Reading the news of a new world correctly

In recent years a new world has been taking shape, and Turkey plays a role as an important actor in this taking shape. Of course, let us not exaggerate its meaning; this does not mean that Turkey sits at the center of the world, nor does anyone make such a claim. In essence, there is no single center either in the present or in the future of the world now taking shape; there is an endless struggle for influence.

As Turkey solves its own internal problems it is developing, growing, and becoming a pole of attraction increasingly regarded in its own world. Perhaps it would be more realistic to put it this way. It is also clear that Turkey cannot achieve this attraction with its own nationalist discourse.

Therefore there is an inverse relationship between being a world power and holding a nationalist or ethnocentric discourse. The more Turkey frees itself from its nationalist discourse or its borders, the more it grows, the more it is taken seriously. The way to be taken seriously by others passes through taking others seriously.

Turkey's growth in the region becomes more possible by its adopting a more respectful attitude toward its neighbors or the countries from which it gets respect. If Turkey is today in a much more esteemed and effective place in the eyes of the peoples of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Syria and Saudi Arabia, it is in this place because it has given up its old arrogant, ethnocentric, nationalist attitude toward these peoples, or to the extent that it has been able to give it up. Today, because it feels Gaza's pain in its heart, because it has become one with the people of Gaza, Turkey is establishing a throne in Gaza, and through Gaza in the hearts of the whole Islamic world. Since no calculation of influence, leadership or superiority in international relations is pursued from this throne, this throne is firm. In return for the throne we hold in the hearts of the people of Gaza, the people of Gaza have a throne in our hearts as well. This is not a throne of power but a throne of the heart.

Why do we say all this?

Of course, as a reminder, a warning, for those who have difficulty understanding Turkey's style of politics in the Middle East and the whole Islamic world in recent days. If Turkey challenges today, it challenges not in the name of its own national identity but in the name of the peoples with whom it is united across this geography of the heart. If it has a claim, it has it in the name of these peoples. Otherwise it knows that no one has, or could have, any curiosity about or fondness for Turkish lordship.

Frankly, Turkey is acting today in the name of human values that are on the verge of being forgotten in world politics. Starting from these values, one sees that the world order is in complete disgrace. No one steps out of the sweet comfort of realpolitik to remember or remind of these values. Prime Minister Erdoğan's recent outbursts, especially his objections and criticisms directed at the structure of the UN, NATO, the EU and human rights institutions, evidently disturb somebody's comfort, but they hit the mark exactly. Thanks to this, a new international axis is being born.

It is also possible to instrumentalize these criticisms for the sake of leadership for someone, but be sure that this would stick out immediately. Prime Minister Erdoğan makes felt on a world scale, while making these criticisms, the same sincerity and warmth that he has proven to the masses in Turkey's domestic politics, and is taken seriously and finds followers. That is why Erdoğan's criticisms differ from criticisms that had been voiced by many other country leaders before and then discarded.

The Prime Minister, who during his ten years in power has always complained about the lack of a proper opposition, in fact spent a long part of these ten years in Turkish domestic politics in opposition to the deep and unregistered power in the country. After a while, having truly come to power inside Turkey, he has today taken on an oppositional discourse and role on a global scale. For analyses that say Erdoğan (and in fact to a degree Islamism) draws his real strength from his oppositional character, this new discourse will provide an important field of observation.

For two days we have been hearing astonishing assessments to the effect that Turkey has lost the mediation between Hamas and Israel to Egypt. How shallow, how old-minded assessments! These are evidently approaches that misunderstand Turkey's claim from beginning to end.

First, as Kerim Balcı of Zaman newspaper also reminded, there is Egypt's direct relationship with Gaza through the Rafah gate; Morsi and Hamas both share the common denominator of Brotherhood affiliation.

Second, that Turkey is not holding direct talks with Israel because of the Mavi Marmara issue is Turkey's own choice. Here, the side eager to establish relations as soon as possible is Israel. To perceive or portray this situation as "Turkey being unable to establish relations with Israel" is the product of a dreadful inferiority complex. Yet it has been years since Turkey got past that.

Third, let us say that not in this matter but in some other matter Egypt comes to the fore and takes a role in place of Turkey; this would not disturb Turkey, on the contrary it would strengthen Turkey's claims. Turkey's claim is that administrations based on their peoples can be trusted in every case and that the will of these administrations will be respected. The coming to the fore of Egypt, which has returned to the stage of history in this way, is not Turkey's loss but its demand. Because the winner is not outside powers but the Egyptian people. Indeed, let us recall that it was Turkey itself that wanted the quartet meeting among Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, conceived on Syria and held some time ago, to be in Cairo rather than Istanbul. Who says Turkey regards Egypt as a rival?

To see the road that has been opened from heart to heart between Turkey and Egypt, between Erdoğan and Morsi, a different eye is needed, it seems.