When I heard that, instead of congratulating us for being successful in achieving what we set out to get about 43 years ago, M. Jacques Chirac, the president of French Republic, asked Turkey to go through a "cultural revolution," my first reaction was to cry out the sentence "Not another one!" No country could survive two "cultural revolutions."

Turkey, as everybody knows, went through a radical cultural overhaul almost 80 years ago, and that "revolutionary act" was completely in French style. The founding fathers of the republic, under the influence of the writers who were products of the French Enlightenment, adopted sweeping changes in every public sphere. We changed our alphabet from Arabic to Latin, adopted the Gregorian calendar, leaving behind the Muslim one, and enacted laws which were translations of existing laws in Europe. We even donned ourselves in Western outfits.

If there is a country very much reminiscent of France in the whole world, it is Turkey after strict reformations took place in the late 1920s and all of the '30s. Administrative divisions, judicial regulations, the handling of religious affairs which we have been enjoying in the republican era: all were heavily influenced by their French equivalents.

I cannot think of anything else to revolutionize culturally in today's Turkey. Could it be possible that M. Jacques Chirac meant just the opposite?

I am not asking this question in a void, on the contrary, I believe, what we need today is a change of perception in the minds of Western individuals concerning anything Islamic. And the country most in need of that kind of a change is France. France today, under the leadership of M. Chirac, is resisting getting in sync with the changes taking place globally.

Thank God, we have good and pertinent examples of change.

Olli Rehn, the European Union Commissioner responsible for enlargement, is a case in point. He visited Turkey last week, after the accession negotiations started officially between the EU and Turkey, mingled with Turks by playing soccer, exchanged pleasantries with local authorities, cracked jokes with ordinary people, and even rejected a lunch offer out of respect for holy Ramadan when almost everybody in Turkey fasts during the day.

Or, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder who will be visiting Turkey this week and the very first act he plans on is attending an "iftar dinner" which the Muslims have at the end of their daily fast. His attending a Muslim religious event will not be an innovation, because the British ambassador in Ankara, Sir Peter Westmacott, threw a banquet at the end of a fasting day in his residence, for his Muslim guests, only last week.

These are the positive steps towards understand each other's feelings. Non-Muslim minorities of Turkey have been visible at many religious functions organized by majority Muslim hosts. The most recognizable faces at iftar banquets thrown by different Muslim groups are the venerable leaders of non-Muslim religious groups who answer every invitation by attending their functions with their religious attire and regalia on.

I believe we have created a cultural environment in our country, one which is tolerant towards the '"others" who live in our midst. I hope the French leaders would take this as a lesson and apply it in their most problematic area of inter-religious relations.

Even on that score we are the instigators.

I am in Brussels now to participate in a unique event in the history of European Parliament. Last night, we dined together with some European parliamentarians here to commemorate the holy month of Ramadan. The event was also attended by many good-hearted European Christians and Jews who feel sympathy towards the Muslims in Europe, but it was organized by some Turkish non-governmental organizations (NGOs). We got together, broke our fast, exchanged ideas and prayed from the bottom of our hearts for the peace in the world.

I wish M. Jacques Chirac were there, in the hall of European Parliament, with us to see if we are in need of yet another cultural revolution. I'm sure he would have changed his mind and taken some clues from prominent European leaders, for although they are secular, they don't hesitate to benefit from the mutual understanding of our common heritage.

Eighty years ago, we Turks decided to change ourselves to French style and adopted almost everything the France of that time could have offered. Between then and now we've made great progress and created an atmosphere of tolerance in our society. I think this unique experience of ours has a lot to offer for societies which have been suffering from intolerance and bigotry.

It's not up to me to suggest what the French should do, but if M. Chirac is kind and curious enough to ask my opinion on the matter, I would like to submit my humble proposition: A cultural revolution there in Turkish style.

From The New Anatolian, 11 October 2005

 

Facing the music - October 4, 2005 Donkeys and other lost opportunities - September 27, 2005 Bitter realities - September 21, 2005 Guess who's coming to dinner - September 6, 2005 Finding unity in diversity - August 23, 2005 What's in a name? - August 16, 2005 Alive, well, and kicking - July 26, 2005 To be or not to be - July 19, 2005 It's a mad, mad, mad world - July 12, 2005 Politically correct, Turkish style - July 5, 2005 Non-fiction vs. Fiction - June 28, 2005 Out of sync, out of place - June 21, 2005 My mind's still numb - June 14, 2005 Mr. Erdogan is in Washington - June 7, 2005 I'm innocent - May 31, 2005 Humiliation: Today for me, tomorrow for you - May 24, 2005 If only we had dialogue - May 17, 2005 From Cairo with love - May 10, 2005 Eyeless in Gaza - May 3, 2005 A partner is still needed in Cyprus - April 26, 2005 'My name is State, Deep State' - April 19, 2005 Greed kills - April 12, 2005 From the observation deck - April 5, 2005 The mirror has cracked - March 29, 2005 Remembering things past - March 22, 2005 I invite you to use your imagination - March 15, 2005 A time for encouragement - March 8, 2005 The proof in the pudding - March 1, 2005 Hail to the Columnist! - February 22, 2005 It is in our blood, we do not waver - February 15, 2005 Excuse my question - February 8, 2005 A friend in need - February 1, 2005

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