and source of the Turkish-Islamic civilization. The great homeland is Anatolian soil. Our lineage is the Turkish lineage of the Oghuz children, which has not lost its originality by merging in these lands throughout the nine-hundred-year history of Anatolia. Our language is the concise and rich Turkish language that has come into existence in the historical maturation that has continued for centuries in this country. Abstract and lifeless language, which is the invention of individual desires, cannot be a national language. If a renaissance is to be realized, it may be possible with a "rebirth" specific to this geography, namely Anatolia.

According to Topçu, "in every Renaissance movement there is the reign of reason, free thought and surrender to love". While the ascension periods of the mind were the guidance and Renaissance periods of humanity; The decline periods of the mind are “the dark ages in which science, ideal and morality have fallen into the abyss.” Free thought is the life-giving breath of the Renaissance movement.” Therefore, there is no Philosophy/you; because philosophy teaches us to use reason. The artist of our morality will be philosophy. At the same time, it will save our people from the pessimism and lethargy they are in, since it is also the builder of the political order. Thus, the refinement of religious beliefs can be achieved through philosophy. Philosophy determines the direction of our lives because it is the source of life for our freedom. In short, philosophy, which is one of the sources of the Anatolian Renaissance, should depend on the principle of evolution that governs our world, the principle of methodical thinking that regulates the perfect functioning of the mind, Anatolian socialism, and Islamic spiritualism and individualism, which form the basis of our morality.

Manzikert Victory: The Beginning of the Anatolian Renaissance

1071 is very important as it marks the beginning of our Renaissance by the Seljuks. Topçu wants to write an epic of the Battle of Manzikert as the beginning of national history. Epics are important because they are expressions of the unity of a nation around common values. In this sense, epics are our collective memories. When the Seljuk states (Great and Anatolian) founded by the Oghuz Kınık Tribe completed their function, this time the Kayi clan continued the same tradition as a new state with the Ottoman Empire.

According to Nurettin Topçu, rebirth/renaissance can be achieved by understanding the Seljuks, who started the national history in Anatolia with the Battle of Manzikert. In this context, Topçu is of the opinion that "just as the Italians took the ancient Greeks as an example, we should also take the Seljuk as an example with their philosophy and architecture". Because the Islamic civilization has turned into a Turkish-Islamic civilization with this state. In fact, the Renaissance is every "movement of faith" made by humanity; because I know the physical world is intended to create metaphysical/spiritual values ​​from there. This is a "return to ourselves" movement. For this reason, it is necessary to create a scientific mentality by examining Anatolia's thousand-year-old Islamic contemplation in a methodical way.

Yes, every nation has its own unique source of life. For Turks, this is the religion of Islam. By accepting Islam, they achieved the ideal unity necessary to become a national society and made Anatolia a homeland in 1071. Because before the Turkization of Anatolia, which passed from nomadic to settled order, "children of histories who founded civilizations" and their traditions did not destroy their traditions, their "material assets largely fused with their material wealth and "represented" theirs.

At this point, Mavi brings criticism to Anatolianism, which examines the ancient traditions before Islam, which the official discourse tries to lean on by skipping the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. As we mentioned above, the Oghuz Turks synthesized the material synthesis they created by representing the previous Anatolian cultures with a "perfect Islamic spirit". The concept of 'homeland' is also the result of synthesis. A national geography in which the spiritual structure is functional is necessary in order to create a new conception of nation. The unity of destiny/history experienced in this geography creates national consciousness. What is called nationalism is this unity of homeland and history. For this reason, it is not consistent to try to connect the birth of this nation to the aftermath of the national struggle. Because the date of making Anatolia our homeland is 1071.

Conclusion

Nurettin Topçu and conservative Anatolianists emphasized the spiritual power of Space, that is, Anatolia, and emphasized the transformation of the race into a nation. In Anatolianism, "homeland" draws the boundaries of the moral values ​​system as well as the physical. These values ​​have nationalized a religious and holy place. In fact, this teaching consists of a search between the Turkist/Turanist line and Mavi Anadolucuk, which brings serious criticism to the official (Kemalism) discourse. With the definition of Anatolia as a homeland, it is also desired to get rid of the dilemmas of "Homeland is neither Turkey for Turks, nor Turkistan Homeland is a great and eternal country, Turan" summarized in Ziya Gökalp's verses as a real political necessity. Instead of the Turan idea, a cultural movement was initiated towards the formation of historical consciousness as the key to the transformation to the real homeland (Anatolia). In this way, an Anatolian-centered religious and philosophical nationalism was revealed, which was against a Turanian and Gokalpist Turkism and united on the front of the War of Independence.

Now, at this point, let's put our objection record: Does the idea of ​​a homeland with defined borders require seeing it as a rejection of the Turan idea? Or Ziya Gökalp, preserving his Turkish and Muslim identity, and exceeding the level of contemporary civilization, could not have put forward the necessity of real politics? As a matter of fact, Yusuf Akçura, who is one of the determinants of the founding philosophy of the Republic of Turkey, explains the content of the concept of Turk in his work called Üç Tarz-ı Politics, how different races are synthesized within the cultural tradition as well as Muslim and non-Muslim Turkish tribes. In short, Gökalp, with the idea of ​​Turan, may have emphasized the ancient tradition before the Seljuk and the Ottoman Empire as a distant target and wanted not to neglect to seek intellectual, economic and political alliances with other existing Turkish States. In any case, Anatolia is our homeland, one foot is always here; Our other foot is to be in a vision that will be on the world. For this reason, it is extremely important to celebrate the victories of the 26 August Manzikert and 30 August Great Offensive as symbols of our historical and cultural continuity.

(References: This article was prepared to be presented to the 2nd TURKISH ISLAMIC POLITICAL THOUGHT CONGRESS, hosted by Dumlupınar University on October 26-28, 2017. It was created from a statement named ".