Urban myths have crept into European public debates about Turkey. Every now
and then, one has to pause and deflate a few of them. Let me do so on five
key issues.
Syria: Turkey has been pulling every string to achieve three objectives.
First, it is leading efforts to alleviate the humanitarian suffering. The
number of Syrian refugees exceeds 5.5 million (or five Birminghams) and
most have taken shelter in Turkey. We have become the number one per capita
spender on humanitarian assistance in the entire world.
Second, we are taking the initiative to deny terrorist entities any room in
Syria. Turkey is using force against both the Kurdish PKK/YPJ and Daesh,
and is taking the utmost care not to harm civilians. We will continue to
expose the dark propaganda that aims to mislead public opinion about
Turkey’s role in Syria. We have also exposed collusion among terror
networks, such as how PKK/YPG terrorists are purporting to fight Daesh
while allowing them to roam freely.
Third, Turkey is working hard to promote a political solution. From the
Astana talks to the Sochi congress, Turkey has been on the side of
ultimately engendering a political solution to the Syrian quagmire at the
UN-led Geneva talks, based on Syria’s territorial integrity and reflecting
the will of the Syrian people. Operation Olive Branch, launched by Turkey,
while protecting our citizens, aims to clear the road to peace by taking
action against the threat to Syria’s territorial integrity posed by
terrorist entities. Fighting Daesh must not mean that we do not fight the
other terrorists. We ask the US and others to stop arming the PKK/YPG.
The Middle East: this region is Europe’s neighbourhood and urgently needs a
grand bargain. Europe found peace when, in Helsinki in the mid-Seventies,
we recognised the inviolability of frontiers and pledged to respect human
rights and fundamental freedoms. The Middle East needs that sort of a
contract now more than ever to find its own peace.
Nation states are under attack from transnational forces, some benign and
some – such as separatism, sectarianism and terrorism – harmful. The
resilience of nation states needs strengthening against such harmful
forces. This, and not the endless splintering of states, is the formula for
the security and wellbeing of everyone in the region and beyond. The region
needs an order that is home-grown and takes existing borders as a given,
including a state for the Palestinians as mandated by the United Nations
seven decades ago.
Turkey’s fundamental orientation: Turkey is a strong, resolute, active Nato
ally and a democracy that is filtering out massive numbers of hazards
before they can reach Europe. As such, Turkey is an essential organ of the
European and transatlantic body. It is true that my people are unhappy with
the positions taken by several allies on a number of topics. While there is
unity in diversity, we have to stop before we go from diversity to discord
and show mutual (not one-sided) solidarity.
Turkey’s EU membership: this is to everyone’s benefit, and the pace is
controlled not by Turkey but by the EU. But let us set our optics right:
without Turkey, Europe will be left exposed and vulnerable. In the economic
sense, too, Turkey is an asset, thanks to an economy that is growing at
levels that any European country would love to emulate. The idea that
Turkey will be a burden to the EU is therefore incorrect.
It should be appropriate to prepare our populations for the positive
eventuality of Turkish membership rather than caving in to extremists that
threaten to redefine the political centre in too many European countries.
Protecting democracy, peace and prosperity will depend on how Europe
tackles the drift to the extremes, and Turkey is part of the solution. A
visa liberalisation regime is the first step forwards to take.
Democracy in Turkey: only 20 months ago, a group of fanatics sought to overthrow democracy in Turkey by force. In an epic confrontation, the people and the state of Turkey defeated
this attempt by a novel form of terror organisation called FETÖ.
The Turkish people want to live in a democratic country. Now, we are going
through a necessary phase during which we make sure that FETÖ members,
including sleeper cells, are removed from all positions of power in the
state organs, media, business and academia. This is a painful process but
we act strictly within the confines of law. Mechanisms to review decisions
are in force. All that when we are simultaneously fighting other terrorists
across the border. The state of emergency will end as soon as there is no
longer a need for it, and no one will be happier for it to be over than our
own government.
In our day and age, the information and disinformation that flow in all
directions at unprecedented volumes confuse even the sage. However, it is
time to move beyond such confusions, for all of us to re-intensify contacts
and processes at all levels, and to show mutual solidarity.