World Trip — Gezi

In fact there are a lot of things to write about on the topic of foreign policy. The United States is finally changing its political strategy toward Syria. Iran experienced a big surprise during its elections. Today a potentially contentious G-8 summit is starting in Ireland. On the other hand, the trouble in Turkey knows no end. Societal polarization has begun to increase quickly in the wake the chaos of Saturday night and the Justice and Development Party meeting on Sunday.

Last week in my column, I tried to explain why the problems in Gezi were important to the world. The situation has not changed. With so much news these days, Turkey has still managed to take an important spot on the world agenda. Why is this? No, there is no need to invent conspiracy theories involving a button being pushed from the outside. Within Turkey there is a social reality taking place before our eyes. Within the section of our society that dislikes the Justice and Development Party, there is a serious amount of anger. It is not necessary to constantly create conspiracy theories while looking at the world around us. Rather than looking for a magic button under everything, it is necessary to behave a little more coolly and to do some logical analysis.

For arguments sake let us say there is a West that is unhappy about Turkey’s success. And let us say America wants to be saved from the Justice and Development Party. Furthermore, for the sake of the argument, there is an Israel ready to do all sorts of harm to Erdogan. Well then, why did Netanyahu apologize to Turkey two months ago? Why would a Washington that wants to topple the Justice and Development Party today put pressure on Israel to make that apology? Was the prime minister [of Turkey] not shown a great deal of respect and interest when Washington hosted him? We ourselves saw and heard the strategic partnership between Erdogan and Obama based on the trust, friendship and shared interests. OK, so now this same America is trying to destroy the Justice and Development Party? Why would the Obama administration, which did not even behave badly toward Turkey in 2010 when it was angry with Turkey about matters related to Israel and Iran, want to drag Turkey into chaos at this juncture, with the relationship between Turkey and the U.S. being so sound?

They do not like us or want us to develop, and they will do anything to weaken us. The West is our enemy, and we are surrounded by foreign powers that want to do us harm. These are sayings that we have all gotten used to hearing. I thought that this type of discourse had decreased a bit in the past 10 years in Turkey thanks to the Justice and Development Party. After all, Turkey was beginning to be seen as a model nation by the West. Turkey was seen as an inspiration during the Arab Spring for democratizing nations in the Islamic world. With Turkey progressing and its confidence growing, I thought that its distrust of the West was decreasing.

I guess I was wrong. I am trying to understand. Why would a growing Turkey, seen as an inspiration for democratizing nations in the Arab world and receiving foreign investment, be a threat to the West? On the contrary, a Turkey with an economy in decline, experiencing fights within, spewing anger and becoming more authoritarian, is a country that will create problems for the West.

Why then is Turkey, its party in power, the opposition, and the general population so prone to come up with conspiracies. In my opinion the short answer is the education system. Starting in primary school and engraved into our brains is the idea that the West is our enemy, and that it fears us and does not want us to get stronger. As long as this crazy education system stays the same, Turkey’s view of itself and the world will not change. If only those who look at the events in Gezi Park as a conspiracy went on a long trip of the world. Maybe they would understand that the world does not revolve around Turkey.