The program “With Eylül Aşkın,” hosted by Eylül Aşkın, had taken a one-month break due to the recent turbulence in the country’s political agenda. Now, it returns with a powerful mini-series prepared by Eylül Aşkın, titled “The Importance of Soft Power in Cultural Diplomacy,” blending art, artists, and current events in a striking format.
The first guest of this series is Mr. Yüksel Yalova — former Member of Parliament for Aydın, former Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, former Minister of State, actor, lawyer, academic, sports administrator, and father of actress Melike İpek Yalova.
He Answered Eylül Aşkın’s Questions Before Rehearsal!
Yüksel Yalova welcomed Eylül Aşkın and the Turkey News Portal team at the office of Kedi Performing Arts — founded by Hakan Altıner — right before his play rehearsal. Having returned to theatre in recent years, Yalova is currently performing in three different plays under Kedi Performing Arts: “Çubuklu Sevda,” “The Song of the Swans,” and “Despina.”
Learn Your Past Well, Create New Values!
In his responses, Yüksel Yalova stood out with his bold, indirect criticisms of national politics. He emphasized the essential role of blending art and cultural activities with politics, highlighting his belief — supported by personal experience — that such integration fosters positive influence in international diplomacy. As both a seasoned politician and a man of culture, Yalova also stressed the importance of thoroughly understanding our past. He argued that in order to move forward with stronger steps into the future, it’s not enough to merely take pride in our past successes — we must also focus on creating new values.
Turkish in Identity, Universal in Art
In the interview, Yüksel Yalova expressed pride in his Turkish identity while also advocating for a universal approach to art that transcends nationalism.
We Don’t Embrace Our Own Values Enough!
Yalova pointed out that one of the greatest shortcomings of Turkish society is its lack of appreciation and protection for the values it produces.
“We Need More Referendum Models.”
Drawing attention to how political life has not fully embraced the potential of rapidly advancing technology, Yüksel Yalova remarked:
“In 1970, the people of this country could only watch black-and-white television. Today, they have access to ten thousand channels right from their mobile phones. Therefore, political concepts must also be positively integrated with technology. Perhaps in the future, we’ll be voting ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on our phones for every issue that concerns the majority of the public. In other words, we need more referendum models. If we do this, we’ll increase consensus.”
“Let Them See — The Man’s a Former Minister, but Now He’s in Theatre!”
Highlighting that favoritism has no place in theatre — unlike in politics — Yüksel Yalova also criticized the concept of political immunity. He shared:
“I graduated from the conservatory alongside dear Nilgün, your mother, and dear Hakan Altıner. We had such joyful years together. Now, I teach doctoral courses in Management Science and Philosophy at Arel University. It’s been seven years since I started teaching a seminar on International Security and Strategic Studies at MEF University. There’s an incredible amount of work to be done. And now, theatre is also part of my life. Let them see — the man’s a former minister, but now he’s in theatre! Because in theatre, on stage, favoritism just doesn’t work. If you can act, you act. The audience has an incredible sense of intuition — if you perform well, they applaud; if you don’t, no amount of favoritism will keep you on that stage. And so what if you’re a minister? Ride a motorcycle to your ministry, no big deal. My doctoral dissertation was on ‘Legislative Immunity in Turkey.’ I served as an MP for years, and I still don’t understand what that immunity really accomplishes.”
