In Türkiye Rüyası: Yeni Siyaset, the book I published in 2014, I offered a blueprint for a modern democratic left in Turkey. But more than that, I issued a challenge to the country’s most capable youth:

Step up.Take ownership of your country’s future.Don’t leave politics to the corrupt, the cynical, or the disconnected.

I didn’t just preach. I tried.At 33, I was ready to leave a promising life in the U.S., move to Ankara, and run for office.I aimed to take on the conservative ruling party.I didn’t expect to be betrayed by my progressive party.

Two years wasted, and sued by the Prime Minister then.

I never officially moved to Turkey. I stayed in Washington.

But it taught me more than any degree ever could.And maybe that’s how it was supposed to go.Because I would’ve never built Enquire AI.And I love what I do now—reshaping the future of knowledge.

At 43, I’m no longer interested in politics.I’m more excited to lead my company and build.

But my frustration with politics isn't just personal.It's structural. It's generational.

Politics today is broken.

Politics isn’t a venue to build, but more to perform, at least for now.Worse than it was 12 years ago.Dominated by patronage networks, shortsighted hacks, and an aging elite unfit for today`s politics. Politics globally became a bad reality TV.Performance replaced substance.Populism surged.And shallow leaders—young and old—filled the vacuum.

In Turkey. In the U.S. In Italy. Almost everywhere.Comedians and clowns became politicians.

And when idealistic, reform-minded, educated people opt out of politics, guess who fills the space?

Conspiracy theorists.Anti-globalists.Influencers with nothing substantial to say.

Populism didn’t just rise. It declared war.On expertise.On globalism.On anyone who sounded remotely informed.

But these are the very tools we need today.Expertise in tackling climate change, cybersecurity, AI, and public health.Globalism to build cooperation on trade, innovation, and peace.

Throwing them out is like firing your pilot mid-flight.

So yes, when Zohran Mamdani wins an election in New York City, it’s easy to feel hopeful.And I do.

He’s young. Authentic. A son of immigrants.He energized a tired system.He didn’t wait for his turn. He ran. And he won.

But let’s be honest:Is he the future we deserve?

That’s up to him.He needs real-world experience.He needs to learn. To grow. To deepen.

I had the same hope for AOC.I haven’t seen much growth.

Recently, Mamdani said he’d arrest Netanyahu if he visited NYC.It made noise. But it made no sense.Local politicians don’t arrest foreign leaders with diplomatic immunity.That’s not activism. That’s theater.

Promising free services sounds good in campaigns.But when those promises collapse, the backlash empowers the other extreme.It’s better to offer viable solutions—even if they’re less popular.

Yes, I’m glad Mamdani won.He has moral conviction. A spine.That puts him ahead of someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene or Matt Gaetz.

But that’s a painfully low bar.

We can’t compare our rising stars to unserious people and call that progress.

And let’s be real:Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—praised endlessly by the left—has shown little policy depth.She’s principled. She’s media-savvy.But she’s also underprepared.Ignorant on complexity. Being passionate is not the same as being ready.

We’ve confused energy with expertise.And viral moments with real leadership.

Compare that to Bill Clinton.But he climbed by mastering complexity—not slogans.

Populism has infected both sides.The MAGA right gave us Greene and Gaetz—loud, conspiratorial, proudly ignorant.The progressive left too often counters with moralism wrapped in inexperience.

Populist leaders today are short-termist, self-serving, and responsibility-averse.They don’t educate. They entertain.They meet voters where they are—but never lift them higher. But real leadership is the opposite.

It’s not lowering yourself to win votes.It’s raising others up—through clarity, discipline, and truth.Politics should aim for net benefit, not emotional resonance.

We’ve replaced politicians with performers.Policy with virality.Strategy with slogans.

That has to end.

I’m thrilled Mamdani won.I’d still rather have a principled populist than a corrupt demagogue like Trump.

But why are we still choosing between the lesser of two populisms?

We need a new generation of leaders who are intellectual, capable of building, morally grounded, globally aware, and most importantly, serious.

Politics is the most important profession on Earth.It decides how we allocate scarce resources and shape lives.

It used to attract the brightest. Yes, not perfect. Even the corrupt ones were often brilliant. Yes, it was maybe elitist.

But it progressed the world. Now, we are sliding backwards. Now, we get influencers with no grasp of governance, and voters who treat expertise as a flaw.

That must change.