While the Istanbul-based Porte is no longer active, the
Erdogan administration in Ankara certainly has a vision of Neo-Ottomanism - the Neo-Porte is you will. On
the back burner for a season, it's back with a vengeance as Turkey attempts to
triangulate its alliances, play its opposition off against one another and
re-assert its unique geographical and cultural role. This is best seen in its
geo-strategic and economic policies within the Middle East, the Caucasus region,
Europe (particularly Germany and the Balkans) and the larger Mediterranean
region.
By expanding its footprint into North Africa, Erdogan is
stepping on French toes and setting up Turkey as a rival to Paris which has
since the 19th century politically, economically, and to some degree
culturally dominated West and Northwest Africa. Though the French Empire has
been replaced by the Neo-Liberal imperial paradigm – one in which a dominance
of markets and a manipulation of politics is accompanied by strong-arm
diplomacy and a light military footprint, France is still very much the
colonial force in the region. In other words the French Tri-Colour does not fly
over statehouses but it still has an empire.
Sometimes subservient to the far larger and more powerful
American Empire, France is still a serious contender – especially within its
spheres. Turkey for its part has lost almost all of its Ottoman holdings
outside of Asia Minor but on the basis of Kemalism, it has for decades sought
to forge a new form of soft-power in the form of Pan-Turkism. Though Erdogan has
largely broken with Kemalism, he isn't turning his back on Pan-Turkism. He's
eager to use it in places like Central Asia where it can gain traction – but
his vision is much broader.
Having all but given up on EU membership (so long blocked by
the French antagonist) Erdogan's Turkey has embraced Neo-Ottomanism which seeks
to exploit Turkey's Ottoman-Byzantine heritage of bridging East and West,
connecting Europe with Central Asia and the Middle East. And while the West
sometimes attempts to erroneously paint Erdogan as some kind of Islamic
extremist – he is willing to use Islam as at least a partial basis for forging
the cultural and diplomatic unity he seeks. His Islamism is of the cultural
variety. He's a conservative not an extremist. While this represents a break
from the Kemalism that so closely aligned Turkey with the United States during
the Cold War it's a far cry from the Salafism of the Saudis or violent groups
such as al Qaeda and ISIS.
Turkey hasn't yet left NATO but continues to flirt with the
possibility and has certainly become the organisation's pariah state as it
antagonises fellow members, flirts with Russia, and pursues its own agenda.
And yet in the vacuum created by the Trump period, nations
like France have waxed bold and expanded their influence and this is bringing
Ankara and Paris into conflict in places like Lebanon, