The Turkish state was built upon the political and cultural legacy of the Ottoman Empire. When World War I was over, the leading European powers colonized most countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Even though Turkey almost immediately gained its national independence after the fall of its predecessor, the Western powers succeeded in controlling Turkey for decades using subtle techniques, stretching from subjecting it to cultural colonialism to the formation of a colonized intelligentsia and ruling elite.
Despite these efforts, another political and intellectual propensity has always been present that cherishes Turkey’s traditional roots and puts trust in its historical significance. This vein, known as the national identity, has gradually developed since the late Ottoman Empire. In today’s Turkey, it constitutes the intellectual ground of the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) political power.
As Europe's colonial grip weakened after the end of World War II, colonized countries began to gain national independence one by one. After the end of the Cold War, Turkey’s efforts to gain its complete independence intensified. During Turgut Özal’s presidency, Turkey aimed to boost its economic development by opening up the country to the world instead of protecting the status quo in the name of political stability.
For the last two decades, Turkey has been governed by the AK Party, which was derived from Turkey’s nationalist conservative vein based on traditional Islamic values. After eliminating the long-standing military tutelage, a "sword of Damocles" over civilian politics, the AK Party realized comprehensive democratic reforms and adopted a multidimensional and multilateral foreign policy, which gradually transformed Turkey into a regional power.
Recently, the whole world witnessed the success of Turkey’s independent foreign policy. In the Russian-Ukrainian war, Turkey adopted a proactive attitude, conducting intense diplomatic meetings with NATO leaders and mediating between the warring parties to stop the ongoing conflict as quickly as possible. Turkey’s independent stance ensures that both sides of the war trust its mediator role. Thanks to its active and constructive attitude in foreign policy, Turkey has dramatically strengthened its international image.
Against the rising influence of Turkey in the international arena thanks to the charismatic leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the opposition parties assemble under the umbrella of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). The central political discourse of the oppositional front aims at weakening Erdoğan’s popular image. In addition, they have focused their criticism on economic issues, especially the cost of living and inflation.
Apart from criticizing the AK Party’s policies, the opposition parties utterly failed to suggest alternative policies or develop alternative approaches to Turkey’s principal political, economic and cultural issues. The only concrete but highly unrealistic proposition to come from the oppositional parties is their mutual desire to return to the parliamentary system.
The opposition parties also emphasize their aspiration to make comprehensive democratic reforms. However, even though such a call for democratic consolidation appears reasonable and attractive, it is questionable how the CHP, with the baggage of its military and bureaucratic tutelage, the Good Party (IP), with its nationalist discourse, and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), with its organic relations with the PKK terrorist group, will succeed in leading the Turkish democracy.
Finally, the opposition parties occasionally accuse the AK Party government of establishing an authoritarian regime. Erdoğan’s determination to continue the AK Party’s democratic reforms and Turkey’s rising image in the international arena reflect the weakness of this political discourse
In a letter to the U.S. Congress, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration recently announced that the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey would align with U.S. national security interests and serve NATO’s long-term unity. This move demonstrates how Turkey’s image has dramatically changed in the West.
As the world has entered a new geopolitical period with the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Western alliance requires a strong Turkey at the southeastern edge of NATO's borders. During these times of trial, only a strong leader like Erdoğan can safely steer Turkey through troubled waters. In this new era, the century-old Republic of Turkey will be an independent regional power, a trusted ally but by no means a client of Western powers.
