This Country and Turkish Knowledge

Today we will discuss Cemil Meriç's "This Country" (Istanbul: İletişim Publishing House 2018). We gave the books to friends two weeks ago. Two days ago, news came from the Idlib region of our brothers who sacrificed their lives for the survival of "This Country". I commemorate our brothers and sisters who were martyred by shielding their chests against all kinds of external and internal attacks against our country, with mercy and gratitude. May my Lord protect and watch over all our security forces. My Mevlana made his places heaven, but as those who have sworn to protect this country at all times and at all stages of our debt of loyalty, let us remember what we need to do about "This Country", which we have placed in the center of it by saying "There was only one continent in our geography, only one hemisphere in our skull".
Talking to the youth, who are the future of our country, from the language of a reclusive and committed intellectual worker who dedicates his life to Turkish knowledge, what the land he treads on tells us means that we are spiritually with our security units abroad. Because the East (China-Iran), West (Russia, USA, England and European Union Countries, which have the same mentality in terms of colonialism, although in different categories) collide in the region and Cemil Meriç is an intellectual who has faced all of these. Knowing the basics of the socialist and capitalist mentality of the West well; especially those who study Balzac, Saint Simon as one of the first sociologists. In addition to these, he reads from Rousseau to Nietzsche, Hegel and his followers, but he attaches great importance to Ibn Khaldun from the Islamic geography of West but Andalusia.
It analyzes the Asian tradition, as the colonial language puts it, the Far East tradition, especially Indian literature, because it gives a voice to all faiths. He reaches here with the European Romain Rolland. He sees that there are other Europeans in this important history, and he considers that place as an escape and a search. And finally, Cemil Meriç, who reads the data of the Islamic world in the context of "Turkish Knowledge" and makes a significant contribution to the intellectual foundations of This Country. At this point, he said, “The fight in Turkey is the fight between the Crescent and the Cross. The children of Mount Olympus will never accept the children of Mount Hira.”
Theory and Practice/Action Harmony of Turkish Intellectuals
Instead of adapting to the conditions he is in, a recluse who resists and takes shelter in his ivory tower, that is, his library, becomes the voice of truth and truth as a Don Quixote. At this point, he complains that military and administrative bureaucrats, that is, action people and politicians, who implement security policies, do not give the necessary attention to thinkers. In my opinion, however, society cannot regain health unless the brain and arm, theory and action go hand in hand.
In my opinion, the reason why Cemil Meriç brought about important changes and transformations in the minds of the youth who experienced the 1980 revolution is that they faced the Ottoman and Islamic reality and turned to Turkish Intellectuals after assimilating Eastern and Western traditions. At this point, he states that the duty of thought is to study the intellectuals who are detached from their people, forget their history and go astray. Because “Thought is the response of our intellect to a challenge.” Insight should be done without getting angry or getting tired, but he wants it to be guided by knowledge, common sense, reason and faith.
Western Political Ambitions
Here again, the political ambitions of the West have been burning our country bitterly for two days. To put it in the words of Meriç, the words we use without paying attention or confirming are expressing his ambitions, unfortunately we are whispering words whispered in our ears unaware of its borders and extents. However, contemplation begins with clarity, salvation begins with consciousness, says the Master.

They advise to do this without being reactive. Trying to apply the recipes of Europe is a great challenge, but being ignorant of what his teachers say is a great challenge, he says, emphasizing that it is wisdom to evaluate with moderation.
The Duty of the Intellectual is First to Protect the Rights of This Country
In order for the crowd of intellectuals to show the truth, every thought must be respectful, their questioning must come to terms with all ideologies. It is to defend the whole of his country against all countries, to search for the truths above the classes, to be honest, to read a lot, to think a lot, and to fearlessly spread and publish the rights he believes to be revealed and the compositions he arrives at.
Cemil Meriç, while the task of the intellectual is to illuminate the darkness, when he is in a fight, it is an eclipse. Yes, it is difficult, how are we going to keep our cool when the bitter news of our brothers and sisters who put their lives on the line to eliminate the dangers from abroad, while their brothers are fighting inside/on the street, comes. It's hard, but we have to do it because it's a task. It is the basic duty of an intellectual to shed light on the confusion in the minds and on the slippery and treacherous notions that seduce the minds. Because a thinker is not a servant of a group, he does not receive instructions from any center, he may not be affiliated with a party, but he is engaged in history, he is engaged in the society in which he lives. This is important because the consciousness of history, consciousness of nationality, personality necessary for the formation of the product. Its duty is to be the consciousness of that period, to examine all the truths, to tear off the mask of lies, to show the truth to the crowd.
The true intellectual is first charged with shouting the rights of his country to a hostile world. It is to defend the whole of one's country against all countries without the ideologue or demagogue of this or that class. Presenting this as utopia, in my opinion, is the duty of an intellectual to do this, if we define it as "ideas for the future produced to overcome the problems experienced, rather than a dream country without a utopia".
At this point, Meriç wants the Intellectuals to make a harsh self-criticism on himself. He talks about the “Güliver Complex”, that is, being able to measure ourselves, and moreover, being able to determine our true identity without pretending to be a victim and without relying on the lust of masochism. We need to do this because, in my opinion, the way not to be among those who make this country "inhabitable" and make their homeland "unlivable" is to do this harsh self-criticism.
Probably because he realized this himself, he came out of his ivory tower with his articles and conferences in the 1970s, and made a showdown between Asia and Europe. It follows the tragedy of the intellectual who is separated from his human being living in the shadow realm of 150 years. It reveals one by one ideologies, which are straitjackets put on the minds. He is now an intellectual. A true intellectual is not a subordinate of a group. As a true intellectual, he becomes conscious of the era he lived in. He says they deny all truths and must tear off the mask of all lies.
Last word; Greetings to everyone who tries to ensure the existence, well-being and peace of the Country, inside and outside, in accordance with the saying "Great pines grow in stormy lands".