In pursuit of establishing a new World Order and the greater Middle East initiative, the United States and its allies are exhausted by the dichotomy of maintaining neo-colonialism and bringing 'civilization' and 'democracy' to the so-called Third World. In other words, we are now facing a World Order that retains its capacity to create chaos, but has lost its potential for calling the shots, especially in the Middle East.
In order to invade Iraq, the neo-cons of the USA have trampled over not only the members of the United Nations and the true principles of international law, but have also discarded the fundamental values of humanity. The hegemonic discourse of the USA before its Iraqi invasion which relied on pompous allegations of the existence of chemical weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Ba'ath regime, turned out to be fraudulent and a mere excuse for the invasion of Iraq.
In the current context, two main factors threaten Turkey's long-standing position as an 'island of stability' on the edge of chaotic Middle Eastern neighbors: (i) the civil war in Syria, and (ii) the fragmented social, political, and cultural structure of Iraq due largely to warring religious sects and the emergence of fundamentalist religious groups, including the troublesome and terrible ISIS.
Prime Minister Davutoğlu, whose political and academic expertise lies in the field of foreign affairs, has already taken promising steps toward the stability and democratization of the region in the context of the Iraqi invasion and the Arab Spring. Putting the stability of Iraq at the top of his political agenda, the PM has succeeded in forming a strong basis of cooperation with Haider al-Abadi, the new PM of Iraq across the fields of politics, the economy, energy and the military. In contrast to the Western bloc's aims of promoting its regional interests at the expense of Middle-Eastern stability and peace, PM Davutoğlu's Iraqi vision has become all the more meaningful and promising for the region as a whole.
By invading Iraq, the United States served the country to Iran on a silver platter. Through the fanaticism of its Shi'ite religious sect and via diplomatic games, Iran has made a mess of the situation while continuing its self-praise for fighting against ISIS.
Placing all possible resolutions of the Syrian civil war in the context of the United Nations in a deadlock, the ferocious competition of Russia with the Western bloc may conclude with the resolution of the civil war and the establishment of stability in Syria at the hands of Russia and Turkey. In fact, not only the Syrian people, but every country concerned with the Middle East is exhausted by the cost of the chaos in Syria. For the sake of stability and peace, I believe that Turkey's PM, who denies the rational legitimacy of religious sectarian wars and prioritizes the normalization of Iraq, should enter into crisis management together with Russia. In this respect, it is not irrational to suggest that Iran would then adopt a more balanced position in order to avoid the heavy burden of a possible war.
Today, the Western bloc has already expended all its promises for the Middle Eastern region. As their rights over Iraqi petroleum are ensured, the member countries of the Western bloc take advantage of ISIS by using its example to disparage Islam and viewing it as the classical stereotype of the new 'other' of Western civilization.
The AK Party government has succeeded in establishing Turkey's political stability first by ensuring its economic stability. As a stabilized Iraq and Syria would require a fully-fledged process of reconstruction, these countries could easily turn into stories of success for Turkey's pro-active foreign policy in 2015, both in political and economic terms. In a word, Turkey should become not only the humanitarian symbol of conscience in the Middle East, but also the political leader of social reconciliation, stability and peace.
About the author
İhsan Aktaş is Chairman of the Board of GENAR Research Company. He is an academic at the Department of Communication at Istanbul Medipol University.
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