Manipulation. It is the subtle and insidious use of power by rulers over the governed and, in effect, is a form of ideological mind control. There are “three faces of power” in the literature, and manipulation often occurs without the conscious awareness of or objection from the manipulated when we talk about the third face of the power. For example, ruler uses power over citizen to make citizen do what citizen does not want to do and determines and shapes citizen’s wants without citizen discerning the manipulation. Rulers who wear this face of power view it as an effective way to handle conflict among the masses and meld them to the ruler’s ideology or way of thinking.The power is so hidden that the masses never realize what has happened. They blindly follow, convinced that the action they were told was for their own good when in reality it is not.
The use of the third face of power is clearly on display in Turkey where people believe and obey without question whatever they are told and whatever decisions are made, even though the edicts, such as the declaration of a state of emergency,affect their liberties and may even harm them in the long-run. They have become so convinced that the government is doing what is right and is in the best interest of and for the benefit of the people and the country. Over time, they have become numb to the inequalities and injustices. Ironically, when the people do react, their actions prove detrimental to their own good.
Examples of the tragicomedies that result from the application of the third face of power are abundant in Turkey. Here are just a few to prove the point:
People are told that whoever wears a T-shirt emblazoned with the word HERO is bad—that the person is a terrorist in the eyes of the government. Since the edict was issued, many people have been detained and jailed for wearing the shirts in defiance of the government’s order. The freedom to choose what to wear has taken away from the people but, sadly, they are not aware of the loss. Law enforcement officers and the criminal justice system fight with the people who continue to wear HERO T-shirts.
People participated in pro-democracy watch and rallies for the sake of saving and defending democracy. The latest rally occurred on the first anniversary of the failed military coup. Was it really democracy that they were watching and rallying for? The answer is no. Here is why: Ironically, the state of emergency that was declared when the coup failed has been extended several times in the name of democracy. Since the coup attempt, a constitutional referendum has been held—amid the state of emergency—and has paved the way for a much stricter autocratic regime in the near future. Additional fallout from the failed coup includes tens of thousands of people being interrogated, tortured, jailed, imprisoned, abducted, killed, and dismissed from their jobs. While all of these injustices were happening, no one could hire a lawyer because lawyers who attempted to defend the suspects were themselves detained as terrorists.
Whoever had education abroad aredeclared and labeled as spies by the President despite the fact that his own children had education abroad.
Whoever does not support the country’s rulers and the ruling party, are “others,” “enemies,” “traitors,” and/ or “terrorists,” the government purports.For instance, most recently, Turkey’s President labeled anti-war students as traitor youth and terrorists due to their Communist ideology.
People are led to believe that the ruling party is superior and can save the country and that the party in power is there because of God’s will. Therefore, anyone who opposes the supreme leader and the ruling party is bad, andanyone who pledges allegiance to the party is good, regardless of the person’s standing and situation. As an example, gang members’ mafia henchmen no longer need to operate underground. They can become on-the-ground gangs and mafias. Ironically, these criminal elements are seen as heroes because they met with the country’s rulers, who conferred legitimacy on the groups.They now can freely threaten citizens, participate in demonstrations, and hang their banners and posters in the streets and in arenas. The words of a well-known mafia leader Sedat Peker, who pledges allegiance to the supreme ruler of Turkey, reflects how depraved the country has become when he speaks the following at a rally:
“We are full of endless revenge and merciless feelings. We will hang them [the others] to the nearest flag staffs, we will hang them to the nearest trees. I swear…We will continue to hang them in the prisons, as well. We will apply such things that were not even seen on the horror movies. Therefore, keep your revenge feelings alive and high.”
More tragic is the response of the crowd, which supports the argument aloud, saying:
“We hope! With the God’s willing and help! God is great!”
As this example shows, power by manipulation is applied so effectively that a government-legitimized mafia leader does not have to give direct orders to citizens to support or take an illegal and inhumane action. Peker is able to elicit the behavior he wants despite the country’s spiral into chaos where mafia groups and gangs are speaking and acting like legal extensions of law enforcement. The people are convinced the gang membersare acting in the name of patriotism to save the invaded country.
The application of manipulative power is so professional that the real heroes—those who stand against tyranny—are framed as bad people, while the gangs and mafia groups—who pledge allegiance to the rulers and threaten the people for torturing and hanging perceived enemies—are seen as heroes. Even worse is the latest emergency decree that grants immunity for such violent actions in the name of fighting terrorism and saving the country as civilians. This means, there will be no legal consequences for lynching, brutally killing, and extra-legally executing people in the name of so-called patriotism, which in turn, encourage emerging manipulated so-called patriots, as well. Eventually, it will not be a surprise when the country turns into a heaven for the notorious death squads such as the ones in the South America and Spain.
