We Have Fallen Well Behind Özal's Legacy

We remember Turkey's eighth president, Turgut Özal, with respect and gratitude on this, the 15th anniversary of his death, and continue to seek his leadership and fulfill his vision. I know that politicians who strongly criticized him and who had difficulty understanding his thoughts and actions are now regretful. He was a statesman who was strongly attached to the spiritual roots of the nation and was at peace with all. He was also a man of vision. Yet he was unfortunate because he had to promote his political agenda among incompetent politicians who were committed to opposing him during his lifetime.

At the beginning, Süleyman Demirel and Erdal Inönü asserted that his presidency would not be legitimate. They did not attend the plenary session held to elect the president in Parliament. Demirel, although invited, did not attend official events at the presidential palace. In the 1991 elections, Demirel and Inönü declared in their political campaigns that they would remove Özal from office. They never stood tall in the name of democracy, but they did remain determined to topple him. Demirel, the ninth president, had put an emphasis on his past as a man from the countryside during his election campaigns; however, he became excited upon hearing Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9," asserting that that was the contemporary and modern Turkey. Unlike Demirel, Özal was one of our own; his criterion for modernity and progress was not a symphony. He did not discriminate between symphony lovers and those who prefer to listen to traditional songs. He did not make any distinction between people based on their beliefs and thoughts. He loved people for the sake of God. His heart was big; he was like a hand extended from the culture of the past to the present time. He made one request, though: "Bury me in İstanbul when I pass away. I would like to remain under the influence of the spirituality of Fatih Sultan Mehmet until the Day of Judgment."

He underwent surgery in Dallas on May 2, 1992, and paid a visit to Fethullah Gülen, who was then in the US for an extensive visit to 25 states, three days after his surgery. Özal told Gülen: "Frankly speaking, I would have liked to perform the pilgrimage [to Mecca] as a president this year if I had not had this surgery. I would like to debunk the assumption that a president may not perform the pilgrimage. I was there as a prime minister. If God permits, I would also like to go there as president."

Özal took secularism to mean respecting religions and beliefs. Just as European Commission President José Manuel Barroso came here and reminded some of the notion of democratic secularism, Özal tried to explain the core and spirit of democracy. Like I said, he was a man of vision. He was able to read Turkey and the world accurately. He made the following remark on Nov. 9, 1989, during his inauguration at Parliament, a pre-Copenhagen criteria period: "We have to admit that the protection of three major liberties and freedoms is the sine qua non of becoming one of the leading countries in the world in the 21st century. These are freedom of thought, freedom of religion and conscience in its universal sense and freedom of association."

Let us take a look at the current situation: We have fallen well behind Özal's legacy. There are attempts to close a political party which has received the support of 47 percent of voters simply because of some remarks that could be considered within the context of freedom of expression. Barroso spoke about the freedom of religion and conscience. He told us that Turkey does not have to hide its Muslim identity, noting that Turkey is not being asked to abandon this identity. He made it clear that Turkey does not need to stay away from Islam in order to become a member of the European Union. He also said that forcefully imposing secularism removes one from the realm of democracy.

No one would have had to remind us of this if we had understood Özal. His most important request was that "our people should remain confident in themselves." Those who declare their own people and intellectuals as enemies through secret memos should note this. Özal passed through this world and described his life as follows:

"I believe in the afterlife. I think this world is a place of transition. I will be questioned in the hereafter for what I did here in this world. A scholar will be asked whether he used his knowledge for good. A rich man will be asked whether he spent his money for good. I will be asked whether I used the opportunity given to me to serve my people."

May God grant him Heaven.