A Coup Attempt was the Remedy... From a Paralyzed/Autistic Society to a Healthy One

I was reading “The Tell-Tale Brain” last weekend, a bestseller by Ramachandran. I tried to read several chapters, but could not finish it. The recent coup attempt and the trauma we have suffered had taken over my conscience.

When I completed the chapter on autism, I said “That’s it! This is describing Turkey before 15 July”

Autism is a difficult disorder to understand and its cause is unknown. There are two major subtypes. The first is a social cognitive one, while the second is sensorimotor. When I read through the signs and symptoms of autism, I was able to diagnose Turkey before the coup attempt, despite all the economic developments that have occurred over the last decade, as a paralytic autistic society.

Social cognitive autism is associated with:

-Mental loneliness and minimizing social contact.

-Difficulty in holding normal dialogue.

-A lack of emotional empathy for others.

Sensorimotor autism is associated with:

-Disturbance from external stimuli, such as sounds or visions.

-Moving bodies back and forth.

-Uncontrolled movements, such as self-mutilation, especially using their hands.

Below I will summarize why Turkey was a paralyzed autistic society before 15 July:

We were not listening to each other’s opinions and were in a state of social loneliness and isolation. We had even started to live in ghettos.

We were giving emotional reactions and shouting at each other, rather than taking the short time necessary to listen.

We did not even pity people who were suffering or facing an unjust verdict; on the contrary we felt they deserved it.

We distanced ourselves and were extremely disturbed and angry with other people based on their clothing, level of education, dialects, social affiliation, traditions, religion, sect or opinions.

Rare outbursts, including physical assaults or abuse, meant that we were nearly out of control.

So what happened on the 15 July?

The attempted coup worked in a way similar to the electroconvulsive treatment which is used for severe depression. This treatment involves the administration of electricity under general anesthesia, which has an effect that is like reformatting the brain!

Everyone in Turkey saw that there was a threat that the country could become like Syria, Iraq, Libya or in the best case, like Egypt, all of which are at least 30 years behind the current social and economic level of Turkey.

Indeed, I am one of the many faculty members who make 20 or more international flights every year to join in scientific meetings, collaborations or touristic visits. The only solution for our paralytic autistic state was not a military intervention, but greater democratic rule…

This trauma caused us to reformat our minds and understand the necessity to identify our autistic members who were stuck in an “Aggressive madness”; this was what had led them to commit treason. The solution? To punish/isolate them, as in any democratic society. We also understood that we need to have empathy towards one another in order to keep our country together.

The trauma of July 15 has had important effects on both secular and conservative minds in Turkey. 

I was with a specialist professor friend of mine a few days ago, a staunch secular opponent of Recep Tayyip Erdogan; this individual wanted Erdogan to disappear, one way or the other. I myself had many reservations about Erdogan’s attitude, the people surrounding him and the language he used against his opponents during his political challenges.

She said:

“I think Erdogan has to stay as President. The main aim of this coup attempt was to destroy Turkey, to make it descend into anarchy, civil war and to establish a state in our southeast region. Erdogan has demonstrated real leadership with courage. Other leaders would have surrendered to the coup attempt.”

Despite her endorsement, would she vote for Erdogan? No way!

We were talking with two surgeon friends of mine, both from conservative backgrounds. One of them was involved with the Gulen movement during his medical school years. He had distanced himself from them since; however, this trauma demonstrated that religion should only be a way for personal perfection, not for establishing a brotherhood with a hunger for power.

In addition, these kind of religious organizations with secret aims are open to infiltration and can be used by others. The Gulen movement (Fethullah Terrorist Organization) were able to skillfully inflict deep wounds and severe pain, taking advantage of sensitive cracks in the already severely bruised body of Turkey. The great majority of society understands and approves of the crackdown on people associated with the Gulen movement and the institutions in both the public and private sector; however, concerns are being raised about just trials and ensuring that anyone who is innocent is not harmed. I would say the Turkish people almost unanimously perceive this group of traitors as merely the puppets; the puppet-masters are striving to attain the oil and energy pathways, to redesign the 21st century Middle East and to secure greater interests.

…   

Erdogan is a human being; he has his ups and downs. Recently he has displayed more gentle emotions, using a mild and tolerant language that embraces all of society.

A wind of optimism can be felt everywhere. There seems to be an agreement between all parties to amend the constitution to ensure the independence of the judiciary and a more democratic method of electing members to the Supreme Court and other judiciary bodies. There is even a hope that there will be agreement for a new constitution.

Erdogan publicly criticized one of his counsellors for using mildly offensive phrases about the leader of an opposition party. In the last decade such a statement would have been almost unheard of.  If Erdogan is sincere, and I think he should be given some credit, given his stance against the coup attempt, this terrible experience may make him the unexpected architect of a democratic, modern, prosperous and influential Turkey, despite all the criticism in the Western media.  

…

It may seem an extraordinary show of courage for Turkish people to oppose armored vehicles, tanks, F16s with nothing but their bodies, but during the start of the Independence War of Turkey in 1919, a group of soldiers and members of the Ottoman Parliament, lead by founder of modern Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, discussed the options of Turks when the Ottoman Empire was disintegrating. Some offered a continuation of the sultan’s reign, some even suggesting an American Mandate. However, following fierce discussions, the bottom line was;

“Independence is the only option; otherwise it is death for the cause!”

We still have that spirit… 

…

Turkey is still recuperating. We will be needing intensive care for some time, but our body is young and strong. We will emerge stronger; after all we had enough of disasters and terrible things in the last several decades!

One of the symbolic pictures of the Coup attempt. The soldiers (some traitors/some were deceived) surrender to people on the famous Bosphorus Bridge, now called 15th of July Martyrs Bridge.