Today, Turkey will discuss the candidacy lists which will compose the new members of the Parliament. I am anticipating that the new members, who will bring a breath of fresh air to politics, will carry on the accumulated knowledge and bring the impression of an energetic team to accompany Prime Minister Davutoğlu in his first general election.
Regrettably, I was not able to see some names that I am very fond of, and whom I believe would make significant contributions to Turkey. Without a doubt, they will continue with their struggle. At the end of the day, politics is only one of the methods for struggling. I am certain that these fellows have devoted their lives to this cause, and will continue to do so from now on.
What particularly grabs my interest is the idealist names who will take their first step in politics. What also grabs my attention is how much they can devote themselves to Turkey, more than their status in their regions. Because I believe such idealism is able to transform and shape Turkey, and establish bridges of love and trust more than strength. Frankly speaking, this is the only criteria I have, but politics by nature has numerous criteria and these have been meticulously implemented.
Enthusiastic hearts, energetic minds, strong knees
Even with a quick glance at the list, one can see that there are extremely valuable names. Conceivably, strong political figures will come forward amongst them. Perhaps some of them will play significant roles in determining the fate of Turkey's future, leave traces and have leadership qualities. We preserve our never-ending hope about the idea that representatives elected from the AK Party's and other political parties' lists will strive for the ideal of common Turkey rather than disputes. Turkey has suffered a great deal due to personal reckonings and narrow political conflicts.
This is precisely why we believe that Davutoğlu will establish a strong team for Turkey, a country that is currently experiencing the most critical transitional period of its history, and that his team will have the energy and will to ensure this transformation and mobilize in this respect. This nation will give tremendous support to the team which comes from the heart of the nation, uses their own language and defends their ideals. In the history of the Turkish republic, such a period where the foresight and profoundness of the nation coalesced with politics has never existed.
May God keep Davutoğlu's heart enthusiastic, his mind energetic and his knees strong. May it bring good fortune to our country.
Erdoğan's magic word as the only hope
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was in Iran on the day that the candidate lists of political parties were announced. This visit has connotations that go beyond the scope of Turkey-Iran relations. All cues regarding the perception of two strong countries are striking, especially at a time when the whole region has disintegrated, countries have been divided into regions and cities, as people living on the same streets slaughter each other and the first time chaos has become regionalized.
We have been watching Iran's Shia-centric regional expansion map for a while now. While Iraq and Syria were the bloodiest two examples of this, we witnessed a strong Iranian advance in Yemen. Tehran, which extends to Bab-el Mendeb, one of the most strategic straits in the world, was having a say over the global energy corridors and also surrounding Saudi Arabia. Lately, this was one of the strongest strategic moves and the expected response came in shortly. The Sunni Arab coalition launched a joint military operation in Yemen. As Turkey supports this operation, it is highly likely that Pakistan will also participate in it.
The global mindset which aims to regionalize chaos over the exploitation of Shia-Sunni distinction does this over regional actors. These actors could be states at times and could be organizations at others. Meanwhile, some countries try to seek refuge under the shadow of this superior project and try to draw their own map. There is no other country left with prudence against regional disintegration based on sects, except for Turkey and Pakistan. Erdoğan's formula, which he expressed during the sectarian clashes in Iraq, have become more significant than ever: “Not as Shia as Iran, nor as Sunni as Saudi Arabia.” For months when I was sharing my concerns about the issue, I always said, “The antidote to the situation is Turkey.” Here, this is the antidote I have been mentioning and it seems like there is no other hope left.
“Neither the Shia nor the Sunnis interest me”
Yesterday, Erdoğan repeated similar sentiments to Iranian leaders in Tehran: “I do not care whether someone is Shia or Sunni. I look at all of them as Muslims. It is not possible to accept this. Therefore we must come together and put a stop to the blood shedding. Let us bring together those who are hurting one another and put an end to this war.” Unfortunately, there is no other statement, neither in the Sunni nor the Shia Iranian world, which surpasses this one. This is a state of bankruptcy.
This is the antidote I have been talking about. We have no other choice but to cling to this notion for survival. First and foremost, everyone including the leaders of Muslim countries should know that if the current situation continues, regionalized chaos will also hit Turkey and Iran. No country will be able to survive without receiving significant damage from this catastrophe.
It is for this very reason that everyone in all political party lists, -not just the AK Party- are obliged to come up with a new superior discourse and a new perception. Nobody should think that conflict and disintegration will benefit some places as much as they cause damage to others. The catastrophe will hit everyone if the precautions are not taken.
As much as we want Turkey to be the antidote, we also hope that the new cabinet will produce a superior discourse, which will comprehend this notion. We will never lose our hope that Turkey will become a power which will not only transform itself, but also transform the region as a whole.
