Five Rising Democracies by Ted Piccone

Author:Ted Piccone
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780815725787
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
Published: 2016-02-05T05:00:00+00:00

FOREIGN POLICY AND DOMESTIC POLITICS

The ascension of the AKP with Erdoğan at the helm lent a dramatically new flavor to the tone and substance of Turkey’s foreign policy. A charismatic and strong-willed man of the street, Erdoğan played to mass public opinion in ways that tilted favorably toward populist causes like Palestine and negatively away from Israel and its chief sponsor, the United States, both seen by most Turkish citizens as threats to Turkey’s peace and stability.127 The rise of the middle classes, particularly the conservative business groups known as the Anatolian Tigers, drove a pragmatic orientation toward opening new markets around the world. While foreign policy issues are generally not of much concern to the average voter, AKP leaders understood that it would perform well electorally as long as the increasingly export-oriented economy went well. The expanding space for religion in public affairs inspired greater attention to religious and humanitarian issues abroad, as seen in Turkey’s response to Somalia and the Arab revolts against secular regimes. After decades of a top-down focus on relations with Europe and the West, and away from neighbors perceived as hostile, “Turkey is paying attention to its own citizens now.”128 As the economy grew and expanded to other regions, Turks became more self-confident about their new identity as modern, prosperous, and pious Muslim citizens capable of inspiring other countries to embark on a more openly democratic path. In a survey of Turks in May 2011, for example, 72 percent supported the concept of Turkey as a political model for others.129

As the Arab Spring unfolded, such public sentiments pushed government officials to take sides in the battle between the people on the Arab street protesting the authoritarian status quo and otherwise friendly regimes. “It was impossible for a democratic Turkey not to take the side of the people,” according to one senior journalist.130 Formal contacts between AKP leaders and other Islamist-oriented parties in the region led to practical democracy and party-building activities. More important, Turks directly affected by the collapse in business and trade with Syria and other neighbors were relatively patient about suffering the consequences of Ankara’s pro-democracy policy. After years of being told that Syrians were Turkey’s enemies, the period of rapprochement with Damascus opened new doors “and we see they are not to be feared,” said one businessman in Hatay, near the border with Syria. Now “they are killing our brothers and sisters in Syria, and this is unacceptable.”131 The local mayor added, “We have already lost tourism business from the unrest in Syria but we can live with that.” People’s rights and freedom come first, profits second, he said. In the spirit of Turkish generosity, local citizens welcome Syrians not as refugees but as guests. The intransigence of the conflict, however, and its spread to Turkish territory, are wearing down this tolerance and forcing a more activist posture to stop the bleeding.

The gradual democratization of foreign policy debate and decision-making, particularly in the era of Turkey’s concerted efforts to prioritize accession to the European Union, has opened new doors for a range of actors to influence public policy.

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