Turkish People: Should we learn the way they teach?

On Saturday night July 15, 2016 was a night left the world with waves of shock and despair, gloomed the future of millions, and tested the faith of a nation nurtured with a deep rooted civilization and promising democracy. It was a night touched the hearts of millions of peace lovers across the globe. It was a night that has signed its name boldly in the book of the modern history. We were only one hour away from the beginning of another day 12:00 a.m. (Mecca time) July 2016, sitting in front of the TV and navigating between the breaking news on different international channels, Aljazeera, BBC, CNN, and FOXNEWS etc. The media we are watching is creating clouds of confusion and an uncertain political climate with the country viz. (military has overtaken the power in Turkey; military coup is underway in Turkey; attempt of Coup de’tat on Turkey).  At this juncture, what we’ve been witnessing was the western powerful media bias teaming up against Aljazeera in reporting the unfolding stories about the coup. Aljazeera Vs BBC, CNN, FOX, Al-Arabia etc.

Though, it is a mid-night, millions across the world are vigilant at the moment, me and many friends of mine in the diaspora and back home are also exchanging updates through the social media, but still we are enveloped in the breaking news haze resulting poor visibility in any attempt of ours to visualize what might happen next, what’s true? What’s false?   Tuned to BBC…, heart breaking news; to the CNN, increasing your heartbeat…..back to Aljazeera, WOO HOO it’s your relief. Every minute passed by was much important than it really is, as it would be a part of a new era for the Turkish people. Al-Jazeera swiftly switched the world to another TV; it is a small Turkish local TV airing President Erdogan on a face-time with a short but a priceless message to his people, just to come out of their homes and occupy the streets to protect their nationhood.

Within minutes, the streets of the bigger cities turned vibrant with angry and outraged protesters. The national red flag featuring the white crescent and the star resuscitated the almost dead and dull streets with a nationalistic devotion to freedom and democracy. What a great message! I sat upright, composed myself to consciously observe and unconditionally accept what response the very next minutes would give to the appeal from a combative president, a true leader born in a world of full of predators and a region of full of prey (Muslim). The message, for me and millions worldwide, is like a high beam light to visualize what might happen next through the news dusty storms we were in, but still a preconceived notion about uncertainty shadows over my world, asking many questions. Would the message be like a death prescription for hundreds of innocent lives and turn these dazzling streets into a slaughter-house? Would these tanks and military personnel be like trigger-happy and cold-bloodedly massacre a nation whom they are obliged to protect?  Typically, like what happened in Egypt on 14 August, 2013.

Though, many innocent people and government officials were lost their lives in a bid to safeguard their nation from a well-plotted plan by a group of putschists, yet again the way many military and armored personnel carriers have dealt with their people on the streets was absolutely remarkable.

Why the West can’t keep Mr. Erdogan

Turkey is a country extremely suffered decades of military authoritarianism, secularism and corruptive establishments of every magnitude. The economic crisis the country faced has reached levels too high the economic thermometer even to read. In 2002 AKP (Justice and Development Party) of Mr. Erdogan debuted into the political arena of the country, to fully overhaul the country’s defective economic vehicle and steer it into a different direction to develop their much needed nation. This man demonstrated the world a very powerful economic and political outlook with incredibly immense fiscal responsibilities that eventually earned Turkey to walk away from the shackles of the IMF debt in 2013. Today, Turkey is the only free debt democratic Muslim country on the face of the planet. During his different tenures in the office as a premier and a president, the Turkish GDP grew from roughly 200 to 800 billion USD with per capita income of more than 10,500.00 USD.

As the IMF and the World Bank are the two institutions the global financial emperors use as a tool to make the poor countries poorer and the rich richer; the truth is, they cannot see a country going its way free without their so called structural adjustment programs. Today, the world is unconsciously watching western media bias, smearing Turkish leadership with words like tyrant, dictator, Islamist etc. and anointing Egypt’s Sisi as being a saint and legitimate leader of a country of 100 million strong population, disparately challenging with unprecedented levels of economic hardships where, over 50% of the population is living below the poverty line (BPL) with more than 40% illiteracy. Such media bias is part of the traditional sinister job of the Economic Hit Men in an attempt to create every possible chance to hit Turkey economically. The recently attempted military coup d’état on the legitimate Turkish government was even a pretty good example of the CIA’s secret agendas to remove any leader who practices freely outside what they preach. Another apparent notion is that the issue is all about the Islam, as the West is not ready to see a successful Muslim leadership model on the face of the earth what so ever it might cost. President Morsi of Egypt, who was the first democratically elected president since Egypt sat foot on earth was removed through a similar conspiracies staged by the West.  But, the irony is, the conventional coup plots to capture the national TV, airports, and other key public facilities in Turkey was in fact foiled in a modern and unconventional way, just a simple message on FACETIME.

Global Reaction through the Social Media

It was good to see thousands of my fellow Somali people and millions of other good peoples around the world backed the Turkish people with solidarity and moral support to stand firmly against the perpetrated coup d’état. Millions with Turkish souls in non-Turkish bodies raised their voice to support Turkey, while few with non-Turkish souls but in Turkish bodies were the Trojan horses to topple their nation for the sake of a foreign interest. Though, some people might have argued this merely as another country’s affair, the other millions supported have showcased that humanity still has a good balance in her heart to trade just and love.

An apocryphal story in Somali language, went viral across the Somali social media, whilst not seen in the other global webbed society, about an interesting conversation between President Erdogan and a young girl lost from her family he come across in the middle of one of the rallies drew my attention honestly. The president wished to assign some of his personal staff take her back to her family, but to his surprise was how this young girl was determined to be part of her country’s salvation project and disagreed with his suggestion.  This story was perhaps something came out of the heart of an emotional good story writer or might be a true episode.  But, for me, it is a positive gesture and kind solidarity with the Turkish people whose faith in democracy was severely tested, but passed as a real Turkish; a real patriotic regardless their diversity.

The message from the Turkish people is a light to a dark world; it is a rich lesson to educate millions of poor hearts of both individuals and leaders, my nation, ‘the Somalis’, and many other African fellow nations are among them. The success story in Turkey wasn’t born with corruption, tribalism or interest oriented affiliations; it’s a success rendered through a good leadership based on just and respect between millions of different ideologies and political views but with one vision__ (prosperity for all).

The question is should we learn the way they teach?

By: Khadar Hanan                 

E-mail: Khadarhanan@yahoo/gmail.com

Doha, Qatar