Today’s Zaman, Turkey
July 11 2008

Resilience tested

by NICOLE POPE

The punches keep coming, fast and furious. The lethal attack that
killed three young policemen, as well as three of the assailants, in
front the US Consulate General in ?Ä?°stanbul on Wednesday has created
further confusion in an already highly charged domestic atmosphere.
Turkey is reeling from this latest blow.
In the coming days, more details should emerge that will shed some
light on the motive behind the attack, its timing and the unlikely
choice of target, the impenetrable, fortress-like consulate building
in Yenik?Ã?¶y. The attackers killed police officers, but it seems they
never really stood a chance of entering the complex or damage it.

Violence, particularly at this delicate moment when the ruling party
is threatened with closure and the Ergenekon investigation suggests
that men trusted to defend the country were in fact plotting to
destabilize it, can foster a sense of cynicism or simply
fatalism. "This is it. We have really become a Middle Eastern country,
jumping from one crisis to the next," a Turkish friend lamented when
she heard the news of the bloody attack.

The remarkable resilience that Turks have always displayed in the face
of difficulties, whether faced with coups, earthquakes, financial
meltdown or political crises, has in the past been a double-edged
sword. Thanks to its ability to rebound rapidly, Turkey recovered from
devastating events much faster than anticipated. On the other hand,
the determination to return to "business as usual" even in the worst
of circumstances has also allowed the country to muddle along, never
touching bottom, without ever addressing some of its deeper
issues. Resilience should not become an acceptance that violent events
and endless turmoil are an inescapable part of daily life.

It is too early to tell if the Yenik?Ã?¶y attack is in any way linked to
the ongoing internal battle or if it is, as early police statements
suggest, an al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist attack similar to those that
have caused havoc in recent years in Turkey and other countries.
Although the attack feeds into a sense of helplessness that many feel
these days, it should not mask more hopeful developments that are
taking place in this country.

What is already clear is that Turks are more attuned to manipulation
attempts than ever in the past, and are no longer prepared to take
everything at face value. The debates and the soul-searching that have
been generated by recent events may have fueled polarization in the
society, but they are also forcing it to address some unpleasant
realities. The apparent impasse carries the potential for change.

Positive developments in the international arena too, if properly
assessed, could make a productive contribution to this process. Take
for instance, the invitation extended by Armenia to President Abdullah
G?Ã?¼l to attend a football match in Yerevan in September and President
Serzh Sarksyan’s stated wish to build ties with the Turkish government
and secure the opening of the border. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdo?Ä?an’s visit to Baghdad could also tip the balance in favor of
a constructive dialogue between Ankara and the Iraqi Kurds. And last
but certainly not least, the rapprochement between the Cypriot leaders
could positively affect one of the more contentious issues in Turkey’s
European Union relations.

One cannot talk of silver lining when turmoil involves loss of life,
but crises do bring new openings. Eradicating terrorist attacks
entirely is not realistic, but reducing their impact is possible. The
stakes are high in the ongoing struggle: If Turkey succeeds in
building a more open and inclusive political framework, it could break
a long cycle of instability and prevent violence from being used to
fuel existing tensions.