TURKEY’S RETURN TO GLORY
by Marc Gopin
Today’s Zaman
March 18 2009
Turkey
For reasons of history, culture and geography, there is a surprising
opportunity for Turkey to assume a position of central global
leadership in the 21st century and thereby further all of its
legitimate national interests.
This is shocking considering the fact that the West and the Arab
world often associate the Ottoman Empire with a case study in
long-term decay. But it turns out that Ottoman history is replete
with extraordinary cultural wealth that is perfect for this moment
of history, especially when it comes to the nonviolent diplomatic
engagement of multiple civilizations and religions.
This is exactly what the world needs right now. Turkey is where the
West and the East must meet, this is where Islam must engage and be
engaged, this is where Jews must reconcile with Muslims, and this is
where Arabs, Muslims, Jews and Christians must find a new basis for
an international social contract between them.
The current divisions are clear, regarding Israel, Palestine and Hamas,
for example. It is also clear that Turkey is shifting its traditional
role as a non-Arab military power in the region. The prime minister
has clearly shifted gears in terms of standing up to Israel’s conduct
of its war in Gaza, as well as demonstrating a clear willingness
to engage Syria, Hamas and Iran, essentially those who the powerful
neoconservatives in Washington labeled "the axis of evil." This is
a bold and difficult move, but if it is framed in the right way it
may place Turkey at the cutting edge of diplomatic practice in the
21st century.
In order for Turkey to resume its historic role as a successful weaver
of civilizations and religions it will need to perfect its skills
of international diplomacy. The nexus at which Turkey is situated is
fraught with difficulty, but also with immense opportunity. The West,
Israel and the Arab world are in a place of extreme tension with
Iran. The West and at least significant portions of the Arab world
are in tension and division with Hamas. The West, Israel and Europe
are in a significant — though more muted — place of tension with
Islamic civilization. Most importantly, much of the world is in great
tension with Israeli policies. Turkey has the potential to positively
impact all these fronts.
The key to all Turkish engagement must be what I would refer to as
‘positive diplomacy.’ Positive diplomacy focuses on opportunities
rather than problems, on relationships rather than controversies and
on encouragement rather than criticism. Turkey is to be applauded for
roundly criticizing Israel’s use of excessive force in Gaza because
the humanitarian circumstances of the war were extreme. But now it
is time to turn the message in a positive direction.
Most importantly, in order to not be blackmailed in Washington by
reactionary lobbies that do not want to see peaceful progress in the
Middle East, Turkey must jettison old forms of diplomacy that focused
narrowly on defense of Turkish pride, especially regarding Armenia
and the tragic violence at the beginning of the 20th century.
An integrated set of aggressive strategies is called for. These
include: First, a very public engagement and reconciliation with
Armenia that is accompanied by significant gestures to Armenian
citizens, including possibly official welcoming ceremonies to visit
Turkey, commemoration of past life in Turkey and also shared mourning
of loss of life; second, an embrace of human needs in Azerbaijan, and
a commitment to help Azerbaijan develop a more successful negotiation
with Armenia in the future; third, an embrace of Jews, Judaism and
Israelis that is very public and builds on past relations but that is
combined with a strong embrace of Palestinians and very public efforts
to negotiate with Hamas on the foundations of a long-term treaty with
Israel; and fourth, an ongoing engagement with Syria and Iran as to
the conditions of their engagement with Israel and with the Arab world.
The most important point is that Turkey needs to escape the
straitjacket of old defensive diplomacy in Washington that held them
hostage to the Armenian issue, and instead reclaim their historical,
geopolitical and cultural nobility as a bridge of civilizations,
continents and religions. This is where the very progressive Islam
that is guiding many Turkish citizens today can be a paradigm of
enlightenment and democracy that will put the lie to the reactionary
Western — and extreme Arab — perceptions of Islamic civilization as
violent. Secondly, freed from pressure in Washington by aggressively
pursuing a new relationship with Armenians, Turkish leadership will
be able to positively engage Jews on their own terms, as they did
for centuries, while at the same time calling upon them to engage
all Palestinians with dignity, respect and generosity. Turkey is a
country that can officially and openly invite hundreds of Israeli
professionals and spiritual and cultural leaders to engage in a new
relationship with Palestinians on Turkish soil as equals, to engage
Muslims, to engage Gazans, to engage Hamas. This could be revolutionary
for conflict resolution in Israel and Palestine.
A clever politics can also be a visionary politics. US President Barack
Obama has pioneered a politics that combines vision and pragmatism,
realism and hope. Turkey can do the same through the venue of its
new/old model of enlightened Islamic civilization. Mevlana Jelaluddin
Rumi, for example, is one of the most popular poets in the world
today, and Sufis are the pioneers everywhere I go in the Arab Middle
East where there are bold young peacemakers. This is the age of Rumi,
this is the age of the Sufi visionaries and peacemakers.
If this path is pursued with humility and without arrogance, I
am convinced that even the most conservative elements in the Arab
world will be challenged and even enticed. No one in the Gulf wants
the shadow of Osama Bin Laden to haunt the Arab and Muslim worlds
forever. The poison has spread broadly to Central Asia, and everyone
fears that this is threatening the fabric of the Muslim social order,
while it simultaneously emboldens intolerance of Islamic civilization
in the West. We need bold leadership in the Muslim world, we need
bold partners to prod with great confidence Israel and its enemies
to earnestly pursue a final settlement. No one is situated better
than Turkey, and no one will be more grateful than President Obama,
the most powerful leader in the world today. Turkey needs to bury its
ghosts of the 20th century so that the 21st century will see its return
to international glory. The time has come for an Ottoman-inspired
enlightenment.
*Dr. Marc Gopin is the author of and director of
the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at
George Mason University.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
