Each and every day there is another chapter in the deplorable saga of Europe's surrender to the kingdom of fear. The continent's inexorable shift to the far right rears its head by treating every individual and group not professing to the same religion, language, ethnicity or even social strata as the "other."The smoldering anger in European societies toward their leaders, having merged with extremist sentiments directed at refugees, legal aliens and even neighbors, is creating a toxic environment. Some argue that the escalating hate-filled diatribes by the new generation of populist politicians are just efforts to tap into the already present racist tendencies of the European public, which had lain dormant in the past few decades because of the European ideal of integration and multiculturalism. It was precisely this ideal aimed to transcend the inter-racial disputes that caused the deadly World War II, the principle victim of the turmoil with which Europe is now grappling.THE ART OF LIVINGDiscourse like "freedom through integration," "multiculturalism" or "living together" are curbed in favor of an environment that allowed united Europe's "original sin" to take place in the first place.Unfortunately, we are no longer capable of answering famous sociologist Richard Sennett's question: "How can we live together, equal but different?"We can blame arrogance or even ignorance for Europe's surrender to racism and selfishness toward refugees. We may say that the current hate-filled rhetoric dominating the European narrative may be due to the fear of an as yet undefined and presently unchallengable move to a united Europe, which has sparked hostility to a degree that can only be satiated by a return to the intolerant but for many, familiar past where being a German or Dutch meant more than what being a European does now.This creeping racism and fascism, especially when it comes to attacks against Turkey, triggers nothing but a weak retort from European liberals, who have been left flabbergasted by the sudden shift to cheap right-wing populism among Europe's mainstream parties.THE NEW UNTERMENSCHIn his book "Inventing Europe," Gerard Delanty characterized Europe's identity as something based on either the rejection or denial of the Oriental identity. It was this denial that manifested itself through attacks on the Jewish community in the 1930s. The new "untermensch" are the Muslim students at universities, migrants all over Europe and Islam in Europe in all its forms.Untermensch, I believe, is not a matter of kind but a matter of difference. Targeting any one or group defined as "the other" may be the only remaining survival strategy in European politics, which currently faces a perfect storm of economic, social and cultural crises.As demonstrated by the recent tension between Turkey and the Netherlands, it took only the threat of losing office to transform a so-called mainstream politician into a raving anti-Turkish bigot for whom cultural, commercial and political ties with Turkey counted for nothing. The behavior behind this kind of conduct not only evokes fascism but also lack of moral and ethical values. Dehumanization is exactly how Europe deals with the other, producing stereotypes before devaluing everything it stands for. By disparaging it as the monster and defining self as the only thing standing between an idealized past and oblivion, European politicians are playing a dangerous short-term game for their narrow interests to the detriment of the long-term survival of their liberal societies.The way President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been portrayed in the western media for the past few years is just one of the recent products of the "evil industry" of western societies. It is the "evil" that makes our lives easier, defines our position within our society and allows us to treat "the enemy" in a way we see fit. However gratifying this demonization is to those who feed this fire, attacking Muslims and mosques, criminalizing the hijab, banning Daily Sabah from the European Parliament, turning citizens with different background or religions into political fodder and imposing arbitrary travel measures will only show their innate vulnerabilities and the general societal descent into decadence.Muslims are branded aliens who threaten European values and whatever interests Europeans momentarily prize. If the only way to enshrine these values and protect European democracy is to demonize a group, then the European ideal is established on a more flimsy base than I thought.The biggest risk of surrendering to fear and demonization is the corruption of what is perceived as normal into an abnormal reality and concerns. Without any particular threat or crisis, ordinary people suddenly may start seeing illusory dangers and take action against groups they view as responsible. This is just the first step in a descent into darkness.Scapegoating a group within a society is the best way for populists to capitalize on public frustrations and climb the political ladder. By confusing ordinary people and exploiting their fears, those usually seen as the defenders of democracy and freedom can be transformed into far-right recruits.THE TARGET OF POPULISMErdoğan has recently become the embodiment of the Muslim, the Turk, the Oriental, the stranger. Turks have become the scapegoat for many a populist. Earlier this month in Switzerland, Turks and Erdoğan were portrayed as ugly, fez-wearing mustachioed horrifying figures in a float.Erdoğan, as the leader of Turkey, has been a vocal critic of European policies toward refugees and the EU's attitude toward Turkey's membership process. As a highly visible and popular Muslim leader, he is an easy target to blemish by European newspapers, magazines and social media. This is especially true when it comes to small European countries with indifferent leaders, whose electorate may know more about Erdoğan than many of their own politicians. As he is transformed into a virtual personification of the other by the media in the eyes of the European public, it becomes easier to legitimize police violence toward Turks in Rotterdam waving Erdoğan posters and the forced deportation of a female minister, as happened a few weeks ago.The wall-to-wall hate and populist ambition are just a premonition of worse things to come. Marginal becomes the new mainstream, a violent vicious circle takes over and suddenly we are faced with the wide-held opinion that the other is Muslim, a Muslim is a terrorist, we kill terrorists, and so we must kill Muslims.The tipping point is not too far. Once that is reached, it will be too late for all of us.At the tipping point of this process people generally have no other solution but to desperately destroy enemy slogans. That will be too late for all of us.Let no one be in any doubt that if Europe descends into darkness, Turkey will not be able to escape unharmed.