Prof. Dr. Mehmet Görmez Becomes The First Guest of The “YTB Talks” Program

The “YTB Talks” program, implemented by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), commenced with its first meeting shedding light on the perspectives of culture and civilization. In the opening event of the program, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Görmez addressed the participants with his presentation.

​The first program of the talk series, which aims to bring together experts from various fields under different headings, drew attention to the fundamental codes of our civilization’s heritage based on shared belonging, culture, and history.

​Our Goal Is To Build A Ground For Thought That Provides Direction

​YTB President Abdulhadi Turus, in his speech at the opening of the YTB Talks, stated that the primary objective of the program is to bring together distinguished figures of science, thought, and wisdom with institutional employees and international students studying in Türkiye. Emphasizing that they did not design YTB Talks merely as an event for transferring information and documents, Turus noted that their true goal is to build a "ground for thought" that provides direction.

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Stating that YTB carries out projects all over the world and touches the lives of thousands of young people, Turus said, “However, if there is no authentic ground of ideas, a deep world of meaning, and a strong vision of civilization behind every work done, that work does not become permanent.” Recalling that the title of the program is “From our Cultural and Spiritual Hinterland to the Geography of Ideas: The Homeland of Meaning and the Horizon of the Future,” Turus mentioned that this framework is the product of a conscious choice. Pointing out that the current era faces not only political and economic crises but also a deep crisis of meaning, Turus stated that identity crises, mental clutter, and fragmented belongings are among the fundamental problems of today.

​We Must Strongly Construct The Relationship Between The Spiritual Hinterland And The Geography Of Ideas

​Speaking as the guest of the YTB Talks program, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Görmez expressed that the relationship between the “geography of shared affinities” (gönül coğrafyası) and the “geography of ideas” (fikir coğrafyası) must be re-established strongly. Stating that the geography of ideas is composed of elements such as religion, thought, reflection, literature, and perspectives on existence, humanity, and values, Görmez noted that a common outlook and a world of meaning constitute the foundation of this geography.

​Expressing that a remarkable breaking point has occurred in the last 20-30 years, Görmez said, “Our spiritual hinterland is expanding, constantly expanding. But as it expands, our geography of ideas is narrowing.” Stating that he specifically highlighted this observation, Görmez said that for this spiritual connection to be permanent, the geography of ideas must also be strengthened. Noting that factors such as the fear of globalization, the fragmentation of intellectual geographies, social media, digitalization, and the dominance of visual perception have narrowed the world of thought, Görmez recorded that the ideology of globalization has weakened the intellectual richness between different geographies.

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“We are the children of a nation that shoulders the burden of history,” said Görmez, stating that this situation involves an existential responsibility. Noting that no other Muslim country has established an institution similar to YTB, Görmez expressed that the institution carries a special meaning in terms of historical and civilizational perspective.

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Görmez warned that if the digital geography is not used correctly, both the spiritual and intellectual geographies could be lost, emphasizing that digitalization should be turned into an opportunity rather than a threat. Concluding his remarks, Görmez stated that YTB’s reason for existence is to re-establish the bond between the geography of shared affinities and the geography of ideas, adding that one should reflect on how to restore the relationship between these two areas by utilizing the possibilities of digitalization.