Aydın Ünal on Boycotts: “Either You Will normalize, or You’ll Be Further Marginalized”

In his latest column titled "Sweat of the Brow, Not Inheritance", Yeni Şafak writer Aydın Ünal, who formerly served as a speechwriter for President Erdoğan and as an AK Party MP, shared strong views on the recent boycott discussions and the socio-political shifts in Turkey.

Criticism of Elites and Praise for Anatolian Rise

Ünal argues that long-standing privileges rooted in the early Republic era are no longer relevant in today’s Türkiye. He claims that the elite's inherited dominance over state resources and influence has been gradually dismantled by what he refers to as a “bottom wave” emerging from Anatolia.

“Anatolia achieved its rise through labor, effort, and the sweat of its brow—not through inherited privilege,” Ünal writes.

He emphasizes that this transformation has touched all fields—education, science, politics, administration, arts, and capital, asserting that Anatolian actors have outpaced traditional elites, especially in economic influence.

Dismissal of Boycotts and Changing Economic Power

Responding to ongoing calls for economic boycotts, Ünal maintains that such efforts are now ineffective:

“Even if you stop consuming for a day, or ten thousand days, your absence won’t be felt. The capital has already changed hands.”

He also argues that business circles such as TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association), once seen as powerful influencers, no longer have the capacity to destabilize political authority or mount any significant resistance.

“TÜSİAD has no power left to stage a coup, and foreign powers like Britain, France, the U.S., or Israel can no longer come to the rescue,” he adds.

Message to Opposition: “The Old Order is Over”

Ünal’s message to opposition forces is clear: the era of inherited privilege and elite dominance is over, replaced by what he calls the Anatolian revolution, a grassroots reconfiguration of power.

“Even if you return to power, you cannot undo a hundred years of patient struggle,” he claims.

According to Ünal, those resisting the transformation have only two options: accept the new political and social order, or continue down a path of isolation.

“Either you will normalize, or you’ll be further marginalized. There is no other way.”