Daily Sabah – May 31, 2023
Turkish presidential elections and Western misperception
By Muhittin Ataman
Türkiye has completed yet another election process without a serious problem. The runoff elections were held on May 28. Some 85% of Turkish constituents went to the polling stations and cast their votes for two candidates, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the candidate of the People’s Alliance and his opponent, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as the candidate of the opposition Nation Alliance.
President Erdoğan has received 52.18% of the vote, while his rival Kılıçdaroğlu received 47.82%. Thus, President Erdoğan has won over 10 elections – including presidential elections, parliamentarian elections, local elections and referendums – that he entered since 2002. This is a record-high number in the history of modern Türkiye, which made Erdoğan the longest-serving statesman in the history of the Turkish Republic.
In spite of this outstanding record of free and fair Turkish elections, the Western world still belittles the results of the Turkish elections. Most of the Western political actors, intellectuals and media insistently continue to call President Erdoğan an "authoritarian leader" or a "dictator." Unfortunately, this widely shared misperception has been shaping their policies toward Türkiye. Before almost all elections, the effective Western actors have been mobilizing their support for the opposition of Erdoğan, irrespective of whoever they are.
For the last several months, almost all leading Western media outlets have covered the Turkish elections. Some of these platforms consider the Turkish elections as the most important election of the year 2023 in the world and they have heavily invested in the elections in order to secure the election of Erdoğan’s rival. Almost all headlines of infamous Western media platforms directly targeted President Erdoğan and his government. Nevertheless, the Turkish people have given unforgettable lessons to the Western actors and President Erdoğan has won a landslide victory after each election.
Western bias
The incorrigible West, who believe in Middle Eastern exceptionalism and have an Orientalist understanding toward Türkiye, neither take any lesson from their past mistakes nor do they want any Muslim country to experience a consolidated democracy. In principle, the West does not recognize any result of the elections won by politicians who prioritizes the political independence of their country or by any anti-Western politician. Since President Erdoğan has been asking the West to have a relationship based on equal partnership, the West tries to overthrow him.
For instance, the West did not condemn the failed military coup attempt of July 15, 2016, against the elected government of Türkiye. They went further, most Western governments have been hosting and protecting the putschists since then. Ironically, they even provided any kind of assistance to violent non-state actors that are recognized as terrorist organizations by Western governments. Therefore, the Western support of any anti-Erdoğan political and societal actor is not a surprise. Since President Erdoğan does not meet their expectations and does not accept a dependent and hierarchical relationship with the West, Western political actors rebegin their anti-Erdoğan campaign before every election.
Considering that this is the first time Western leaders have acted so quickly to congratulate Erdoğan, it seems that they have gotten tired of their misguided policies, mainly shaped by anti-Turkish think-tankers and academicians. Since staunch secularist academicians, elitist intellectuals and fugitive members of anti-Türkiye terrorist organizations will continue to shape the anti-Türkiye perception in the West, the Western governments will continue to follow antagonistic policies toward Ankara.
However, Western political actors should not forget that these anti-Türkiye policies are all counterproductive. As a result of the otherization of Türkiye by the West, Türkiye will accordingly reorient its foreign policy and improve its relations with non-Western countries. In other words, the future of Turkish-Western relations largely depends on their perspective of Türkiye and on their relations with anti-Türkiye terrorist organizations.
Sooner or later, Western leaders and governments will recognize the importance of Türkiye and the meaning of the leadership of Erdoğan, who built his political career on popular votes and the national will. As many leaders in the world also accept, President Erdoğan’s strong leadership is not directed against any country, but for the benefit of his country. This is why, one of the main slogans of President Erdoğan is the development of native and national ("yerli ve milli" in Turkish) perspective, which is also misinterpreted in the West as political nationalism. His ultimate target is the development of an Ankara-centered outlook. The Western political actors will also come to the point of recognizing President Erdoğan as an effective player in international politics representing a rising Türkiye. Let’s see what time will tell.
Muhittin Ataman is Director of Foreign Policy Studies at SETA Foundation. He is a professor in the Department of International Relations at Social Sciences University of Ankara. Ataman is also the Editor-in-Chief of Insight Turkey.
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/columns/turkish-presidential-elections-and-western-misperception
‘Erdoğan to free foreign policy for post-election Türkiye’
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be pursuing an independent foreign policy in the coming term, according to James Jeffrey, former U.S. special envoy to the global coalition against Daesh, citing Türkiye's size and capabilities as the basis for the "rational" decision.
Speaking at a panel by the Atlantic Council to discuss Turkish-American relations and Turkish foreign policy in the post-election period, Jeffrey, who is also a former envoy to Ankara, said there is a chance to improve ties between the U.S. and Türkiye, which he said are not "at a low point."
