Modern Turkey has been fighting a battle for development since the Tanzimat era.
After the 17th century, when its military strength began to falter, the Ottoman Empire took a long, hard look at itself.
It tried, in one way or another, to repair the damage caused by the industrial revolutions it had missed.
Both Mahmud II and his successors did everything in their power.
In 1773, they laid the foundations of what is now known as Istanbul Technical University.
By its old names, the Imperial School of Naval Engineering School-of, the Imperial Navy,1773
Hendese-i Mülkiye, 1883 Engineer School-i Âlîsi, they established the 1909 schools.
They built idadiler, meaning high schools.
Trabzon High School, which I attended, is also one of them.
In short, they waged a war for education.
The Republic, in particular, built roads and schools even in the most remote villages and sent teachers there.
Then, in the 1960s, to Europe, where we had sent unskilled laborers,we began sending urban doctors, nurses, and engineers.It brought tears to my eyes to see that our 300-year struggle for civilization has yielded results.
I was even happier when I read about the professional groups in nightclubs that recently appeared in the media.
Since I have never been to a nightclub in my life, I had no idea.
It turns out that the level of education among those working in these venues is quite high.
Perhaps it was the dramatic nightclub scenes in Yeşilçam films that kept me away from those places.
Some friends who went there would talk about educated hostesses, but I didn't really believe them.
They say that now, educated people work in places where women who were victims of fate used to work.
I refrain from writing their professions here.
I used to compare communist stories from the Iron Curtain countries to what was being told.
I dismissed it all as exaggeration and nonsense.
When I look at the news, I say to myself, so it was true.
Turkey has won its battle for education and civilization on every platform.
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