What Turkey is doing: Perceptions to Reality

Being aware of dangerous and utopist sights of any kind of determinism is very important to avoid from “enshrined truths” like progressivism, positivism or rulings based on the rights given by God. There is no “universal rule” shared by all humanity, and it is valid for Turkish community too. Whatever you believe in and which party you are positioning yourself in, everything is based on consensus, even in your family. Moreover, consensus is created by common values –let us say culture, which is framed by the habits, perceptions and reflexes of a society. Looking at history, but more than a few centuries may give a very helpful picture to understand the culture of Turkish society, and what is going on and not.

Turks started to come to Anatolia in 10 and 11th centuries, and Great Seljuq Empire was founded in 1037. In their highest term, they managed an area of 3,900,000 km². Around 1092 all Anatolia was under their management. They collapsed around 1194 after a series of uprisings and wars. Seljuk Sultanate of Rum followed them until 1307 in an area about 400,000 km². They first started to split into small beyliks, then became vassal of Mongols, and finally collapsed. Although there were different Shiite societies under their management both dynasty was Sunni, and recognized by Abbasid Caliphs especially because of their resistance to Crusaders and Byzantium. However it should be reminded that the difference between Shiites and Sunnis were not like today. They were relatively nearer to each other. Ottomans were one of these small beyliks. They sprouted in the Western Anatolia, and became one of the biggest powers managing great areas in Europe, Asia and Africa. In their peak term, they were managing an area of around 20,000,000 km². From a total area perspective, they were the biggest 25th empire of all times and around 7% of world population was living in their borders. It may be more interesting to learn that they were the 3rd longest lived empire of all times under a central management with 632 years duration after Byzantine Empire and Holy Roman Empire. The deep separation between Sunnis and Shiites started with competition between Ottomans and Safavids, and after repeal of janissaries in 1826, so ban on Bektashism accelerated the process. After a very long declining term starting with 1699 against to powering Western empires and states with new technologies and development models they formally collapsed in 1922. Finally, we came to modern Turkey founded in 1923, by taking all modern development models of the winner party including nationalism and secularism and statism with deserved cautious and skeptical worldview after huge losses of 200 years and millions of refugees, but also with hopes and as still survivors.

Only after 1897-1898 Ottoman – Russian war 300,000 – 1,500,000 refuges came to Anatolia. The number of the refuges after Turkey – Greece population exchange agreement in 1923 came to Anatolia was 500,000. Nobody knows the total number of the refuges came to Anatolia beginning with Ottomans’ withdrawal from everywhere starting after 1699, but if it Is reminded the total population was around 10,000,000 when Turkey was founded it can be easily said around 40-50% of population came to Turkey with migrations in about 200 years. Are all the refuges were Turks? An easy answer can be found in the agreement of Turkey – Greece exchange agreements. The agreement covered all Muslims (not Turks) in Greece and Orthodox Christians in Turkey. Caucasians, Bosnians, Pomaks, Albanians, Tatars, Muslim Greeks, and Turks came to Turkey. You can also find the refuges from Libya, Algeria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, etc. It is also a clear answer about what happened to slant-eyed Turks after their first entrance into Anatolia.

In the ancient world from medieval era to modern times it can be easily said that there are some leading or powerful or bigger or whatever but influencing societies in the Old World. These were and are Anglo-Saxons, Germens, Russians, Arabs, Iranians, Chinese, Japans, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Indians and additionally Turks, and these terms were not including any strict ethnical reference. All other societies became more or less proxies of them by time. After 13 to 15th centuries some of them became closed or frozen societies because of different reasons like Indians, Arabs and Chinese, some of them were blocked by others like Dutch, Portuguese, Iranians and Latinos, some of them were bloomed like Russians, Japans and Germens, some of them were powered or kept their power like Anglo-Saxons, French, and additionally Turks. After 16th century it was basically a game between Anglo-Saxons, French, Russians, Germens and additionally Turks in Old World. The alliances were generally based on religions and sects. For example, the Orthodox societies in Balkans were the natural alliances of Russians, Protestants of Germens, Catholics of French and Muslims of Turks, of course with different agendas of all societies. By time some of them invented new technologies, mercantilism and colonialism, and used them against to all others. Regardless to ethics and any moral value they became the winners and the others were the losers like Russians to some extent and Ottomans (Turks and so Muslims) totally.

All parties in the Muslim world after First World War followed their own ways or mostly were forced to follow the winners’ road maps. The old networks of losers retreated underground. Most of them became colonies of the winners and gained their independences to some extent in the second half of 20th century with the end of Second World War. The new winners created a new world order under United Nations by giving five countries absolute power as USA, USSR, UK, France and China. This time Japan and Germany were in a big trouble, but they managed to have power again, at least in economy terms. At the same time, Turkey was experiencing a multi-party system at first, coups continuously, and partially free-market. Then USSR collapsed with a lot of problems and dreams like “from Adriatic to China”. Beginning with 80s and 90s all different kind of losers including Germens, Russians, Japans and Chinese started to repair their old networks and create new ones. Turks were a bit slow because of settled doubts and concerns about others including old alliances. Beside this Turkey faced other problems like Kurds, loosing of pivot role in ex bi-polar world and repositioning and uncertain understandings about her ex-Diaspora and ex-alliances in Balkans and Middle East, and new ones in the newborn Turkish states in ex-Soviet lands. By the way, Turkey was and still is the only democracy in the Muslim World as Bernard Lewis claimed.

Finally, Turkey nowadays tries to arouse her ex-network not with military means this time, but with trade, tourism, production, joint ventures and life style, and also struggles with her doubts, concerns, understandings, privileges. It is not easy to predict what will be happened in the future, but in the last 15 years, it became one of the members of G20,18th biggest economy (2012), number 37 most competitive country in the world (12th in G20). Of course it cannot be said everything is perfect and no need to develop anything. Yes, there are a lot issues that Turkey should face, but with a mutual understanding and consensus about what Turkey is doing and should do. All other parties are establishing and regulating their old and new networks. The image of Turks is still not so brilliant in Europe. At the end, all parties know where they belong. Germany is taking back their role in continental Europe via EU, Russia tries to turn back Asia and even Balkans to some extent, and develops or keeps (new) relations with Greek Cyprus and Syria, USA still works on her new world order with UK and lot of failures, France looks for North Africa, China captures Africa. Faith is doubtless in private area and each one has right to believe whatever he prefers. Nobody can force others to obey any rule of faith. However, cultural values are another issue and represent a deep historical consensus to play the game all together.