President Erdogan someone who “destroyed the country”

Subject: A Respectful Rebuttal Regarding Your Recent Statement

Dear Dr. Atac,

I read your recent statement drawing a comparison between the Vazi Parliament that entrusted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk with temporary authority during our War of Independence, and what you described as a “traitorous parliament” granting lifetime authority to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I must respectfully, yet firmly, challenge this narrative both on historical grounds and factcheck  for the sake of national dignity.

Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk)’e TBMM’nce 5 Ağustos 1921 tarihinde 3 ay süreli başkomutanlık görevi verilmişti!

First and foremost, to equate Atatürk’s struggle for national liberation with your characterization of modern democratic developments is a distortion of both eras. The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye granted Atatürk extraordinary powers for three months in 1921 not because he demanded them for life, but because the nation was at war for its survival. Those powers were renewed multiple times and extended as needed. Historical context matters.

Now, as for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, let us be honest and factual:

• He has not been given power for life. He was elected by the Turkish people through internationally recognized democratic elections first aas Prime Ministaer, and later as President under the new system approved by a national referendum in 2017.
• The presidential system of government adopted by popular vote did not abolish parliament but redefined the balance between the executive and legislative branches, similar to other presidential systems in the world.
• Erdogan’s terms in office remain subject to constitutional limits, and his tenure will ultimately be decided by the voters—not by personal entitlement or parliamantary submission.

Dr. Atac,  It is profoundly unfair and frankly dangerous to label the current Grand National Assembly as “traitorous” merely because it has operated within the bounds of a constitutionally restructured system, which was endorsed by millions of Turkish citizens through a legal, democratic process. Disagreement with policy is one thing; slandering institutions and comparing them to betrayal is something else entirely.

Moreover  Dr Atac,, calling President Erdogan someone who “destroyed the country” ignores many undeniable realities:

• Under his leadership, Türkiye became the world’s 19th largest economy, expanded its national defense industry, launched domestic satellite programs, and became a critical regional player in diplomacy and energy.
• He has invested heavily in infrastructure, education, and healthcare, benefiting tens of millions of Turkish citizens from every province not just the elites of the major cities.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. But when criticism turns into sweeping vilification that defames our republic’s elected leadership, we must draw the line especially when invoking the secred memory of Atatürk, who built institutions to reflect the will of the people, not the whims of ideology.

In closing, I urge you to rise above this kind of rhetoric, not for the sake of any one leader, but for the unity and dignity of our homeland. Our ancestors did not sacrifice everything just to see their legacy torn down with divisive, inaccurate comparisons. Türkiye deserves better. So do its citizens.

With all due respect and sincere intentions,

Ibrahim Kurtulus

Demirhisar Koyu 
Sehit Ismail Hakki Kurtulus Mevki

Merkez cami Mah No 1

Cayeli – Rize  -Turkiye

New York