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Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The revival of Ottoman Empire?
Global Village Space |
Ahsan Hamid Durrani |
For the world he may seem an autocrat in the guise of democratically elected presidency; for western media he might be a tyrant who oppresses dissent and critique; through the lens of left wingers he might be an ultraconservative Islamist leader, and from the bastions of human rights’ perspective he might be a ruthless politician; but for the majority of his citizens he is the flamboyant president who steered his country out of the tides of financial ordeal to the shores of prosperity hence regaining international respect. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is a versatile character. Starting his political career from a very humble background, he rose to the pinnacle of the power structure and consolidated his authority on his country. After defusing an orchestrated coup d’état, he is now revered by the politicians of third world countries who are struggling to normalize their civil-military discord.
The very recent display of this power projection is being seen in the case of Turkish military deployment in Qatar amidst the gulf diplomatic jujitsu. Ankara even offered Saudi Arabia to deploy its troops there, which the Saudis refused to.
Turkey under the leadership of shrewd Erdogan has taken up a more assertive role in the region than any of its previous presidents. Erdogan has started flexing his muscles in the region by poking nose in the affairs of the region more vociferously. The manifestation of this can be seen in Turkey’s role in the Syrian conflict, stern stance against Israel, downing of a Russian fighter jet, and huge international arms deals. The very recent display of this power projection is being seen in the case of Turkish military deployment in Qatar amidst the gulf diplomatic jujitsu. Ankara even offered Saudi Arabia to deploy its troops there, which the Saudis refused to. So what does this new assertive role of Turkey really insinuate? To answer this question, we must delve deep into the historical background of Turkey and its past role in the Muslim world.
Read more: Regional dynamics ensure that Erdogan’s ‘rigged’ referendum will be overlooked
Turkish army considers itself the custodian of preserving the secular foundations of the country and has had quashed any force that challenged the nature of those foundations. No Turkish politician or leader survived the larrup of secular army in a bid to Islamize the country. But the rise of Erdogan to the power corridors has altered the outlook of the modern day Turkey.
The Ottoman Empire under its Sultan held the title of Khalifa which was looked upon by the Muslims of the world with sanctity and sheer respect. The Sultan ruled a multinational and multilingual empire covering areas from Europe to Western Asia and the Caucasus to parts of Africa. The creation of modern day Turkey after the Turkish War of Independence against the Allied forces led by Mustafa Kemal Ata Turk abolished the seat of Khilafat. Kemal Ata Turk rapidly modernized the country by establishing ties with the West and burying the centuries old Ottomanian mindset. However, the seed still existed. The Turks felt that they were no more the leaders of the Ummah; they lost the two holy mosques to the nomadic Arabs, and their pride of steering and binding the Muslim world was dilapidated. The demise of Ata Turk marked an era of Sturm und Drang as the country was divided into two flanks: secular and religious. Turkish army considers itself the custodian of preserving the secular foundations of the country and has had quashed any force that challenged the nature of those foundations. No Turkish politician or leader survived the larrup of secular army in a bid to Islamize the country. But the rise of Erdogan to the power corridors has altered the outlook of the modern day Turkey. In his drive to Islamise the country, he has lifted rules banning head scarf; condemned feminism openly; empowered religious institutions; denounced birth control and family planning; and propagated narrative against western values. All of this seems to be of no real concern to the outside world-expect for human rights group etc. as it pertains only to the Turkish populous. What seems to be worrying the outside world are his aspirations; the aspiration to become the Sultan of Middle East. Yes, you read it right.
Read more: Erdogan’s win splits Turkey in half, opposition out on streets
Read full article:
Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The revival of Ottoman Empire?
Global Village Space |
Ahsan Hamid Durrani |
For the world he may seem an autocrat in the guise of democratically elected presidency; for western media he might be a tyrant who oppresses dissent and critique; through the lens of left wingers he might be an ultraconservative Islamist leader, and from the bastions of human rights’ perspective he might be a ruthless politician; but for the majority of his citizens he is the flamboyant president who steered his country out of the tides of financial ordeal to the shores of prosperity hence regaining international respect. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is a versatile character. Starting his political career from a very humble background, he rose to the pinnacle of the power structure and consolidated his authority on his country. After defusing an orchestrated coup d’état, he is now revered by the politicians of third world countries who are struggling to normalize their civil-military discord.
The very recent display of this power projection is being seen in the case of Turkish military deployment in Qatar amidst the gulf diplomatic jujitsu. Ankara even offered Saudi Arabia to deploy its troops there, which the Saudis refused to.
Turkey under the leadership of shrewd Erdogan has taken up a more assertive role in the region than any of its previous presidents. Erdogan has started flexing his muscles in the region by poking nose in the affairs of the region more vociferously. The manifestation of this can be seen in Turkey’s role in the Syrian conflict, stern stance against Israel, downing of a Russian fighter jet, and huge international arms deals. The very recent display of this power projection is being seen in the case of Turkish military deployment in Qatar amidst the gulf diplomatic jujitsu. Ankara even offered Saudi Arabia to deploy its troops there, which the Saudis refused to. So what does this new assertive role of Turkey really insinuate? To answer this question, we must delve deep into the historical background of Turkey and its past role in the Muslim world.
Read more: Regional dynamics ensure that Erdogan’s ‘rigged’ referendum will be overlooked
Turkish army considers itself the custodian of preserving the secular foundations of the country and has had quashed any force that challenged the nature of those foundations. No Turkish politician or leader survived the larrup of secular army in a bid to Islamize the country. But the rise of Erdogan to the power corridors has altered the outlook of the modern day Turkey.
The Ottoman Empire under its Sultan held the title of Khalifa which was looked upon by the Muslims of the world with sanctity and sheer respect. The Sultan ruled a multinational and multilingual empire covering areas from Europe to Western Asia and the Caucasus to parts of Africa. The creation of modern day Turkey after the Turkish War of Independence against the Allied forces led by Mustafa Kemal Ata Turk abolished the seat of Khilafat. Kemal Ata Turk rapidly modernized the country by establishing ties with the West and burying the centuries old Ottomanian mindset. However, the seed still existed. The Turks felt that they were no more the leaders of the Ummah; they lost the two holy mosques to the nomadic Arabs, and their pride of steering and binding the Muslim world was dilapidated. The demise of Ata Turk marked an era of Sturm und Drang as the country was divided into two flanks: secular and religious. Turkish army considers itself the custodian of preserving the secular foundations of the country and has had quashed any force that challenged the nature of those foundations. No Turkish politician or leader survived the larrup of secular army in a bid to Islamize the country. But the rise of Erdogan to the power corridors has altered the outlook of the modern day Turkey. In his drive to Islamise the country, he has lifted rules banning head scarf; condemned feminism openly; empowered religious institutions; denounced birth control and family planning; and propagated narrative against western values. All of this seems to be of no real concern to the outside world-expect for human rights group etc. as it pertains only to the Turkish populous. What seems to be worrying the outside world are his aspirations; the aspiration to become the Sultan of Middle East. Yes, you read it right.
Read more: Erdogan’s win splits Turkey in half, opposition out on streets
Read full article:
Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The revival of Ottoman Empire?
