Troubles of Turkey: the curse of history and geography
- By Sumantra Maitra
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E-mail China.org.cn, October 13, 2015
The history of the area changed subsequently during the Crimean war, which was essentially one of the wars which shaped the modern world that we have inherited. Initially dubbed a clash between two competing crusader empires, the Islamic Ottomans and Orthodox Tsarist Russia, it was carefully exploited by the French and British. It was during those days that the French and British realized that they not only needed to weaken Russia, their biggest perceivable threat from the East, they also needed to weaken the Ottomans by instigating rebellions in the Arab lands.
The resulting fragmentation is what we see today, formalized by the Sykes-Picot agreement. The French and British acted like any other Colonial powers of the day. However, as a result, there began a permanent division of secular forces. One inspired by the Renaissance and Industrial Revolution and heralded by the educated Westernized elites, and the other being the grassroots movement, which stayed conservative, disorganized, divided and rebellious.
Turkey itself underwent changes under Kemal Ata Turk, and in the strangest twist the rump of the empire which once considered itself the defender of the Ummah, was transformed into a fiercely secular republic. However, the undercurrents remained, sprouting a cultural identity crisis, whether Turkey is a modern European secular nation, or still the world's foremost Islamic country.
That identity crisis was reflected when AKP first won power. Erdogan went on a policy of de-secularizing the Turkish republic, and allowed more public displays of religion, including headscarves, which were not previously allowed in any public office. It was popular among a certain section of the public, but it also unleashed a previously stifled conservative force, and increased animosity between the left-leaning socialist secular Kurds and Turks. Erdogan also tried to have a "friendly neighbor" policy to all Turkish neighbors, including Syria, Armenia, Egypt and Israel, all of which splendidly failed due to geopolitical forces beyond his control.
Turkey has been torn apart not just by economic strainer by having the largest share of refugees, or by being a constant battle ground between conservative Sunni forces, the Islamic State and the Kurds. It is a country cursed by the geography and history of a region, which has always been pivotal for the world strategies of European powers. It urgently needs to find a way to start a dialogue with the Kurds, while letting go of sectarian divisions and a legacy of bitterness. Only by securing one flank, can Turkey concentrate on dealing with the greater evils of Islamic jihadism and ISIS, which are bleeding the once proud nation dry.
The writer is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:
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