‘People’s Republic of Turkey’, Nuray Mert, HDN

The Economist, 8/2014

Good morning to a new era! The supporters of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan call it the dawn of the “New Turkey.” Indeed, the presidential election marks a radical change and has started the process of a completely new political system that will culminate in a “People’s Republic.” Erdoğan supporters use the term of “nation” instead of “people,” since right-wing politicians always avoid the left-wing term of “people” and prefer “nation” (millet in Turkish). But millet has a slightly different meaning than nation in Turkish, because it refers to “real members of the national community,” according to which, millet can exclude alienated Turks like secularists, those who live a liberal life, cosmopolitans, and all who do not care for “our own values.” It is how the term millet is being used nowadays in Turkey.