Turkey and Israel are at it again

Photo credit: The Economist (also, an article worth reading)

In case you haven’t been following recent developments in the Middle East/North Africa region other than Libya—and let’s face it, it’s my academic guilty pleasure so I can hardly expect everyone to—Turkey and Israel are at it again. The briefest outline goes a little something like this: 9 Turkish citizens are killed as part of an aid flotilla to the West Bank, Turkey demands an apology, Israel refuses to apologize, the UN investigation is leaked which calls the actions of the Israeli commandos unnecessary but also does not call the blockade illegal, Israel still refuses to apologize, Turkey expels the Israeli ambassador, Israeli FM approaches the internationally recognized Kurdish terrorist group the PKK with talk of support, the PKK also demands an apology, Turkish PM visits Cairo, there is an attack on the Israeli embassy in Cairo.  With Turkish threats of warship escorts, and Israel just not being cooperative, the U.S. is stuck between a rock and a hard place this week at the UN.

How to get my blood boiling

I have realised that the quickest way to start my blood boiling is to read small-minded, one-sided arguments about Turkey's past human right's abuses.  Excuse me, I mean the Ottoman Empire's human rights abuses.  Let me give you some context.

In Monday's NYT, Roger Cohen wrote a well-put op-ed about Turkey's foreign policy.  Naturally I was going to post a link to it when I finally got out from the pile of reading that I let build up.  Regardless, we were assigned to read it for my Turkish foreign policy class, along with the reader's comments.  I scan over the article, to refresh my memory on the topic and move on to the reader's comments.  Much to my chagrin, the first one is basically ripping Turkey a new one for the Armenian Issue (or Genocide, however you prefer to call it) of 1918.  This is my open letter to you, JG, Caesarea @ blogspot:

Short and Sweet

I have been complaining for a while now that Western (in the EU/US sense of the term) media have been frustratingly ignorant of the cultural context of Turkish politics. After much ado (even though I would have preferred to write a post myself, I just couldn't find the time), I have finally found an article that isn't quite buying the message put out by the ruling AKP. All I can say is that it's about time. (Pun not at all intended.)

"Turkey Braces for Key Vote Over It's Future," Pelin Turgut, Time

Authoritarianism is alive and well

I stumbled across a very interesting article on authoritarianism and its shortcomings against democracy.  It wasn't anything that I didn't already know, but the author uses a few good cases to prove his point.  What is most surprising is the countries that consider themselves modern (cough cough, Russia and Turkey) can still commit such egregious violations of the democratic system which they seem committed to upholding.

What is more surprising is that it was actually published in Russia (albeit in a Western newspaper).

Where in the world is Turkey?

Or Who Lost Turkey? or Three-Level Games

Everyone just calm down, take a deep breath. Turkey is still in the same place it has always been (geographically at least). It has not been lost. It has not gone over to the dark side.

I’ve read my fair share of articles since the May 30th flotilla incident, and trust me, there have been quite a few. For a while in there, it seemed like watching a tennis game. One day Turkey was lost to the West and was trying to reestablish the Ottoman Empire or become the new champion of the Arab world, the next day its new found ties with Iran are unraveling and Turkish officials are having secret meetings with Israeli officials in Switzerland. Just a quick stroll down Real Clear World’s page on Turkey reveals the uncertainty, and it’s almost comic. But what is obvious is that Turkey wants to be just what it is: Turkey, no longer the “sick man of Europe” or America’s puppet in the Middle East, but a country with a rapidly growing economy, a strategic location, and a sovereign government.