Turkey After the Elections: Bloggers See a Bright Future
The main focus of discussions following the Turkish elections has been on the continuing rift between the secularists and pious Muslims; an issue which might become even more contentious in the upcoming presidential elections. Currently, important foreign policy issues include Turkey’s relations with the EU and the US, as well as the danger of a potential military intervention in Northern Iraq.
With regard to the Turkish-European relations, Assistant Professor Dimitris Tsarouhas of the Social Europe Blog points out that the AKP has gained the support of even many staunch secularists and argues that its leadership towards increased prosperity and EU accession has incited the change: “Many “European Turks”, well-off, educated and secular, are thus torn: their brain points to AKP, embracing its goals and programme; their heart rejects it.”
However, there are also voices that complain about the slow progress of EU negotiations and feel that Turkey is not receiving proper treatment by European actors. Talk Turkey , a blog by a Californian with Turkish roots, suggests that the AKP should use its strong mandate to push the EU. As part of its 10-point post-election program, Talk Turkey suggests that the AKP, “Unilaterally cancel all talks with the EU. Give them 30 days to offer Turkey an ‘acceptance’ letter as a full and equal member, or threaten to withdraw from the EU membership. Have them chase after Turkey in a few years.”
The Discovery Blog highlights the AKPs strong women’s rights record and argues that, although the AKP has tried to bring the headscarf back to the public sphere, they are the ones fighting for women’s rights and against honour killings, not the secularist parties. The blog also argues that the AKP is a better partner for the US in terms of cooperation on Iraq, as it is the “more cautious one about the border problems while the secularists are the more bellicose”.
A different argument on Northern Iraq can be found at the Obsidian Wings, which assumes that Erdoĝan could agree to an invasion to keep the army satisfied. Additionally, these US bloggers point to an interesting aspect of the issue of religion: “[T]he fact that women in the US can wear headscarves in government offices no more makes us an Islamic country than our similar freedom to wear crosses or yarmulkes makes us a Christian or Jewish country.” In conclusion, the EU and the US “should be absolutely thrilled that a moderate, democratic, pro-civil liberties Islamist party has emerged in the Middle East” and “that we had (as far as I know) nothing whatsoever to do with its rise.”
The German Marshall Fund encourages both Europe and the US to engage Turkey by openly stressing the EU’s commitment to Turkish membership and allowing for joint America-Turkish efforts against the PKK. With regard to the latter, the GMF assumes that “the inherent caution and professionalism of the Turkish military may also work against any large-scale action across the border”. Despite the still valid ambitions of Abdullah Gül, they expect a moderate, technocratic candidate to become Turkey’s next president.
There is also some blunt criticism in the Blogosphere, mainly targeting the AKP’s roots in political Islam ( Joshua Pundit ) or predicting that a AKP led government is a step further into religious leadership that will hinder Turkey’s relations with the West and deteriorate the role of women ( Jawa Report ).
Tobias Bock is a staff writer at the Atlantic Community and has written his bachelor thesis on “Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi (AKP) and political Islam in Turkey” (2006).
