It is a Shame

Professor Daron Acemoğlu’s Nobel story has caused quite a bit of excitement in Turkey. Some provided an impartial analysis of the professor, others offered a detailed analysis of his work as if it were an academic discussion report, and some, as a condition for being able to survive in a right-wing school, judged that all of the professor's analyses were made from a right-wing perspective. While respecting all these analyses or narratives, to be honest, I do not understand why we are putting so much thought into this matter. There must be a reason, I suppose, I don't know! Perhaps it is the influence of Acemoğlu having received his initial education in Turkey, like all Nobel laureates, or even more importantly, his inclusion in the CHP's scientific staff during the recent election campaigns. This is the academic side of the matter.

Meanwhile, a political side to the issue has also developed. Pro-government supporters, who try to take credit for every situation, put forward an absurd view; they said that the AKP, which has sent Turkey soaring in every field and subject, has also sent the country soaring in the field of science and the Nobel Prize by producing three Nobel laureates during its 22-year term. Not just the AKP, but no political party should make such individuals, who lack even a basic level of intelligence, their supporters. Because such dim-witted people do not provide any benefit to the party they sympathize with or its supporters; on the contrary, they cause great harm.

It is my duty here to congratulate all Nobel laureates for their contributions to society and science through their work. Since, with the exception of the latest Nobel laureate, the others are individuals who work outside my field, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on their work. As for Professor Acemoğlu’s work, since it was deemed worthy of evaluation by the Nobel committee, my duty at this stage is to congratulate him, while reserving my objections regarding the content.

Now let us come to the question of whether these people are Turkish or not. My immediate answer is that the nationality, religious beliefs, or other identities of people who have contributed to the world of science do not concern me in any way. Yes, by origin, all three Nobel laureates are Turkish. There are other Turks in the US and other countries doing very important work. For example, molecular biologist and geneticist Professor Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, who will likely be a Nobel candidate in the coming years, and many other Turkish citizens. Of course, we are proud of Mr. Hotamışlıgil and other valuable Turkish-origin academic friends, but the pride we feel for these academics, both for their work and for being deemed worthy of a Nobel, is not because they are Turkish, but because they have made valuable contributions to humanity. Of course, it is psychologically important that these people are Turkish, but if we only remember that they are Turkish when they receive an award, wouldn't those people ask us where our minds were before? Wouldn't our faces turn red when faced with this question?

Except for great geniuses whose exceptions are very rarely seen on the stage of history, people are born quite equal; after opening their eyes to the world, they develop with the opportunities offered to them by society, and while developing according to social conditions, they can also be (made to) differentiate. Such being the case, except for rare geniuses, the global development and differentiation of people is possible with the opportunities provided to them. Now, let us ask immediately: did not two of our Nobel-winning citizens in the field of science, with one exception, reach these positions with the opportunities provided to them abroad in their own fields? Let us note, please, that the comfortable working environment provided to these professors is not temporary either. This means that these people are so happy with their positions and working conditions that they do not even think about returning. The bottom line is that Turkey did not raise these two scientists; a foreign country that provided them with a comfortable working environment did. To get to the point quickly, it would not be wrong to say that the Nobel was not given to the individuals, but to the product produced by the working environment of those individuals. Let us remember, while our doctors were being beaten by street thugs and receiving starvation-level wages, not only did they not see the government by their side, but on the contrary, they were also subjected to extremely low-level remarks unworthy of a politician, such as "let those who want to leave, leave." Considering these sad processes, isn't it very clear that the AKP's claim that it brought three Nobels to our country while sending Turkey soaring is a troll game aimed at deceiving the public by party supporters with zero intelligence? This rhetoric is disrespectful not only to our people but also to the countries that provide such opportunities to Nobel-winning academics and to the people of those countries. This means rudely claiming credit for the work and sacrifices of others, entirely in line with the traditions of the group to which one is so passionately attached.

As for the AKP’s respect for science, let alone producing Nobel candidates, it has been to ruin the phenomenon of the university, which was established and developed over time in accordance with the traditions of German professors. The university phenomenon and structure, which has been decaying since the beginning of YÖK in 1982, has been turned into the backyard of politics during the AKP era. The AKP cunning, which cannot be surpassed by anyone in deviousness, has turned to destroying academia, just as it has done with all public institutions, not for the sake of the progress of social science, but on one hand by creating seedbeds for the great universities it holds grudges against in order to vent its past resentment, and on the other hand, by aiming to enter graduates who have gone through four-year so-called education in local universities into parliament as AKP members who are university graduates and party candidates. Our young people, who cannot stomach these two frauds, are trying to escape abroad, creating the greatest brain drain in history. Is it possible for the AKP, which has dragged the country into an environment where the future is stolen for impartial individuals and almost all doors are closed to your face unless you are a party member, to produce a Nobel candidate? Such an environment is extremely prone to producing trolls to deceive the public; the results are also clear, however, the results are not Nobel-winning academics, but economists who can drag the country into great destruction!