Relations between U.S. President Joe Biden and Erdoğan were at a relatively low point over the last year, Jeffrey recalled but added that Biden "went a long way toward fixing that with his call on Monday" to congratulate Erdoğan on his election victory.
The two leaders agreed to further enhance their relations in a phone call earlier this week after Erdoğan clinched a win in a historic runoff vote on Sunday and rolled up his sleeves to reshape existing policies.
Türkiye-U.S. relations have been strained in recent years because of the latter's cooperation with the PKK terrorist group's Syrian offshoot YPG, its stance toward the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), sanctions against Türkiye over its purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system, Türkiye’s removal from the F-36 program, and the long delays in the deal for F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits.
Erdoğan’s working relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has also many times drawn Washington’s criticism despite Turkish mediation yielding a prisoner swap as well as a vital deal that has allowed Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger during the ongoing Russian invasion.
Jeffry argued that other than the U.S. and Britain, no NATO country has done more to make Russia's campaign in Ukraine difficult than Türkiye.
Referring to claims that Türkiye is nearing approval of Sweden's NATO membership, Jeffrey said he does not have any idea what Erdoğan will do this week and dismissed the rumors as mere allegations with no substantial basis.
With Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections concluded and the next annual NATO summit in sight, the issue of Sweden’s accession to the security bloc has resurfaced on Ankara’s agenda this week as Washington urged Türkiye once again to approve the Nordic nation’s bid.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed there was no link between Stockholm's bid and Ankara's F-16 upgrades but President Joe Biden implicitly linked the two issues in his phone call with Erdoğan.
“I spoke to Erdoğan and he still wants to work on something on the F-16s. I told him we wanted a deal with Sweden. So let’s get that done," Biden said.
Fresh from the weekend, Erdoğan may be willing to ease his objections to Sweden’s membership. Ankara accuses Sweden of not responding to its security concerns regarding terrorist groups, and a series of Quran-burning protests in Stockholm — making his tough stance even more popular.
A bill tightening Sweden’s counterterrorism laws, an attempt by Stockholm to address Türkiye's security concerns, enters into force today.
Jeffrey further noted that throughout Erdoğan's tenure, he fostered strong ties with the West, particularly from 2009 to 2010. He highlighted that Erdoğan displayed a readiness to reach a deal on Cyprus and implemented reforms to facilitate EU accession. But the Greek rejection of the Annan Plan on Cyprus and opposition from certain EU member states hindered Türkiye's membership prospects.
The ethnically divided island of Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. A Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power in 1974 to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence and the TRNC was founded in 1983 as a result.
It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom.
Tensions with Greece over the island and many others across the Aegean are among a variety of issues, including Türkiye’s role in Syria and the migrant crisis, that have soured Türkiye-EU relations. Ankara’s displeasure with the bloc has also grown in the meantime over the widespread toleration of terrorists and their supporters across many European countries.
Expressing that Erdoğan's efforts have not been rewarded, Jeffrey said: "So he's going to operate independently and this is a rational decision given not only their size and capabilities, it's also reasonable from the standpoint of their experiences."
Turning to tensions between Greece and Türkiye, Jeffrey said an obsession with Türkiye is "one of the main abiding parts of Greek foreign policy."
"Whereas whatever the animosities and irritations might be, Turks aren't obsessed with Greece ... they just have too many bigger problems," said the former ambassador.
The rival nations held national elections a week apart in late May and the Aegean crisis with Türkiye has been a top campaign item for Greek parties gunning for Parliament. But relations have warmed significantly in recent months after Greece’s rapid assistance in the wake of twin earthquakes that shook southern Türkiye in early February. Both Erdoğan and Greek premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed hope for a “fresh start” between their countries after the elections.
Jeffrey also emphasized the importance for the U.S. administration to carefully consider relations with the YPG/PKK terror organization in Syria, which is designated as a terrorist organization in the U.S., Türkiye and the European Union. Its bloody insurgency left over 40,000 people dead in the past four decades.
Despite Türkiye’s security concerns, the U.S. has provided military training and given truckloads of military support to the YPG under the pretext of fighting Daesh.
Arguing that one cannot support one terrorist group to defeat another, Türkiye has been conducting its own counterterrorism operations throughout northern Syria and Iraq, much to the dismay of its Western allies.
'Erdoğan's victory in Turkish vote will flourish ties with Arab world'
Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye boosted its ties with Arab countries. Experts say his re-election on Sunday will further advance Turkish-Arab relations to greater horizons.
Erdoğan won last Sunday’s runoff vote with 52.16%. “Prior to the Turkish elections, there was a path of normalization between Türkiye and Arab countries,” Ali Bakir, a professor of international relations at the Ibn Khaldun Center at Qatar University, told Anadolu Agency (AA). Bakir stated that the Turkish-Arab Gulf relations “will witness a focus on investment aspects and cooperation in military and defense sectors, in addition to tourism and energy.” He further said Turkish-Egyptian relations “will witness a higher level of normalization.” “In addition to bilateral relations and trade and investment exchange, efforts will focus on the eastern Mediterranean and possible border demarcation, in addition to the Libyan crisis,” Bakir added.
