A candle of civility lit in Turkey鈥檚 election
In normal times, the election of a mayor in Istanbul would not be a point of inspiration. Yet with Turkey, which, like many democracies descending toward dictatorship, these are not normal times. Sunday鈥檚 election of a new mayor in Turkey鈥檚 largest city did indeed prove to be a light unto the world.
The winner, Ekrem 陌mamo臒lu, not only defeated the candidate of the ruling party of President Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an, but he also did so by countering the kind of incivility that can mark a democracy鈥檚 decline.
He kept smiling amid the many smears thrown at him (e.g., 鈥渢errorist鈥�) by the ruling Justice and Development Party. Rather than hold a grudge, Mr. 陌mamo臒lu embraced his opponents, even meeting with the president to discuss Turkey鈥檚 future. In a signal of tranquillity, he adopted the slogan 鈥淓verything is going to be just fine.鈥�
His tactics stood out against the harsh politics and increasingly authoritarian rule in Turkey. 鈥淚f the mayor isn鈥檛 genial, then the citizen isn鈥檛 either,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven a single person being slighted or offended will sadden me.鈥�
In his victory speech, he told Mr. Erdo臒an that he is ready 鈥渢o work with you in harmony鈥� 鈥� even though the president had arranged to annul Mr. 陌mamo臒lu鈥檚 first election win in March. He said his victory in the June 23 rerun election turned a new page toward 鈥渏ustice, equality, love鈥� and away from corruption and nepotism.
Mr. 陌mamo臒lu also offered this advice to other countries going 鈥渄own the road鈥� of political suppression: 鈥淚t is no road at all.鈥� Not surprisingly, he won votes across Turkey鈥檚 political spectrum.
In the United States, his approach is similar to that of presidential candidate Joe Biden, who pledges never to demonize opponents. After Mr. Biden recently noted his ability to work with segregationist senators in past decades, he was criticized by fellow Democrats. In Mr. Biden鈥檚 defense, the country鈥檚 most prominent black politician, Democratic Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, offered this:
鈥淒uring the height of the civil rights movement, we worked with people and got to know people that were members of the Klan 鈥� people who opposed us, even people who beat us and arrested us and jailed us. We never gave up on our fellow human beings, and I will not give up on any human being.鈥�
The idea that another person can teach us something 鈥� no matter how much we dislike the person鈥檚 views or behavior 鈥� is the heart of civility. In the new book 鈥淭he Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump,鈥� scholar Peter Wehner explains why respect remains critical in a democracy: 鈥淯ndergirding this belief for many of us is the conviction that we鈥檙e all image-bearers of God 鈥� 鈥榓 work of divine art鈥� in the words of theologian Richard Mouw 鈥� which demands that we respect human dignity.鈥�
At a time when 87% of Americans think political polarization is 鈥渢hreatening鈥� the American way of life, there is a hunger for politicians who can lead by example. For Mr. Wehner, the task 鈥渋s not simply to curse the political darkness but to light candles.鈥�
In Turkey, Mr. 陌mamo臒lu鈥檚 campaign style lit up the political landscape. He asked the world to take note. If he can now rule over Istanbul鈥檚 16 million residents the way he campaigned, we should all face the light.
