The leading actor sets the tune of the country

We are continuously discussing whether or not what we have named the “Yenikapı spirit” has died or whether it was maimed, or has it left this land altogether. The Yenikapı spirit is the absolute togetherness of the nation that emerged right after the failed coup of July 15. 

As a matter of fact, the people are cherishing that spirit because we are sick and tired of the alternative. We have been fed up with the name-calling of segments in society for years. We are done with the antagonization of people; we are exhausted with concerns for the future. 

Frankly speaking, the “genre” of this country, for many years, is dependent on the attitude of the leading actor, on the main character actually, as in bad soap operas. If the leading actor is smiling, loves everybody and has a lot of tolerance, then it is a romantic comedy. If the leading actor is angry, full of rage and biased, then it becomes a thriller. 

With that point of view, let me tell you how the Yenikapı spirit starts and how it ends: 

The more President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan forms sentences starting with, “All of us, the 79 million… Whichever view you may hold… Without meddling into people’s lifestyles, in harmony and unity…,” the longer the Yenikapı spirit will last…

When lines start with, “We and they… As you know… They are already… Certain people are saying that… A portion of the… No matter whether they want it or not…” then the furniture is broken, the set goes to ruins, the season changes and the psychological climate becomes cold winter.  

It is of course not good that the atmosphere in the country, the genre of our life stories, predominantly depends on one person’s discourse, or on his facial expression alone. On the other hand, with just one sentence from the president reminding us of his inclusive, tolerant, comforting “balcony speeches,” there is the possibility for a spring air to arrive in the country; which in these days would be a very practical way for normalization. 

Call to stay-at-home mothers 

The prime minister said schools will move to only one shift before 2019, instead of the two current “morning and afternoon” shifts. I know that working mothers will start dancing any moment when schools are all day long instead of half a day. 

Another good decision is that foreign language education will start in the fifth grade. 

However, the field of education has recorded the least successful performance in recent years in this country. Constantly changing decisions, wrong exams, schools converted into vocational religious high schools (imam hatip) using fait accomplis, staff removals from well-known reputable schools and, last but not least, parents who have had to choose between spending loads of money for private schools, sending their kids to far-away standard high schools or involuntarily sending their kids to imam schools nearby. Students scored the lowest points in PISA tests, the quality of teachers fell constantly; schools were without teachers… To top this wreckage, during the hiring of new teachers, interviews were conducted and there were scandalous interview questions instead of objective tests.

I don’t want to disrupt the Yenikapı spirit. I will stop here. 

Now, since the working mothers received good news, I have a suggestion that will make non-working educated mothers happy, and at the same time save our future… 

I invite all stay-at-home women who have raised their children and who are university graduates to become teachers. 

Instead of watching English TV serials on the web, teach English to children, for instance. Don’t spend time picking up frames for your diploma; go and teach art. Don’t count how many Pokémon you have collected all day long if you are a math graduate. You cannot be happy using your chemistry knowledge by baking cookies at home. 

Go and become our new teachers, the new education staff; save a generation and our future…

Don’t be a bored housewife, be a hero!