March 4th, a group of us met Sevgi Akarcesme, a columnist at Zaman Daily News and correspondent of its English counterpart, Today’s Zaman.
The Zaman Building
With her quick description of the AKP coming to power and the changes she saw since 2010, she painted a relatively break future in the relationship between the government and the people. She maintained coining the term “arbitocracy” to describe President Erdogan’s term. In other words, she believes there are no more checks and balances within the government structure, and that all decisions are based on the arbitrary thoughts and decisions of one man.
Other than her analysis of the government, she briefly mentioned the building of the Çamlıca mosque. Upon questioning and asking her to expand on her thoughts with this controversial project, she shed some light. The controversy surrounding this construction is known, but what are the motivations for it? What are the reasons behind the oppositions? These are questions I posed, in which I hoped to gather insight.
Akarcesme believes that the people in general are nostalgic for the glorious Ottoman times- that people are longing for the empire. Because the collapse was in part due to the West, humiliation is another emotion that plays a role within the people. Hence, Presidant Erdogan “plays into these feelings” and appeals to the people. He has been quoted saying he will “resurrect a glorius history.”
Regarding Çamlıca mosque, Akarcesme believes it should architecturally reflect the taste of the times and this country, not replicate Ottoman architecture. She clarified that she, as well as many others, are not against the actual building of the mosque. As a devout Muslim, she prays five times a day. But the location on top of a hill is pointless because it is not easily accessible, a sentiment expressed before and an experience we noted first-hand. The construction also takes away from green space. Most importantly however, businesses are usually built next to significant structures meant to draw crowds, like the Çamlıca mosque, and she expects a shopping mall or something similar to be erected around the mosque for “Erodgan’s cronies.”
It’s interesting to think that the government is possibly using something of cultural and historical value for consumer purposes, not unlike the shopping mall plans of Gezi Park- although of possibly cultural significance with its architecture, it ultimately serves another purpose. Is it the same case for this massive mosque atop the hill?