Ayoon Wa Azan (The new Turkey)

Turkey is living its best days in 80 years. This nation suffered from terrorism for 30 years, but now, Kurdish militants are withdrawing to northern Iraq. Meanwhile, the administration of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) has managed to raise the per capita income from US$3,000 ten years ago, to $11,000 now, and is working to increase it further to $20,000 or more within the decade. Today, I return to Turkey and its policies relying on what I heard from senior figures in the Turkish government, parliament, and think tanks, in a week-long tour between Ankara and Istanbul. I have the following to share with the readers: - A quarter of Turkey’s trade now takes place with neighboring countries. This reflects the desire of the Turkish people to have better relations with the Arab nations. I heard that Turkish trade with the European Union (EU) has declined, meanwhile, and that the EU needs Turkey more than the other way around. - Turkey had voiced its support for the protests in Tunisia, and was the first country to call on former President Hosni Mubarak to step down. Turkey has also been at the heart of the Syrian crisis since 2012. I heard that Turkey supports the uprisings of the Arab Spring, with Turkish officials such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan and others conducting dozens of visits in the past two years to Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. - In the past, as I also heard from the Turkish figures I met, Turkey would go to Washington and coordinate its policy with US policy. But now, Turkish policy is pushing for major engagement with the Arab region, while the ties with the countries of the Arab Gulf have entered a distinguished phase. - Relations with Israel will not improve to their previous level until the occupation ends. - Turkey will do its best to resolve the Kurdish question, and after three decades of terrorism, Kurdish militants have begun to withdraw. The Kurds were wronged, and were prohibited from using their own language, and they had no opportunities to work. - Turkey has plans to assist newly independent countries, and also the countries of the ‘Arab Spring.’ The foreign ministry has been paying attention to foreign aid, which increased by 58 percent this year and is now worth $2.5 billion. This is while bearing in mind that many developed nations have scaled back on foreign aid following the global financial crisis, while Turkish aid increased. - There are also charities offering up to $1.5 billion annually in foreign aid, and the Turkish people have no qualms with this. Education, healthcare, and other benefits are universal in Turkey. - The Turkish Red Crescent is also helping. Before the uprising, there were important projects being implemented in Syria, including training staff, assistance with information systems, and restoring heritage buildings such as the Tekkiye Mosque in Damascus. However, following the uprising, the office in charge of aid in Syria was closed down. - The new Turkey is a term used to describe the change witnessed by the country in the past decade. Turkish relations with the Arab countries, particularly Egypt, are a model for regional cooperation. - Teaching Arabic was tantamount to a felony in the previous era. Thousands of people applying to be civil servants spoke Arabic but denied this fearing this may hurt their chances. Turkish papers did not have correspondents in Arab countries, and would rely on American and European sources for Arab news. - Now the situation is the reverse of that. A person applying for a job at the premiership would be asked whether he or she knew Arabic. Turkey has faculties in its universities for Arab students. Turkey is focusing on change in the Islamic world and the Middle East, based on the will of the peoples. For a hundred years, Turkey was on the side of the losers. Turkey is tired, and wants to resume its historic role. - There is an ethical dimension for Turkish policy. Foreign policy is based on interests, and every country seeks after its own. Turkey too wants to further its interests, but not at the expense of others. Turkey benefits and lets others benefit, and focuses on people first. - The Committee of Wise Men laid the foundations for engagement between the government and society. The wise men hear the views of the citizens and convey them to the government. The committee comprises representatives from the business sector, major trade unions, artists, writers, and journalists, and convenes under Erdogan’s chairmanship every month to review the committee’s activities. - The AKP is a conservative democratic party. There were fears among the secularists, but the AKP managed to dispel their doubts. The AKP wants everyone to live freely and express themselves, and when it took office, the AKP decides not to be a party that represents one view or one region. - The economy is very important to meet people’s needs, and the AKP believes it has succeeded. I will content myself with this much from what I heard about the new Turkey. I hope that the Islamists in our countries will open their eyes and let themselves be infected by the success of the Islamists in Turkey. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.