Turkish Renaissance: the second wave of the Mindset Revolution

Türkiye, which has gone through various stages since its foundation, is facing a new mindset revolution. The process of solving problems involves categorization and setting priorities, which is a crucial step. In Turkish political life, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party governments have been the ones to innovate in the healthiest way possible without losing touch with the realities of politics.

Looking at the AK Party's government program from 2002, it's evident that the program prepared to meet the expectations of the people was quite different from today's.

First and foremost, Türkiye was grappling with a significant infrastructure problem, similar to underdeveloped countries. Issues such as deficiencies in transportation, energy, and healthcare infrastructure, inadequate classrooms in schools, critical problems in urban infrastructure, and the lack of public services in rural areas were meticulously examined and gradually resolved. The resolution of these deeply rooted issues empowered the government to carry out democratic reforms.

Demand for democracy and societal traumas: When the AK Party came to power, military tutelage continued to hold sway in Türkiye. The founding philosophy of the Republic had been based on civil and military bureaucracy, thus the state administration was under the domination of military tutelage. In this regard, the enormity of the challenges the AK Party faced and the significance of its success in dismantling military tutelage should not be forgotten.

The realization of infrastructure investments to respond to the needs of rapid urbanization, the ascendancy of civilian politics over state administration, the liberation of the state mechanism from bureaucratic sluggishness to operational efficiency, the merging of Türkiye's historical mission and hard power in international politics to transform into a regional power, and the utilization of soft power to become a key player in global politics – all of these elements demonstrate how far Türkiye has come in the past two decades.

When undergoing the transformation of a state apparatus and making revolutionary changes beyond the conventional state understanding, it is essential to sustain this revolution continuously. Otherwise, the progress achieved so far will be lost.

Niyazi Berkes offers an interesting definition of tradition: "Tradition is like a tortoise, it hides within its shell and emerges when conditions are right, capturing the future." Therefore, vigilance is necessary against both civilian and military bureaucratic tutelage. Moreover, the owners of this tutelage in our case have never been just a few unfortunate generals inside; it has been more about imperialist powers.

The most crucial step of the mindset revolution is realizing that Türkiye has transformed from an underdeveloped state that retreats within itself to becoming a key player in global politics, where its issues have gained a global nature. However, the intellectual and ruling class of the Republic never saw Türkiye as a global country.

Today, nationalist-conservative intellectuals and politicians need to understand how Türkiye is perceived from the outside, in order to avoid the mistakes of their predecessors.

The reconstructed legal system, along with strengthened civic virtue, must be reformed with consideration of the country's future regional and global relations. From now on, every issue of ours is of regional and even global significance.

Being recognized as a state of justice is a significant vision. Firstly, the legal system should be fortified, injustices eliminated, and steps should be taken to reach a stage in the field of law that inspires the world. Justice is an alchemy that empowers and inspires every issue.

In the recent presidential election, it's not without reason that oppressed people from Asia to Africa, Latin America to the Middle East, whether Muslim or Christian, held their breath and supported Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Türkiye standing independently and defiantly against colonial powers instills confidence in every oppressed individual and nation.

Entrepreneurial state model: The political model of the 70s, particularly in the conservative realm, mostly manifested as politicians finding ways to become wealthy by wielding state power. This is why entering politics became a highly coveted pursuit. After completing significant investments, the state should cease being a gateway to profit. Today, Türkiye should adopt an entrepreneurial state model by emulating successful examples worldwide.

The initial steps taken in the defense industry should be extended to other sectors. Global trade is conducted through states' intervention. Especially in Africa, commercial relations are established and conducted by the state. Autonomous institutions of the state should undertake major endeavors and share their successes with the private sector.

A mindset revolution requires a comprehensive effort. It's a zeal that should encompass everyone, from superiors to officials, and from citizens on the street.

The fierce struggle in politics has global dimensions, but beyond that, we have an ambitious, expansive nation that cannot be confined. Today's Türkiye resembles vibrant Western societies of two centuries ago. If this expectation is not translated into global competition in all fields, we will face more turmoil within. President Erdoğan has accomplished a revolution. By constantly looking forward, we must reinforce this revolution with new ones. Otherwise, we risk losing even the sieve.