Secularism transcends mediums in Turkey

From Netflix, political elections to NATO, secularism still takes center stage in popular conversation across Turkey.

Executive Summary: The discussion focuses on the secularization of Turkish society and its implications for cultural identity, evident in the 2024 Turkish mayoral elections where major cities favored a secular vision distinct from the ruling party. This societal shift is mirrored in Turkish Netflix content like "Midnight in Pera Palace," blending history with fiction. Atatürk's reforms, separating state and religion, remain pivotal in Turkish politics. The tension between secularism and religious conservatism persists, shaping contemporary Turkish identity and political dynamics.

Netflix and Turkish Politics: Analyzing 'Midnight in Pera Palace' and the 2024 Elections

The secularization of Turkish society and the effect on its cultural identity are century old topics, which the Turkish people write about, debate on, and rally for to this day. The 2024 Turkish mayoral election results reflect that the most populous cities in Turkey voted for a regional vision different from the current ruling, presidential party. Even more existentially pertinent, the Turkish people are voting along modern, secular lines, which is a subject that even seeps into Netflix story lines.

Overall, the Turkish content available on Netflix reveals much about the underlying themes driving modern politics in Turkey. For instance, Midnight in Pera Palace (2022) is a fantastical, historical science fiction comedy-drama. It is set during the Allied (British, French, Greek, Italian) Occupation of Constantinople (1918-1923) after the Armistice of 1918 that ended World War I.

The protagonist, a journalist named Esra, travels back in time to Istanbul’s legendary Pera Palace. There, she uncovers an assassination plot to kill the legendary Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in order to prevent the Turkish Republic’s founding. Esra desperately works to save Atatürk because, without him, her world as a modern Turkish woman might never have existed.

Atatürk began instituting secular reforms in Turkey after the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. Essentially, Atatürk separated Islamic courts and law (the Church) from the separate, democratic republic (the state) through forceful and inclusive means. Not only was the fez banned, men were stripped naked of their shalwar pants in the streets, forced to wear Western attire. Yet, women’s suffrage was given new light through civil law. These reforms and Western-facing transitions occurred nearly one century ago, but the on-going tug-of-war over religion and identity is still active.

Based on my research, I could not find evidence of the actual assassination conspiracy depicted in the show. However, there were multiple conspiracies to assassinate Atatürk after founding the Republic. Aside from internal subterfuge, there was regional sentiment that Atatürk's reforms to dismantle Sharia ultimately betrayed the Muslim world.

Under the government’s current alignment with AKP, this stigma still affects Turkey in the realm of international relations. For example, despite Turkey's experience with domestic terrorism, President Erdoğan continually choses not to condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization. In part, this stems from regional pressure on Turkey to prove its Muslim credentials by picking religious sides against the West.

In 2016, President Erdoğan claimed that a massive military coup was underway, which left 250 dead and thousands jailed for treason. At the center of the alleged coup conspiracy, which has its detractors, was an exiled Turkish scholar and preacher based in Pennsylvania. Nearly 400 Turkish military attached to NATO were removed and detained, causing disruption in military operations. This, notwithstanding the rub to Turkey's relationship with NATO Members, is among the domestic frictions pertaining to Turkey's international political and cultural identity.

This could not be more apparent than in the recent mayoral elections of March-April 2024. Winning overwhelmingly, the People's Republican Party (CHP) portray’s a modern social democratic party that represents Kemalism. CHP candidates won in Istanbul, Ankara, and throughout the West Coast in Adana, Antalya, and Izmir. The public opposition to the current president of Turkey, and its party AKP, shows a portent of change.

Under CHP, Ekrem İmamoğlu won the mayoral candidacy for Istanbul, which is Mr. Erdoğan's hometown. The quintessentially business-minded Turkish are displeased with Turkey's economic state. Also, Mayor İmamoğlu firmly speaks against Hamas as a terrorist organization, reflecting the strong, opposing interpretations of Turkish political identity. Mayor İmamoğlu's re-election campaign slogan was catchy: Çok Şey Güzel Olacak "Everything will be fine". This sentiment resonated in the city, which has been under persistent turmoil since President Erdoğan's presidency began in 2014.

