Living with the ’other’

Scientists conducted the study have the impression that "Pressure and discrimination applied to different identities are in accord with the activities of communities and functions of the staff appointed by the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, in the Anatolian cities. And that causes concerns about Turkey’s future."

On the other side, it is the fact that in Turkey, particularly in big cities, people who choose to live an Islamist-conservative way of life feel pressured too. The problem is how people having different identities and living in different worlds will live together.

Living without understanding
At some period, the concept of "constitutional patriotism" associated with the German philosopher Jürgen was seen as a magic formula for living together in Turkey. =According to this, fundamental principles in a democratic constitution that are agreed by all will help cohabitation of people from different backgrounds in the same country. Such a constitutional agreement is a required pre-condition, but not enough.

Constitutional patriotism may allow different people living together, but it is not adequate to establish communication between individuals. People with different identities will look at each other, but not have any communication. How will they live together without understanding each other?

Main axis of cohabitation is the independence of Turkish people and their being individuals and the subject. In other words, independent from communal ties one should be able to decide over his own life story. This is at the same time is the issue of modernization of Turkish society. Progress in democracy is closely related to this. People in Turkey are living either in religious or secular communities.

Every community has its own codes and has no contact with the "other" if the other is not a member. Such a social structure causes polarization and constant tension inevitably. Man getting individualized is free to choose a life of pious. In modern societies public sphere allows people having different ways of life to cohabit.

The next step required is individual’s accepting and recognizing the "other" as an individual and to have contact with him. French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas derives the primacy of his ethics from the experience of the encounter with the "other," going beyond one’s own presence and being aware of the "other."

What is distinctive with the "other" is his face. Communication is possible only through face-to-face encounters. Connection does not eliminate the differences between individuals. On the contrary, communication maintains being different. Getting to know the "other," accepting his presence means going beyond one’s self and reaching out to the "other."

It means feeling responsible one’s self to the "other" without expecting anything in return. Levinas’ thought is important for the prevention of selfishness stems from individualism. His way of thought suggests loving people only because they are humans and feeling responsible for the other.

What kind of a Turkey?
I believe economic development and urbanization will bring individualization as well. However, the state has some duties in this direction such as following policies encouraging individualism not being involved in communities and providing institutional support to communication between individuals. All these require an understanding of democracy based on freedom of the individual and cultural diversity.

Settlement of a culture accepting the "other" and having contact with the "other" mostly depends on the education system. We need a brand new view point beginning with elementary school and teachers trained accordingly.

What kind of a Turkey we want to live in? Is it a Turkey where we have respect for the "other" or a Turkey where the "other" is forced to be united under "we," who will otherwise be eliminated in the process?



Rıza Türmen is a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights, or ECHR, and a columnist for the daily Milliyet, in which this piece appeared yesterday. It was translated into English by the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review's staff.