Please don't do it, don't make us listen to this!

Last weekend, I attended with interest a talk by experienced journalist Banu Avar titled Global Game and Mockingbirds at the Tarihçi Bookstore in Kadıköy. According to Ms. Avar, the root of our current problems lies with foreign powers. As she explained with examples, there is little difference between the current Greater Middle East Project—that famous GMEP we never stop talking about—and the ambitions of the treacherous foreign powers that dragged us into the Treaty of Sèvres after World War I. In a sense, D. Trump is the same as W. Wilson. To be fair, in the last five minutes of her speech, she recalled our War of Independence and stated that we should not fall into despair, and that when the people of this land are pushed to the limit, they will rally and thwart all the sinister plans of these cursed foreign powers. Here, Ms. Avar also made a reference to her mentor Atilla İlhan, stating: "The Anatolian people are quite long-suffering; they remain silent with patience, they remain silent, and then suddenly they raise their voices."

When the talk ended, I took the floor. I stated that it is wrong to highlight foreign powers as the causes of our very diverse and, in some cases, very deep problems, and that what we as a society must do immediately, above all else, is to engage in honest and comprehensive self-criticism. I then immediately mentioned my article titled The Lost Libraries of Cerrahpaşa (May 6, 2025), which was published in 12punto in the recent past, and said that we cannot hold foreign powers responsible for this disappearance either, adding, "After this article, I learned that the libraries of Çapa are also disappearing, and the situation at Hacettepe is not very encouraging either." However, I must confess, I did not mention at the bookstore that day the closing sentence of my previous article: "Oh, let me add, if you try to attribute our distance from books to foreign powers, I will politely give you a piece of my mind!"

I had intended to dedicate the rest of the article you are reading to further illustrating with other examples why I believe it is so wrong to attribute the root causes of our problems to foreign powers. However, I took a short break and turned on the news. It was showing the CHP's May 19th rally in İzmir. Along the Kordon, there was a large, enthusiastic crowd adorned with flags, worthy of May 19th. I was watching with joy when suddenly all my cheer vanished. Before our National Anthem, which is to be sung in unison, a "Ti" (Taps) had been inserted again.

I have written about this before, and Mr. Orhan Bursalı wrote about it last year (Cumhuriyet, March 4, 2024). Let me remind you what "Ti" is and why it is so infuriating by quoting myself (H. Yazıcı, Bir Aşırma, p. 133-4, İletişim Yayınları, 2nd Edition 2024):

"Years ago, Mr. G. Bush visited Ankara with his wife. They stood at attention at Anıtkabir. Taps played. It seemed to me that a smile passed across Bush's face along with the Taps. Then he composed himself again. I thought about it. The piece they played at Anıtkabir is that beautiful piece of music played on a bugle by Montgomery Clift years ago in the film 'I Confess' (or 'From Here to Eternity'). I immediately went on the Internet. It is called TAPS. It emerged during the American Civil War as a 'lights out' bugle call for soldiers. Over the years, it gradually became a military funeral march and is perhaps as important to Americans as their national anthem. If you play TAPS to a nationalist American, they immediately stand up, put their hand on their chest, and stand at attention.

Bush sits in the White House. Not far away is Arlington National Cemetery. TAPS is played at Arlington Cemetery almost every day, and Bush listens to it. Imagine the scene: The man has come to Turkey and is standing at attention in the presence of Atatürk, the greatest Turk. And what is playing is TAPS. Beyond the strangeness and unpleasantness of what is happening, there is also a very functional side to it. Why were we afraid of Bush in those years? Because he would get us into a war in the Middle East, etc. Let's be a little nationalist. Wouldn't Mr. Bush say, 'What kind of people are these Turks? If they cannot even find original music for their greatest leader, I can do anything with them. I could even enter China, let alone Iraq.' I made some phone calls. I asked a colonel on duty at Anıtkabir. I learned that this has been the case almost since Anıtkabir opened. And it doesn't bother anyone!"

Now you tell me. If the newly appointed US ambassador to Ankara first learns what May 19th is, and then sees or hears that we are listening to his own native music, TAPS, as an American citizen, before our national anthem, what do you think he would think of us? Most importantly, does it never cross your mind that every time Taps is played over our heads, we might be showing disrespect to the cherished memories of those who made these lands our homeland, especially Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Mehmet Akif Ersoy?

Please don't do it, don't make us listen to this.