The interests of the government or the interests of the country?

Don't leave your news choices to an algorithm - decide for yourself what you read. Add 12punto to your preferred sources!

“Being domestic and national” in practice actually means accepting every thesis of the government without question and believing in the moral meaning it attaches to all its theses, including its greatest zigzags. However, haven't we all experienced recently that there are serious conflicts between the government's theses and national interests?

For example, until just 1-2 years ago, “being domestic and national” required saying yes to uncontrolled migration. However, Turkey's interests required advocating the exact opposite.

Or, before December 17-25, “being domestic and national” required calling FETÖ a “service movement” and applauding the preparation of the ground for its vertical organization within the state. Turkey's interests, however, required the exact opposite.

Before June 7, “being domestic and national” meant turning a blind eye to the PKK strengthening in cities and practically implementing its own law. Turkey's interests, however, were the exact opposite.

Today, “being domestic and national” requires applauding the appointment of trustees to the elected officials of one party, thereby suffocating the legitimate ground and causing the illegitimate ground to strengthen, while also applauding another political party, the MHP, for becoming so powerful within the state that it can “make people kiss its hand.” Turkey's interests, however, require the exact opposite.

While it is clear that the claim that the AK Party's interests are equal to the state's interests—which the AK Party has managed to present together by relying on the comfort of eliminating the distance between itself and the state—is not quite so, a question must be asked at this point: Who is thinking of the AK Party's interests under the armor of “being domestic and national,” and who is thinking of Turkey's interests?

Let us not forget, sometimes nationalism is exactly about challenging the established order that claims to have a monopoly on nationalism and declares everyone who questions its own theses and authority a traitor. For example, 1919-22 is the story of this.