Maybe you should define what a "cult of personality" is so I may comment on whether or not that applies to Ataturk's situation.
Logic should be dictating to you that you've answered your own question. Anybody who perceives they need to incorporate the name of a particular individual into the constitution of their government, let alone do it by his title as "father of the turks", and not by his real name, is creating a cult of personality.
If there is a law in Turkey against profaning Mustafa's name (or title) in public, that would only provide EVEN MORE evidence that a cult of personality continues to exist surrounding him. (edit: There is.. a 1951 law protecting Ataturk's legacy. The following author violated it and received 15 months in a hospitable Turkish prison for merely translating a biography critical of Ataturk in 1997. Must be because it became a BEST-SELLER after she translated it):
diaspora-net.org
But here's a more appropriate definition of COP for you:
wikipedia.org
And how about having having an entire ideology named after him (like Maoism and Marxism).. The Turks have Kemalism:
clubs.psu.edu
I mean, COME ON!!! I'm not saying that Mustafa was like Saddam Hussein, having his picture all around the cities and highways..
(oops.. spoke to soon.. mea culpa.. It seems they do post his face around the country, or at least did recently to hype of political fervor).
news.bbc.co.uk
And this person claims that Ataturk's personage hangs around every other block of most Turkish cities (kind of like a brand name):
graphicsiq.com
So hey.. whenever I have the chance to take a trip to Turkey (which I would like to do), I'll know what kind of public artwork to look out for, and exactly what not to say or do with regard to disparaging (or even de-mystifying) Ataturk. I might even "get lucky" if some petite, but buxom, Turkish gal eyes me bowing down in front of one of his posters paying "homage" to his greatness.
Hawk |
