Death throes of Turkish secularism: Higher Education Body mulling removal of classes on "Atatürk's principles" from university curricula

How much longer before Sharia is officially proclaimed? "Education body seeks to lift 'Atatürk's principles' from curriculum," from the Hürriyet Daily News, August 31 (thanks to Joshua):

Turkey's Higher Education Body (YÖK) is considering the removal of classes that teach “Atatürk's principles and the history of the revolution” from university curricula, Tuğba Tekerek of daily Taraf reported today.
The classes were added to the curriculum after the Sept. 12, 1980, coup with the enactment of the higher education law in 1981.

In other words, they were added in order to inculcate the principles of secularism that were being threatened by Islamic supremacists.

YÖK Chairman Gökhan Çetinsaya said the education body was discussing the removal of the classes as part of an amendment to the higher education law. "[The removal of the classes] is on the board's agenda," Çetinsaya told daily Taraf.
"Atatürk's principles and the history of the revolution" is a mandatory course for university students in Turkey, along with "Turkish language and literature" classes. Lessons on "Atatürk's principals [sic]" were based on the 1981 Higher Education Law, which stated the purpose of higher education as "training students who are devoted to 'Atatürk nationalism' as directed by Atatürk's revolutions and principles."

Professor Halil Berktay from Sabancı University told Taraf that the removal of the class would be a good thing as "there cannot be a lesson called 'Atatürk's principals [sic].’ Not in primary school, middle school, or in university."

OK, then!

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Iqbal | August 31, 2012 12:06 PM | Reply

News update: Education body denies it sought to lift 'Atatürk's principles' from curriculum

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/education-body-denies-it-sought-to-lift-ataturks-principles-from-curriculum-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=29083&NewsCatID=341

gravenimage | August 31, 2012 12:07 PM | Reply

Death throes of Turkish secularism: Higher Education Body mulling removal of classes on "Atatürk's principles" from university curricula

How much longer before Sharia is officially proclaimed?
...................................

Oh, it'll be a while yet. Why? Because it is still politic for Turkey to posit itself as a "moderate" and "modern" Muslim state.

The odd thing is that most in the West—including journalists and pundits who are supposed to keep on top of such things—don't appear to have noticed the break-neck jettisoning of Kemalism in Turkey, nor the concommitant Islamizing.

I'm not sure if this is wishful thinking or just rank ignorance—probably some of both.

But Turkey is fast becoming a Shari'ah state in any case. And eventually, its emboldened "Islamists" will want to openly call it that.

The classes were added to the curriculum after the Sept. 12, 1980, coup with the enactment of the higher education law in 1981.

In other words, they were added in order to inculcate the principles of secularism that were being threatened by Islamic supremacists.
...................................

That's right. Kemalism has always been *the* hedge against Islam in Turkey. And now Atatürk's principles may be formally jettisoned.

Is Turkey's Higher Education Body overseeing modern eduction, or just a system of illiterate Madrassas? Time will tell.

At this point, Turkey's education system is still one of the best in the Muslim world—though lagging far below that of the West and the rest of the "first world". Will things in Turkey slide further? It seems likely...

Professor Halil Berktay from Sabancı University told Taraf that the removal of the class would be a good thing as "there cannot be a lesson called 'Atatürk's principals [sic].’ Not in primary school, middle school, or in university."
...................................

Professor Berktay is actually a pretty decent figure, especially by the standards of the Muslim world. He is, from everything I've read, definitely *not* an "Islamist".

He is a staunch advocate of the historicity of the Armenian Genocide, which has gotten him hate mail and threats in Turkey. He is for a more even-handed, less hagiographical view of Mustapha Kemal—which I would normally be all for.

"Halil Berktay: Turkey Must Recognize the Armenian Genocide"

http://www.yerevanreport.com/30251/berktay-turkey-recognize-armenian-genocide/

"A Changing Past"

http://tyglobalist.org/front-page/theme/a-changing-past/

But since reverence for Atatürk goes hand in hand with secularism in Turkey, and since they are facing an increasingly emboldened Islam, I'm not sure they have this luxury.

It is not like in the West, where it is possible—and desirable—to look at figures like the American founding fathers with a more critical eye, without worry about this undercutting adherence to core principles of freedom and democracy which they advocated.

Instead, I imagine an undermining of Atatürk's principles would lead to their being discredited in the rising face of Islam. This will be an absolute disaster for any hope of a secular Turkey.

pulsar182 | August 31, 2012 12:25 PM | Reply

The jihad on education continues.....

Mary Lamb | August 31, 2012 2:36 PM | Reply

Maybe they can replace the Ataturk courses with how to kill your wife, sister, daughter? That way they can keep murder the number one cause of death for Turkish women? They shirley do not want to lose the bragging rights on this highly prized pisslamic virtue?

epistemology | August 31, 2012 2:50 PM | Reply

Erdogaga wants the Ottoman empire back, full domination of the Balkans and the rest of Europe should follow. Only a matter of time until he gets back to the gates of Vienna and tells the Europeans how to obey sharia.

Unfortunately Atatürk is a hero of the past. He created a modern state out of the remnants of the mangy caliphate. What remains are the scattered ruins of his dreams. The Turks - not all of them - have gone back to colonial aspirations.

Imperialism is intrinsically Islamic. Inshallah

Polnick.blogspot.com | August 31, 2012 3:53 PM | Reply

Destruction of the economy of Turkey would be a certainty if the Secularism of Ataturk was replaced with Sharia Law. Turkey would become a 14th Century Theocracy; Allah’s imaginary thunderbolts would replace its modern military. Secular minded business leaders and Intellectuals would flee for their lives.

Kepha replied to comment from gravenimage | September 1, 2012 12:05 PM | Reply

You've just listed why I'm glad that our republic had many Founding Fathers; not just one, as in Turkey.

Frankly, I can understand why someone like Halil Berktay, who calls on his country to recognize the historicity of the Armenian genocide, wants a "less than hagiographic" presentation of Ataturk. Mustafa Kemal continued the ethnic cleansing of Armenians and Syriacs from the eastern provinces of Turkey, and also pushed for the removal of the Anatolian, Pontic, and Cappadocian Greeks--communities that had been resident in the land since before the Turks left Central Asia.

Further, Ataturk was a prototypical 20th century political strongman. Perhaps he was not as horrible as Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Mao, etc. However, that kind of politics has been a blight and a curse on modern times.

gravenimage replied to comment from Kepha | September 1, 2012 7:41 PM | Reply

Kepha wrote:

You've just listed why I'm glad that our republic had many Founding Fathers; not just one, as in Turkey.
.......................................

That's just one of the marked differences, Kepha. Not only were there quite a number of men who can be considered "Founding Fathers", but there has been a real continuum of American citizens who have understood and largely reaffirmed their principles in the ensuing eras.

While some in Turkey—the military especially—have certainly revered Atatürk, secular Kemalism has always had to buck the strong, vile undercurrent of Islam just under the surface there.

While there have certainly been competing visions of America besides freedom and democracy—such as fascism and communism—they have never had anything like the same vicious appeal that Islam has in Turkey.

These ugly creeds have at times been able to distort American politics, but—so far—have never been able to crush the Founding Fathers' essential vision.

I agree, Kepha. I've noted many times here at JW that Atatürk continued the horrific policies of ethnic cleansing begun under the Ottoman Empire and the "Young Turks" regime which followed it.

I certainly am *well aware* of Mustapha Kemal's limitations and ugly flaws. But right now, his model is the best that Turkey is likely to follow.

Kemalism has served as *the* brake on Islam in Anatolia. Under current circumstances, Turkey would be far less likely to develop a historically accurate view of a strong but flawed leader in the wake of Kemalism, and far more likely to face an increasingly Islamized society—or full-blown Shari'ah state—under Erdogan.

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