As Delaware Sunday newspapers document the choice of the people of Libya to deal with bombs rather than an allies backed government and/or occupation, a study of the situation in the Middle East becomes even more central to world leader options.
Mustafa Kemal renamed himself Ataturk which meant the father of modern Turkey. One could not help but wonder how he would have felt about Turkey’s role in the Middle East news this week.
The ship called “Turkish Red Crescent” evacuated foreigners including Turks from Misurata as the allies announced that they would step up the bombing of Libya. Turkey is a member of NATO which is in charge of the assault on Libya, but their attempt to become a member of the European Union has soured. Turkey has been accused of befriending Libya because they have billions of dollars of contracts with the government of Libya, and 25,000 Turks were employed in Libya prior to the civil war. The tumult of Syria lies next door where the protestors do not represent the majority, but continue to make demands which were greeted with tanks this weekend. Turkey remains the second class citizen of Europe which is not how Ataturk envisioned his new Turkey.
Ataturk was a member of the military elite in World War I who staved off the allied powers occupation of Turkey. When the war was over, the Treaty of Lausanne granted Turkey sovereignty over its own borders. Ataturk became the first president of Turkey in 1923. He wanted Turkey to be a modern democratic state; therefore, he tried to cut the people off from their Islamic pasts; and he did not want to be associated with the corrupt government of the Ottoman Empire.
Religious schools were closed in Turkey. The Swiss Civil Code was adopted by the Ataturk government. Their country’s commercial code was modeled after German and Italian standards. Males over 18 were allowed to vote. Polygamy was forbidden. The fez which enabled worshippers to touch the ground with their forehead while praying was outlawed. Ataturk himself was fond of emancipated women and he encouraged the development of Western social graces one of which was not to wear the head scarves.
Ataturk died in his 50’s just as Adolf Hitler began World War II. Secularism was the central goal of the government he established in Turkey.
Turkey’s current president, Abdullah Gul, practices the Muslim religion. As is the case with most Muslims his religion is his politics. He is from the country and not the cities in turkey where government power has been centralized in the past. At this time, the Prime Minister and a majority of the members of Parliament in Turkey participate in the Muslim religion. Gul, however, has indicated his desire for a unified Turkey where people would be able to express their religious beliefs without defying the state.
President Abdullah Gul does not have the same powers allocated to his office and outlined by the Constitution of Turkey, as the president of the United States. He is the Commander of Chief of Turkey’s military power; he can veto legislation; and makes important appointments such as the Prime Minister of Turkey and members of the judiciary.
President Gul explains his view on Islam by pointing out that when his wife attended M.I.T. in the United States, she wore her headscarf. He says that no one there ever commented on the customs of her country including her head scarf. Why then should her wardrobe in Turkey cause so much debate and discussion?
Clearly, a cultural, religious, and government rift exists between Turkey and the rest of Europe. Clearly Turkey’s relationship to the rest of Islam is ambiguous.
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