THE ongoing Arab Spring has dethroned dictators or compelled them to accept some measure of democratic reform. It has also focused the world`s attention on the direction that new political dispensations are likely to take in the Middle East and Maghreb. Islamist or secular? While observers contemplate that question, it is clear that the Turkish model is on the minds of many. This is a far cry from the days when Turkey, as a member of Cento and Nato, was repudiated by the Arab nationalist camp headed by Gamal Abdel Nasser. In fact, no Arab nationalist rhetoric was complete without a broadside being fired at Turkey which was branded `an imperialist agent`. Besides, it could hardly be called a democratic entity, despite its secular credentials. The military repeatedly overthrew elected governments, hanged a prime minister and exercised control over state polices.
Incumbent Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who heads the Justice and Development Party (AKP), appears to have fostered a more positive image. Profiting from his mentor Necmettin Erbakan`s mistakes, Mr Erdogan publicly committed his party to Mustafa Kemal`s secular creed, realising that a head-on collision with the powerful secular establishment was counterproductive. But he made no secret of his Islamist roots. Maintaining an astute balance between its Islamist commitment and adherence to secularism, the AKP has gradually clipped the army`s powers while at the same time allowing Turkey`s European orientation to remain unchanged. In effect, the message has been that discovering one`s religious roots does not necessarily mean having to follow the Iranian example or the distorted one of the Taliban, Al Shabab and other extremist organisations. Moreover, Turkey`s extended role in the region, especially his support for the Palestinian cause, has endeared Mr Erdogan to the Arab masses.
Suppressed for decades by dictators and monarchs, Arab parties with Islamic roots have scored electoral victories in Tunisia and Morocco, while the hard-line Muslim Brotherhood is leading in Egypt. What appeals to the Arab masses is Turkey`s moderate version of Islam combined with a message of international harmony from a country that is an associate member of the European Union. This version does not appear to propagate totalitarianism or terror to eliminate dissent, or to visit tyranny upon women and minorities. It is too soon to tell how things will shape up in the Middle East and whether Islamic groups that are popular with the people look to Turkey as the ideal amalgam of democracy and faith. But if they do, they may have a case for convincing the world community to support the change in their countries.
via Turkey & Arab world | Newspaper | DAWN.COM.
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