The Six Arrows, the principle of our state's liberation and foundation: Populism

The people is the general name given to a community of individuals living in a certain region, united around common interests. In other words, the people are the community of citizens who make up the large crowd in a state founded by a nation, who work and are almost all producers. The term 'people' is used to describe the individuals in a certain region who constitute a specific nation. In Atatürk's understanding, populism envisions prioritizing the interests of the people in political, economic, and social practices. Atatürk stated that populism is a regime and a way of life, and that the political regime would be based on the sovereignty of the people:

“The essential nature of our current existence has proven the general tendencies of the nation, and that is populism and a government of the people. It is the passing of governments into the hands of the people. Let us work to hand over the administration to the people. I am convinced that then all difficulties will disappear.”

“If it needs to be expressed in one word, we can say that the new Turkish State is a people's state, the state of the people.”

It can be said that populism has three important qualities that complement each other. The first element is popular rule, that is, political democracy. The second element is that everyone is equal before the law, and no privilege is granted to any person or group. The third element is the rejection of class struggle and the development of society in solidarity.

In a speech he gave in 1922, Atatürk said; “The current administration of our nation is, in its true nature, a people's administration.” Furthermore, in a speech in 1923, he stated, “The people must embrace national sovereignty and must not forget that there is no other power in the country that is the sole sovereign and commander but themselves.” According to Atatürk, the Turkish people have embraced populism.

“To be a populist means an entity that does not recognize any share, separation, or superiority within the nation, that considers every person as having as much right and honor as the other, and that does not direct situations in the economic field that would make one serve the other, the worker serve the boss, the boss serve the worker, or leave the consumer at the mercy of the producer.”

Populism does not allow for any discrimination, exception, or privilege in the social, political, or economic sense. In a populist state, the government is not a separate class. For this reason, there is no separation between those who govern and the people. Populism is a principle that the Party considers very important and never allows to be touched in any way.

The Republican People's Party understands and implements democracy in its full sense as an entity that comes from the power of the people, goes to the people, and lives within the people. The Great Leader Atatürk expressed this by saying, “We resemble ourselves.”

The first motto of populism is not to see the people as separate. Our ideal is to uplift the people and create cooperation in the economic field. This is why it has kept the division of labor in an order. Above all, it has organized what needs to be done to move towards prosperity, has not allowed for unnatural formations that would shake class privilege, and has not led to class struggles. To achieve this task, rather than resorting to force or violence, it has sought ways to lead the nation and the family within it to happiness, and has prioritized allowing everyone to do the work they wish in the pursuit of earnings. It has considered the needs of the country.

The party never allows personal power to create social and economic crises, placing personal interest above state interest and causing harm to classes.

With the principle of populism implemented during the Republican era, the Party has sought to eliminate the differentiation between political, economic, religious, and military groups in society. Political and legal equality has been ensured among the individuals who make up society, and class privileges have been rejected.

Economically, efforts have been made to raise the living standards of the people, and the realization of land reform has been envisioned. As a requirement of populism, equality in the field of education has been sought, and it has been ensured that individuals can attain any position according to their abilities and work without any restrictions. Populism has been a principle that increases the sense of trust that the individuals who make up society have in the state and reinforces national unity. Since the beginning of the 1930s, it has been supported by the principle of Statism, gaining an economic meaning in addition to its political meaning.

Prof. Dr. Duran BÜLBÜL