Neo-Ottomanism

Expansionism or imperialism may have four basic forms: economic, cultural, political and territorial. The present-day imperial powers generally avoid territorial expansionism, while they go to the maximums in all three other spheres through the power of their economy, currency, international agencies catering to their interests, domination on energy resources or controlling energy routes, media, cinema and other informatics means and of course with their persuasive political power backed by their military might.

Though still a "developing country," Turkey has a one of the biggest economies in its geography. It is not, however, one of the big eight economies, or, leave that aside, a self-sufficient economy. Since the mid 1980s the Turkish lira has been a "convertible" currency, which indeed is convertible mostly in a region from Edirne in the Thracian part of the country to the remote Hakkari in southeastern Anatolia. In the last three decades or so Turkish exports increased to a level that perhaps could not be even dreamed of in the founding period of the republic. Yet, today’s Turkey has no economic expansionist capability other than exporting some capital to some neighboring countries because of worsening economic situation here or more advantageous labor cost, investment and tax policies offered by our neighbors. Still, in today’s "globalization" trends in international economy, aspiring for economic expansionism and taking some crawling moves to that end fits well to the realpolitik of the day.

Regarding cultural expansionism, however, we Turks often believe this country has a vast potential because of its imperial past. At international meetings and at regional gatherings Turkish speakers love to talk about the great tolerance the former Ottoman empire had towards its minorities, how great those good old days were and they tend to ignore with what great festivities Muslim and non-Muslim people of those former Ottoman provinces celebrate their independence from 400 or more years of Ottoman occupation. Indeed Turkey and all those states established on the former Ottoman geography share a common past, but there is no commonality at all between how Turkey and these states perceive that common past. Most Turks might have very strong feelings and aspirations of all sorts towards those former Ottoman provinces, but peoples of those states established on the territories "liberated" from the Ottomans do not see in their wildest dreams or even in their nightmares a return to those days that we still consider as the "good old days" but even giving Turkey a prominent role in resolving some regional problems. What happened to the role Turkey wanted to play in peacemaking between Syria and Israel? How Egypt and the Saudis entered the scene testifies to this reality. So is the same for the "important role" Ankara wanted to play in resolving the power struggle among Palestinian factions.

Have we solved domestic issues?

That is, even though we Turks would aspire for a cultural expansionism and incline to use cultural advances in achieving a political expansionist aim with a "as former ruler of these lands we share a common history, common culture with peoples of the vast former Ottoman geography, we know the peoples of this geography better than anyone else and we know better than anyone else how to resolve conflicts in this geography" belief can nothing be further than an officious mind that often finds itself pondering how to reply the "What about your domestic problems? Have you solved all of them and now believe that you can help us solve our problems? What about the Alevites in Turkey? What about your minority problems? After more than 30 years of bloodshed, has the Kurdish problem come to an end? Did you bring an end to the secularist-Islamist polarization in your country? Thank God, the present-day neo-Ottomanists are at least so much realistic not to have any territorial expansionist designs.