Living in the neighborhood, I became an unwitting observer to the Gezi Park Protests in 2013. Initially, the small, peaceful protests were focused on the construction plans to replace the public park at the historic Taksim square with a mall. The protesters held signs of alleged corruption involving construction contracts connected to President Erdoğan.

By the second month, the police fired water dispersion tanks, air dropped pepper spray, and arrested people. The protests became destructive. Over the course of months, I walked past rumble in the quiet mornings, then navigated the chaos of people, police, traffic, and pepper spray in the evenings. By that point, the public sentiment filtered down to the most fundamental argument: secular rights.

After the police infamously hosed the unarmed woman in the red dress with gas spray, the mayor recalled the counter terrorism police. In the neighboring streets, the police slept in buses during the steamy summer months for weeks on end. The protesters even defended the plight of the police, who were their neighbors and relatives, too. The image of a modern, liberal woman being hit with unnecessary force from the largely pro-AKP police force became symbolic. The people of Istanbul largely expressed fear that the AKP was leveraging the police to change their beloved Turkey.

One such controversial change dates back to Atatürk's reforms regarding hijab and Ottoman dress. By the second half of the 20th Century, the Turkish Republic fully banned hijab in government positions and institutions. The measure intended to eliminate the presence of religion in state entities, and placed women on a more balanced footing socially. In the modern Turkish era, women could freely wear Western styles, drink at bars, and smoke in cafes.

Fast forward to 2013, Mr. Erdoğan's administration lifted the ban, which received cheers from those who view hijab as a religious obligation. However, many Turkish women view clothing as a personal choice and do not wear hijab. The law seemed to threaten modern female cultural identity because hijab, sometimes, can be a social tool used to judge a woman’s Islamic fidelity. The pro-hijab movement felt like a national wave due to the conservative nature of the AKP, and by extension, its supporters in the government.

For instance, a resident simply painted a tattered cement public staircase in Beyoğlu with colorful shades of the rainbow to bring joy. Since this occurred in parallel with the Gezi Park Protests of 2013, the government misinterpreted it as liberal solidarity and, even more taboo to AKP, supportive of the gay community. During the night, the city painted the stairs grey. Only to see residents organize a repainting party to revert the colors back to the rainbow.

Alternate lifestyles like the LGBTQ in contemporary Turkish society also feel the AKP pinch. When I saw the pride parades on İstiklal Street in 2013 and 2014, it seemed socially accepted. There were drag queens and supporters gleefully walking around Taksim. Though, without the unbridled extravagances like in LA or New York. Although President Erdoğan banned the gay pride parade in 2015, Istanbul’s community still risks arrest by hosting illegal pride gatherings at Taksim. Given the several points of contention, it becomes clearer as to why the residents of Istanbul want AKP out.

In the northeastern city of Van, another culturally important change occurred relating to the 2024 mayoral elections. The locals elected an ethnic Kurdish candidate from the DEM party, who fought to keep his seat from being overturned by the government. My distinct memory of Van, aside from the giant white cat statue, were the abandoned reconstruction projects meant to replace the homes lost in the 2011 devastating earthquakes. So, it is no surprise that locals, who are mostly Kurdish and Armenian, voted to empower the socialist Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party over the incumbent AKP to address the dire socio-economic problems.

Turkey’s next presidential election is not until 2028, so any forecasting would be more in the prediction category. It seems that if CHP candidates can continue to connect with the ideals closest to most Turkish citizens, then it has a chance. Of course, this is barring any election interference to opposition parties. Certainly, the more conservative, Sunni communities in cities such as Konya will likely vote for an AKP presidential candidate.

Mostly, the Turkish do not bifurcate their identity as either Muslim or secular. Atatürk’s legacy said it can be both. Ideally, the concept applies to all peoples of Turkey, regardless of religion. By following this theme, CHP has a strong opportunity to change Turkey’s current political landscape. A key component to this level of political change in a tricky environment includes integrating principles and values across many mediums.

The script writers of Turkish shows on Netflix, like Midnight in Pera Palace, tend to weave history in their plots across many genres. The Turkish try not to erase or hide their history since it is an important element to its modern-day cultural legacy. In several ways, it helps reinforce who they are and remind the people what it took to get them there.

~E

Gray Truths©️2024