The latest Transatlantic Trends, a global public opinion survey issued by the German Marshall Fund, reveals some alarming data that are likely to block Turkey’s quest for opening up to the world economically and politically. A question arises if the government will face an even stronger nationalist resistance from society at large in response to its integrationist policies towards the EU in particular and global economy in general as people become seemingly more skeptical about the outside world.
According to the survey, while 40 percent of Turks favor Turkey’s EU membership, only 26 percent anticipate an eventual membership. A majority of Turkish people -- 56 percent -- see the leadership of the EU in world affairs as being undesirable. Only 35 percent view Turkey’s NATO membership as being essential for its security. The overall Turkish attitude towards world nations is rather “cool” and distanced. On a scale starting from 100, Palestinians score the highest with 42, followed by Iran (30), China (28), the EU (26), Russia (21) and the US (11).
These are symptoms of inward-looking, insecure and distrustful minds likely to create an asocial society in the family of nations, which is not only a disturbing factor for an international community but also a risk for an open, democratic society in this country. The distance between isolationist nationalism to an authoritarian society and state is not far.
It seems that the discourse surrounding Turkey being targeted by the outside world, particularly in the last couple of years, has been effective in winning the minds of Turks. With such a mindset we cannot go on with a policy of integration with the EU. The government should start effectively addressing issues that inflame isolationist and nationalist sentiments, which are fertile grounds for a reactionary and xenophobic nationalism. The killings of Father Andrea Santaro in Trabzon, missionaries in Malatya and Hrant Dink in İstanbul took place within such a social and political background. Fanning the flame of xenophobia disguised as nationalism should be stopped.
Firstly all political parties should abandon provoking and promoting a nationalist hysteria. We all remember how political parties’ election campaigns were shaped by an odd rivalry for nationalism. Each tried senselessly to prove that the “most nationalist” was theirs. In Turkey’s entire history we have never had an election period like the one we recently witnessed -- in which the flag of political parties was overshadowed by the national flag as a symbol of nationalism superimposed on all political parties.
Opposition parties like the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) based their election campaigns on their attempts to prove that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), was soft on Turkey’s national interests. He was accused of selling Turkey out because of privatization policies and the selling of properties to the foreign nationals. The government was also accused of selling out Cyprus for its policies of supporting a settlement in Cyprus, of being subordinate to the demands of the EU and the US. Erdoğan was also accused of protecting Massoud Barzani as he refrained from invading northern Iraq.
We also recall how the opposition’s strong language forced the AK Party to respond by trying hard to prove that it too is a nationalist party. Both Erdoğan and Abdullah Gül referred to their nationalist credentials in the past to escape from the opposition’s accusations. Moreover, the AK Party hardly mentioned its EU performance during its election campaign in an attempt to avoid the accusation of having sold Turkey out to the EU. The AK Party’s İstanbul meeting, where around 1 million supporters gathered, was dominated by Turkish flags instead of party flags. The AK Party, too, was taken hostage by the nationalist upsurge.
But this cannot go on. Unless the surge in nationalism is brought under control, no political party can rule this country in a way to build a free and prosperous future. After the elections, many expect a new process of normalization which can only come through reducing the nationalist hysteria in people’s attitude and behavior.
The government is equipped to” tame” nationalism, which is a ticking bomb in its hands, too. Given the presence of nationalist elements within the AK Party and the nationalist credentials of its leader, Erdoğan, it is capable of doing so in the period ahead. Instead of conceding the nationalist fever as a constraint, the AK Party should pursue policies of “rehabilitation” for the growing nationalism in Turkey. This is an issue prone to be manipulated by the statist, elitist and anti-globalization groups in the face of attempts to introduce further economic and political reforms.
Unless we put the genie of nationalism back into the bottle, we will sink into a self-destructive isolationism or irredentism.
10.09.2007
According to the survey, while 40 percent of Turks favor Turkey’s EU membership, only 26 percent anticipate an eventual membership. A majority of Turkish people -- 56 percent -- see the leadership of the EU in world affairs as being undesirable. Only 35 percent view Turkey’s NATO membership as being essential for its security. The overall Turkish attitude towards world nations is rather “cool” and distanced. On a scale starting from 100, Palestinians score the highest with 42, followed by Iran (30), China (28), the EU (26), Russia (21) and the US (11).
These are symptoms of inward-looking, insecure and distrustful minds likely to create an asocial society in the family of nations, which is not only a disturbing factor for an international community but also a risk for an open, democratic society in this country. The distance between isolationist nationalism to an authoritarian society and state is not far.
It seems that the discourse surrounding Turkey being targeted by the outside world, particularly in the last couple of years, has been effective in winning the minds of Turks. With such a mindset we cannot go on with a policy of integration with the EU. The government should start effectively addressing issues that inflame isolationist and nationalist sentiments, which are fertile grounds for a reactionary and xenophobic nationalism. The killings of Father Andrea Santaro in Trabzon, missionaries in Malatya and Hrant Dink in İstanbul took place within such a social and political background. Fanning the flame of xenophobia disguised as nationalism should be stopped.
Firstly all political parties should abandon provoking and promoting a nationalist hysteria. We all remember how political parties’ election campaigns were shaped by an odd rivalry for nationalism. Each tried senselessly to prove that the “most nationalist” was theirs. In Turkey’s entire history we have never had an election period like the one we recently witnessed -- in which the flag of political parties was overshadowed by the national flag as a symbol of nationalism superimposed on all political parties.
Opposition parties like the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) based their election campaigns on their attempts to prove that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), was soft on Turkey’s national interests. He was accused of selling Turkey out because of privatization policies and the selling of properties to the foreign nationals. The government was also accused of selling out Cyprus for its policies of supporting a settlement in Cyprus, of being subordinate to the demands of the EU and the US. Erdoğan was also accused of protecting Massoud Barzani as he refrained from invading northern Iraq.
We also recall how the opposition’s strong language forced the AK Party to respond by trying hard to prove that it too is a nationalist party. Both Erdoğan and Abdullah Gül referred to their nationalist credentials in the past to escape from the opposition’s accusations. Moreover, the AK Party hardly mentioned its EU performance during its election campaign in an attempt to avoid the accusation of having sold Turkey out to the EU. The AK Party’s İstanbul meeting, where around 1 million supporters gathered, was dominated by Turkish flags instead of party flags. The AK Party, too, was taken hostage by the nationalist upsurge.
But this cannot go on. Unless the surge in nationalism is brought under control, no political party can rule this country in a way to build a free and prosperous future. After the elections, many expect a new process of normalization which can only come through reducing the nationalist hysteria in people’s attitude and behavior.
The government is equipped to” tame” nationalism, which is a ticking bomb in its hands, too. Given the presence of nationalist elements within the AK Party and the nationalist credentials of its leader, Erdoğan, it is capable of doing so in the period ahead. Instead of conceding the nationalist fever as a constraint, the AK Party should pursue policies of “rehabilitation” for the growing nationalism in Turkey. This is an issue prone to be manipulated by the statist, elitist and anti-globalization groups in the face of attempts to introduce further economic and political reforms.
Unless we put the genie of nationalism back into the bottle, we will sink into a self-destructive isolationism or irredentism.
10.09.2007
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