“Relations with Libya continue with the same momentum. Turkish-Algerian relations may intensify in focusing on economic ties, the energy sector and investment, while the focus will be on trade and defense with Morocco,” he stated. The Turkish side will seek to calm the situation in the Palestinian territories in the event of an Israeli escalation, in addition to talks with Tel Aviv on the possibility of establishing a gas pipeline from Israel to Europe through Cyprus and Türkiye, as per Bakir. On Syria, he said, “I do not think that the Turkish president will meet the head of the Syrian regime any time soon.” “I think Bashar Assad will be given the choice of achieving progress on three issues: Fighting terrorism, ensuring the safe return of refugees, achieving progress in the political process, or a military operation otherwise,” he added. According to the researcher, the focus will be on cooperation between Türkiye, the Arab countries and the international community about financing the construction of cities to accommodate refugees in the liberated areas of Syria. He said, “Turkish-Qatari relations will witness more alliances in the coming period.”
Taha Odeh Oglu, a researcher on Turkish affairs, said the next stage would witness “a new policy for Türkiye with Arab countries.” “The Turkish economy requires forging good ties with a large number of Muslim and Gulf countries in particular,” Oglu told AA. “We noticed that the Turkish-Saudi relationship has reached an advanced stage, and there is information that President Erdoğan will visit Saudi Arabia after this victory,” he added. In addition, Oglu noted that “last March, Riyadh deposited $5 billion in favor of the Turkish Central Bank, which strengthened the confidence of foreign investors in Türkiye.” He also referred to the comprehensive economic partnership agreement signed by the UAE with Türkiye last March, explaining that “Turkish-Emirati ties have reached an advanced stage through agreements.”
In Oglu’s opinion, the next stage will witness a development in the Turkish-Egyptian rapprochement, adding that “the two countries are very important in the Middle East.”
“We expect Turkish-Arab initiatives to find a solution to thorny problems in the region, starting with the situation in Syria, and developments in Sudan, Libya, and Iraq, all of which are at the forefront and priorities of the new government,” Oglu noted.
“Türkiye will move toward warmer relations with the Gulf states and Egypt, given the common economic interests,” Egyptian writer Yasser Abdel Aziz told AA. Abdel Aziz added, “The development of Ankara and Cairo’s relations opens up great prospects for both parties.” “President Erdoğan’s words were clear that the return would be safe and dignified. This position is motivated by the atmosphere of Syria’s return to the Arab League and its participation in the Jeddah summit on May 19,” he stated. The Egyptian writer further said that Turkish-Saudi relations “will witness more cooperation in the coming period, especially in terms of investments.” He highlighted “the importance of Gulf countries standing by Türkiye in the aftermath of devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes.”
Far-right Wilders tells Turks to 'pack bags' for voting for Erdoğan
Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, known for his anti-migrant and Islamophobic stance, urged Turks living in the Netherlands who voted for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to leave the country after Sunday’s elections.
“I hope that all Turks in the Netherlands who voted for the Islamofascist Erdogan will pack their bags and move to Turkey. Byeiii!” Wilders said.
He also claimed that Turkish people in Türkiye were “disappointed” that citizens living abroad impacted election results.
President Erdoğan received 70.59% of the votes cast in the Netherlands, while his contender Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu received 29.41%.
There were 292,888 Turkish nationals eligible to vote in the country and 54.9% of these voters participated in the elections.
Throughout his political career, Wilders has proven himself to be racist through his numerous abhorrent anti-Islamic comments.
Wilders frequently targets Erdoğan and exploits anti-Türkiye rhetoric as part of his domestic policy.
Wilders, the leader of the Dutch anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV), lost four seats in the European Parliament election in May 2019, in which the Social Democrat Party emerged as the surprise winner.
Throughout his political career, Wilders has proven himself to be a racist through his numerous abhorrent anti-Islam comments.
In 2019, Wilders canceled a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest that sparked protests in Pakistan.
The outspoken anti-Islam party leader said he decided to “let the contest go” following death threats and concerns other people could be put at risk.
Wilders added that his fight against Islam would continue and no threat could stop him.
In the event, scheduled for November, Wilders planned to display caricatures of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad at the tightly guarded offices of his Party for Freedom in the Dutch parliament building. He said he received “hundreds” of entries.
The Dutch politician was also fined 5,000 euros ($5,400) in 2016 on charges of hate speech and discrimination.
He faced charges of discrimination and inciting racial hatred at a rally in 2014, where he led supporters in chanting that they wanted fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands.
|
Published since July 2008 |
Your donation
is tax deductable.
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
