Significance of Turkey's elections for neighboring regions
The Turkic tribes that migrated from Central Asia westward settled in a region in which anything that occurs directly turns into a global issue, notwithstanding the name and form of the sovereign state of the region. If Turkey were in a region like Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam or Africa, the issues of the country would probably concern her citizens only. As our region concerns almost the whole of the world in any period of humankind, the press of a European country that went to elections in the same week as Turkey's general elections on June 7 gained more interest in the latter than its own.
The playmaker country in the international arena is still the United States, which leads the Western axis, while Russia as the former leader of the Eastern axis during the Cold War emerges as the next agent. Meanwhile, China has gradually taken to the international stage thanks to her explosive economic growth. In his article written against Samuel Huntington's thesis on the clash of civilizations, Ahmet Davutoğlu argued that only Turkey, as the heir to the Ottoman Empire, has not acquired its former prominence in the international arena, while countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Japan and China have retrieved their historical significance. In this respect, Turkey's struggle to re-acquire its former power induces resistance both in the regional and international arena.
Just like individuals, nations have their own fate. At any moment, the fate of a nation can change and take a certain course. From that moment onwards, no compelling measures, constraints or threats can throw the nation off its track. In the words of Ibn Khaldun, "the history of nations resembles their future just like water resembles water."
During the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) 13-year political dominance, the process of democratization in line with Turkey's candidacy for the membership of the European Union, the extension of liberties in the civil realm, especially those related with freedom of thought and faith, and the completion of various successful investments in the public sphere have all brought about a country that acts actively in her region of influence. Moreover, the predominant perception in the Arab streets was emphasizing that (i) Turkey built a democratic political structure in line with European standards, (ii) the liberties of thought and faith were extended, and (iii) economic growth was sustained. Thus, Turkey as a model served as a trigger for the initiation of the Arab Spring. Such a process of rapid democratization brought the West to a crossroads: the Western states should have been a party either to the moderate Muslims or to the dictators and the terrorists. The Western political mind seems to prefer working with the latter at the expense of the former.
Such a bad decision prevented the Western states from taking a strong stance with the large masses of people in the Syrian civil war, while Barrack Obama's and confusion in the Syrian crisis weakened the United States and the Western alliance against Russia and Iran. Russia's decision to physically involve itself in the Syrian crisis has become one of the most controversial political subjects in Western political discourse. The Turkish left and the opposition political parties, which couldn't have determined a vision for Turkey's future in the Nov. 1general elections, have pinned their hopes on the prospective Western position toward Turkey. Yet, the rightfulness of Turkey, which has endeavored to manage the crisis in cooperation with her Western allies since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, becomes clearer day by day. The West calls for a strong and stable kind of government for Turkey, while the colonist (müstemleke) intelligentsia, who got angry at Angela Merkel's coming to Turkey, would probably react negatively against the positive approach of the U.S. toward Turkey. As a president of a research institute (GENAR), which is an expert on Turkey's present sociology, we believe that the AK Party will come to power again on Sunday.
The playmaker country in the international arena is still the United States, which leads the Western axis, while Russia as the former leader of the Eastern axis during the Cold War emerges as the next agent. Meanwhile, China has gradually taken to the international stage thanks to her explosive economic growth. In his article written against Samuel Huntington's thesis on the clash of civilizations, Ahmet Davutoğlu argued that only Turkey, as the heir to the Ottoman Empire, has not acquired its former prominence in the international arena, while countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Japan and China have retrieved their historical significance. In this respect, Turkey's struggle to re-acquire its former power induces resistance both in the regional and international arena.
Just like individuals, nations have their own fate. At any moment, the fate of a nation can change and take a certain course. From that moment onwards, no compelling measures, constraints or threats can throw the nation off its track. In the words of Ibn Khaldun, "the history of nations resembles their future just like water resembles water."
During the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) 13-year political dominance, the process of democratization in line with Turkey's candidacy for the membership of the European Union, the extension of liberties in the civil realm, especially those related with freedom of thought and faith, and the completion of various successful investments in the public sphere have all brought about a country that acts actively in her region of influence. Moreover, the predominant perception in the Arab streets was emphasizing that (i) Turkey built a democratic political structure in line with European standards, (ii) the liberties of thought and faith were extended, and (iii) economic growth was sustained. Thus, Turkey as a model served as a trigger for the initiation of the Arab Spring. Such a process of rapid democratization brought the West to a crossroads: the Western states should have been a party either to the moderate Muslims or to the dictators and the terrorists. The Western political mind seems to prefer working with the latter at the expense of the former.
Such a bad decision prevented the Western states from taking a strong stance with the large masses of people in the Syrian civil war, while Barrack Obama's and confusion in the Syrian crisis weakened the United States and the Western alliance against Russia and Iran. Russia's decision to physically involve itself in the Syrian crisis has become one of the most controversial political subjects in Western political discourse. The Turkish left and the opposition political parties, which couldn't have determined a vision for Turkey's future in the Nov. 1general elections, have pinned their hopes on the prospective Western position toward Turkey. Yet, the rightfulness of Turkey, which has endeavored to manage the crisis in cooperation with her Western allies since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, becomes clearer day by day. The West calls for a strong and stable kind of government for Turkey, while the colonist (müstemleke) intelligentsia, who got angry at Angela Merkel's coming to Turkey, would probably react negatively against the positive approach of the U.S. toward Turkey. As a president of a research institute (GENAR), which is an expert on Turkey's present sociology, we believe that the AK Party will come to power again on Sunday.