Ali Haydar Haksal: "Cultural sentimentality"

Ali Haydar Haksal: "Cultural sentimentality"
Date: 2.6.2021 17:30

Milli Gazete columnist Ali Haydar Haksal writes on cultural sentimentality. Here is the full article.

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If the change and development of a nation takes place within its own values, existence and spirit, this is important. Consciousness of being. However, if a nation's change happens with a mental shift other than its own values, serious problems and consequences occur. We're going to focus more on the second way of thinking.
 
What strengthens and accelerates the situation of our nation in the foreign siege is the voluntary adoption of orientalist thinking by our people, that is, our people. This means surrendering rather than developing them. When this happens, it comes into conflict with its own nation. This is the main problem faced by Western-minded people. On the one hand, they are in conflict with themselves in this civilization culture in these lands. This is the root cause of unrest.
 
In Western thought, novel, story, philosophy, they make an effort in accordance with their own spirit in general. Their works contribute and guide the strengthening of their nation and the direction of their administration. They give strength. In our country, along with the Republican ideology after the Tanzimat, a conflicting mentality emerged, fighting with its nation. While carrying the thoughts of foreign cultures, they surrender to them. By surrendering, they are serving them whether they are aware of it or not. So they have a passivity in them. In this case, they cannot be regarded as people of indigenous thinking.
 
Although they are from the same nationality, it is seen that Russian literature, novels and poetry do not compromise their own spirit and essence. They think of themselves as separate from Europe. With this in mind, they put their own people in the center while they are creating their works. Although they seem like opposites of each other, they maintain their existence. While doing this, they also provide openings within themselves. Dostoevsky is careful to remain a strict Slavic, Russian nationalist and Orthodox Christian. Tolstoy, who seems to be his opposite, never compromises his essence. He sees the parts of their own culture and tries to eliminate them. It never breaks away from its civilization. It is trying to become a stronger nation as it does not break away. Going to comparisons. In these comparisons, he proposes how his own nation should be. This situation is also dominant in Dostoevsky. They feed on French or European literature, but they produce their own works.
 
In our case, they are striving for complete destruction. In his novels, stories and poems, an understanding that humiliates and ignores his nation and disregards its values ​​becomes dominant. So much so that political conflicts and partisanships turn into mutual hatred, and they take their revenge on the people.
 
A nation's internal decays and regressions can happen, of course. The ups and downs are inevitable. Without ignoring its values, exits are sought with an internal audit and discipline. Rather than destroying it, it is ensuring its existence.
 
Those who cling to foreign ideologies are in complete emotional surrender. Along with admiration, they belittle their own existence. Because the Western spirit has a Eurocentric view. He never compromises on that. They see themselves as superior both racially and culturally. They both protect their superiority as much as they can and use it as a means of pressure on the other side. Those who are deeply attached to them also serve on their behalf. It can be said clearly that they undertake the task of being voluntary orientalists.
 
This is why we call it cultural sentimentality. There is a case of being others instead of being themselves. In a sense, this means underestimating their own nation and values.
 
They take their thoughts to the point of belittlement of their own nation with a Eurocentric view. They do this with love and passion. It doesn't make them unique, it makes them ordinary.

YEREL HABERLER

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