{"id":1232,"date":"2025-09-29T09:20:01","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T09:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dmy.info\/en\/?p=1232"},"modified":"2025-09-29T09:20:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T09:20:02","slug":"ideals-at-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dmy.info\/en\/ideals-at-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Ideals at war"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the spy movie The Spy<\/em>, an Israeli agent goes to 1960s Syria posing as a businessman and begins gathering intelligence. Although he is only a businessman on the surface, he manages to infiltrate the Syrian General Staff and government, and is even offered the position of Minister of Defense. Similar incidents have occurred in Iran, Lebanon, and Jordan. Aren\u2019t there comparable spies and collaborators in Turkey? That\u2019s debatable \u2014 but what needs to be discussed first is whether Turkey can persuade one of its citizens as effectively as Israel can. What kind of ideal does it offer, and how many followers does it have for which cause?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Context of the Question
<\/strong>Turkey\u2019s ideal (\u00fclk\u00fc) is a contentious concept in both historical and contemporary contexts. On the one hand there is the Republic\u2019s founding ideal of rising \u201cabove the contemporary civilization level,\u201d and on the other hand there are modern visions such as the \u201cCentury of Turkey,\u201d which shape the country\u2019s strategic orientation. This ideal is not only a goal of development, but also expresses a desire for a free and strong social order. However, the definition of that ideal has shifted in different periods, which at times has increased its persuasive power and at other times weakened it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Persuasive Power of the Ideal and Its Challenges
<\/strong>For Turkey\u2019s ideal to be convincing, merely voicing high-minded goals is not enough; those goals must be supported by concrete and consistent policies. When trustworthy examples are produced in education, justice, and the economy, the ideal can transform from abstract rhetoric into tangible reality. How well does Turkey manage this? What motivation does Turkey offer to individuals from whom it expects sacrifice? These are long discussions that contain difficult truths to admit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MOSSAD\u2019s Devotion
<\/strong>Netflix\u2019s The Spy<\/em> tells the story of Mossad agent Eli Cohen\u2019s years of sacrifice. Cohen infiltrated the highest ranks in Syria under a false identity, living apart from his family and under constant risk. The source of that devotion is Israel\u2019s collective message and its track record of success. We do not want to make comparisons for the sake of comparison; as citizens who love our country, we only wish to draw attention to a danger. Can Turkey succeed even in internal struggles, let alone battlefronts or intelligence wars? Can it eliminate the corruption that hides behind nationalist rhetoric?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Ready Are We for War?
<\/strong>If we look at politicians\u2019 behavior rather than their rhetoric, there may be no need for Israeli agents. Corruption and indecency are handled professionally every day. In every major collapse, politicians who rely on the sacrifices of the Turkish people \u2014 will they receive the same sacrifices this time? We are in a weak generation that struggles even to show decency to its own circle, let alone die for a politician\u2019s slogans in a war. Before dying for a politician\u2019s cause, we should at least be able to follow simple traffic rules and basic moral principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cause of Morality, the Journey of Perfection
<\/strong>Can an entire country\u2019s concern always be reduced to shameful football matches? How can a morally deprived crowd become the cover for corruption and repeatedly lose itself in a game that brings shame and poverty? This is only one sign among many about society. A citizen doesn\u2019t have to die on the battlefield; we want him to respect simple rules in traffic first. He must not take responsibility but also should not criticize those responsible. He should progress in moral development, not regress or remain infantile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For such a model person, the primary requirement is that the goal and the path be kept straight. But we can reach the right goal in the right way. First we must re-examine our ideal, and then act with a convincing morality and proper conduct. Otherwise, like the politicians we look at with pity, we will punish ourselves and pretend it is a reward. If we think about ideals as much as we think about nations; if we take priorities into account as much as goals; if we value principles as much as achievements, then perhaps we can succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask whether a person who talks about being nationalist or self-sacrificing can first be self-sacrificing about their own anger. Can they show respect to the person on the street for the sake of their nation? Can a politician who drags the country into war be moral for the sake of the homeland? It would be enough if they could at least refrain from insulting the people during hours when children are watching. Let them keep what they stole \u2014 can they at least manage to look as if they\u2019re charitable?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the spy movie The Spy, an Israeli agent goes to 1960s Syria posing as a businessman and begins gathering intelligence. Although he is only a businessman on the surface, he manages to infiltrate the Syrian General Staff and government, and is even offered the position of Minister of Defense. Similar incidents have occurred in Iran, Lebanon, and Jordan. Aren\u2019t there comparable spies and collaborators in Turkey? That\u2019s debatable \u2014 but what needs to be discussed first is whether Turkey can persuade one of its citizens as effectively as Israel can. What kind of ideal does it offer, and how <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[258],"tags":[147,312,310,101,309,311],"class_list":["post-1232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-turkology","tag-economy","tag-ethics","tag-israel","tag-politics","tag-turkey","tag-war","has_thumb"],"yoast_head":"\nIdeals at war - DMY Philosophy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dmy.info\/en\/ideals-at-war\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ideals at war - DMY Philosophy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the spy movie The Spy, an Israeli agent goes to 1960s Syria posing as a businessman and begins gathering intelligence. 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