The “Conference on the Democratic Transformation of the Republic in Its Second Century,” held in Istanbul, continued with its second session. The panel, titled “One Hundred Years of Solitude: Nationalism, Memory, and Social Polarization,” was moderated by Fatma Bostan Ünsal.

 

Bekir Ağırdır presented on “Can We Live Together Without Hearing One Another?”; Ferhat Kentel on “The Same Past, Different Worlds: The Memory of Polarization and Reconciliation”; Noém Lévy-Aksu on “The Inability to Confront the Past: Historical Narratives and the Others of Social Memory”; and Serhun Al on “From Assimilation to Integration: The Search for Inclusive Citizenship and National Identity in Turkey.”

 

Fatma Bostan Ünsal stated that all victims of the Republic should be aware of the “wrongs” committed in the past.

 

AĞIRDIR: SHIRT NO LONGER FITS

 

Drawing attention to political and social crises, Bekir Ağırdır said: “The issue is no longer simply that the first button of the shirt was fastened incorrectly. That shirt no longer fits. We need to talk about a new shirt. If we remain stuck on the first button, we will continue arguing forever.

 

We are so intoxicated by politics that we behave as if poverty is not also a Kurdish issue. We need a comprehensive perspective. When we look at crises around the world, we see that things are changing. Turkey has completed its urbanization process. The aghas and sheikhs are now subjects of books. Diyarbakır is included in this transformation. Turkey has urbanized. But urbanization has brought another problem. According to our research today, 80 percent of society is on one side and 20 percent on the other. There is an hourglass, but it is not standing upright. There is no class mobility. We are talking about two separate worlds.

 

In a period marked by such poverty, the demand for democracy is not growing stronger. A new form of lumpenization and nationalism is being constructed through state narratives. Before us stands a new nationalism that is moralistic, security-oriented, and based on technology. Yet we keep competing over suffering. We cannot build the future by competing over suffering. We need to talk about each other’s future and our shared life.

 

The issue is not merely transformation; it is how we will build a shared destiny. It depends on how we defend the dignity and rights of both Kurds and Turks. If we want to have a voice in a dignified life and in politics, we must renew ourselves.

 

Ferhat Kentel stated that the discourse of “betrayal” and “loyalty” has been one of the founding elements of the Republic.

 

Kentel said that in response to the fear imposed by the state, society either speaks out or attempts to create a different game, while another option is to “demonstrate loyalty.” He continued: “You adapt in order to survive. And when you do so to survive, you align yourself with the master. Standing beside the master accumulates an enormous resentment. Revolutionary anger, Islamist anger… One of the sources of these forms of anger lies here. We should see this century as the story of a community that fears becoming a minority.”

 

NOÉM LÉVY-AKSU: WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT MEMORY STUDIES 

 

Noém Lévy-Aksu began by saying that patriarchal and nationalist thinking continues to dominate Turkey. She emphasized that Turkey needs a constitution in which everyone enjoys equal rights and stated: “Efforts are being made to examine studies and histories that are absent from the official narrative. We need to appreciate the importance of this work. Despite the shrinking space after 2015–2016, these efforts continue. They are important for expanding civil society and advancing democratization. They also make a valuable contribution to the development of restorative justice.

 

However, there are significant obstacles. The first is visibility. How much attention can we attract? Memory studies receive very little coverage in the media and remain largely invisible in the public sphere. We need to reflect on this. Beyond that, however, it is important that knowledge production and debate continue.

 

Secondly, we need to think about these memory studies in terms of their contribution to democracy and peace.”

 

SERHUN AL: THERE IS A VERY SERIOUS NATIONALIST WAVE

 

Serhun Al stated: “As the Republic of Turkey enters its second century, it must move beyond assimilation and nationalism and transition to a pluralist model. This is not merely a preference; it is a necessity. I am speaking in terms of realpolitik.

 

When we look at how the state has framed the recent process, we see references to developments around the world. Discussions within Turkey are valuable, but where is the world heading? What changes are taking place globally, and how do they affect Turkey?

 

There is an enormous wave of authoritarianism across the world. Populist right-wing parties are targeting minorities. There is a very serious nationalist wave. This has significantly eroded democracy.

 

We are living in an age of war. In such an era, efforts in Turkey to achieve disarmament and end conflict represent a very important opportunity. The PKK’s symbolic burning of weapons is a remarkable development. In this populist and militarized global climate, if Turkey successfully completes this process, it could become an example for the world.”

 

Drawing attention to the serious opportunity for peace in Turkey, Al continued: “While the world is arming itself, we are, at least to some extent, pursuing disarmament and trying to bring conflict to an end. This is an important point.

 

Integration means recognition. You must recognize differences. You must recognize different cultures and place them under constitutional protection. Different solutions can be developed in this regard.”