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Understanding the Turkish Demonstrations

(Gatestone Institute) Harold Rhode - Turkey, although nominally part of the West, is in most ways culturally closer to the Middle East. People in a supposedly democratic Turkey are reluctant to air their grievances out of fear their government might take revenge on them. In the culture of the Middle East, there is no such thing as a win-win compromise. Turks, like their neighbors, consider backing down or apologizing dishonorable. Consequently, they blame each other and look for scapegoats but almost never admit responsibility for problems. Before Erdogan came to power in 2002, many observant Muslims complained that the state discriminated against them. Under Islam, there can be no separation of religion and state. Since Erdogan and his AKP ["Truth and Reconciliation Party"] came to power, they have done their best to dismantle the secular apparatus of the state and impose their version of Sunni fundamentalist Islam. To understand whether a revolt has staying power, one might ask if a regime has the will and ability to do what is necessary to restore calm. Will Turkey descend into chaos like most of its Arab neighbors? In terms of security forces, Turkey is better organized than its Arab neighbors so it is difficult to see Turkey in a similar chaotic situation. Events of the past few weeks have forced onto the Turkish agenda issues the government had pushed underground. Whatever happens, Turkey has shown that it is not the stable island of calm and democracy its allies had hoped it to be. The writer served as the Turkish Desk Officer at the US Department of Defense. He is now a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.
2013-06-13 00:00:00
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