In 2002, the Turkish people voted the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan into office. That was a silent revolution. With this move the people of this country turned their backs on the establishment and set the stage for a complete overhaul of the country that led to the massive development and renovation of the country that has been going on since.
It seems the same has been repeated in the United States. The people voted for the outspoken Donald Trump because contrary to Hillary Clinton, the candidate of the establishment, this man offered a complete overhaul of the decaying system and a face lift for the country.
In Turkey, Erdoğan set a vision of the future for Turkey in 2002 and with a massive drive forced the people around him to fulfill his goals. That put Turkey in a respectable place in the world as a G-20 member with a strong economic structure, as a country that fights injustices throughout the world and as a state with Muslim sensitivities that has been the source of hope for the oppressed, for the underprivileged and those migrants who have been driven from their homes by tyrants.
Now Trump is setting off with a vision to revitalize the U.S. as the superpower of the world. But it is clear that the votes he received from the American people is more to do with putting his house in order rather than acting as the policeman of the world. Thus Trump faces the challenge of revitalizing the U.S. economy and setting the record straight in the American social system. But he is also required to fight terrorism of all kinds on a global scale and that means international cooperation.
His thinks that NATO should be revamped and that U.S. allies should share the defense burden with Washington. It is an approach that is catching up with Western allies. They had it so easy for so long.This will put a strain on the U.S.'s European allies, which is justified. That is bad news for Germany and Britain. It will also be a challenge to the economic giants of the Far East like the prosperous countries like Japan and South Korea. The U.S. will also challenge the growing economic power of China, which has prospered on the shoulders of American consumer.
Meanwhile the dynamics of the Middle East will also be pressing the new U.S. president to tend to the region. If Mr. Trump plays his cards right he can forge close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and also with his Turkish counterpart Erdoğan to forge a new course not only for the region but also to ease the tensions between the U.S.'s Western allies and Russia.
Turkey, the U.S. and Russia are capable of cooperating and should be able to cooperate to bring global peace and stability on all fronts. Turkey and Russia are already moving strongly in this direction. President Trump would make a strong trio.
Turkey and Russia are vital in the fight against terrorism of all kinds and thus are ideal partners for Mr. Trump.
The U.S. has allowed Iraq and Syria to be dragged into disaster. Trump can help to mend this situation and at least create order in the region.
Under President Trump, Turkey and the U.S. can forge a much closer relationship to end the mess in Syria and Iraq. They can solve the crisis created in Turkish-American relations due the support displayed for the PKK terrorist organization and the coup plotters led by Fetullah Gülen.