Idealism (Turkey)

Idealism or Utopianism (Turkish: Ülkücülük, Ülkücü düşünce), also known as Türkeşism (Turkish: Türkeşçilik, Türkeşçi düşünce) is a Turkish–Islamic nationalist ideology developed by Alparslan Türkeş and the Nationalist Movement Party as a principle of the Nine Lights Doctrine. The philosophy of Idealism was largely influenced by the ideas of Ziya Gökalp, a Turkish sociologist, writer, and poet. Gökalp believed that the Turkish people needed to create a new national identity that was distinct from their Ottoman past and grounded in their own cultural, historical, and linguistic traditions. He argued that this new identity ("Turkishness") should be based on the principles of Islam and Turkish nationalism, and that it should be promoted through education and cultural institutions. Idealism has had a significant influence on Turkish political and intellectual thought, and its ideas continue to shape the country's political and cultural landscape today.