The 3rd bridge

Is there anyone who does not know about the importance of the Bosporus? It has always symbolized the meeting of the East and West, with all its historical, sociological and commercial aspects. Now the Bosporus has its third bridge connecting Istanbul's two shores. This was, of course, a technological success, but unfortunately, many people are looking at it only from the angle of it being a successful construction project.

The West and Middle East have always been considered two separate civilizations. They do not see one and other as part of common human heritage, but as totally different, and sometimes hostile worlds. It is like people would be happy if there were concrete walls separating these two worlds so everyone could live their own lives.

Human and cultural relations, however, have always existed and there has not been any civilization that has endured without entering into contact with other civilizations. Political borders are often artificial and we exist together despite all the psychological barriers we have erected between the West and Middle East. In this context, many people have referred to the bridges across the Bosporus as tools connecting the Eastern and Western worlds.

Our imagination of the East and West is the outcome of mutual perceptions. Middle Eastern societies believe that Westerners are interested in them only when they see an economic opportunity. Western businessmen and investors come to the Middle East only to make money, and they leave when they believe they have earned all they can. Oddly, Middle Easterners are convinced that other Westerners who come and live among them, for example journalists, academics or charity workers, are all secret agents. In other words, the Middle Eastern world is very distrustful of Westerners. On the other hand, most Westerners believe people from the Middle East are amazed by the West's wealth and only try to benefit from it in every way they can. They come as immigrants, and they take a part of that wealth without any hard work by exploiting the West's goodwill. They believe Middle Easterners are uneducated, and often dangerous.

So some of them say, just give them some money, so they will stay in their own countries; but let's check how they spend this money. The Middle East does not refuse the money, but does not like the idea of being scrutinized about how they spend it.

Bridges are not only about transportation, they are supposed to bring worlds together. Unfortunately, the two existing bridges across the Bosporus did not help the worlds and civilizations come together. People still have to live inside the borders they did not draw, inside the regimes they could not refuse. This is true for the Congolese, as it is for Luxembourgers.

In today's world, nobody can say that its country's social, economic or political problems are its country's internal affair. A South African investor worries about Chinese economic growth and a Turk cares about the victims of an earthquake in Chile. Today an Australian woman can buy her wedding shoes online and have them sent over from the United States, so there is no point to pretend borders are insurmountable.

In today's globalized world, bridges are still embraced as symbols of being connected, maybe because humanity still lacks a common understanding of universal values. There is interaction, but not enough common actions. Let's hope the third bridge spanning the Bosporus will become a symbol of renewed relations between the Middle East and the West and contribute to common perception about the world.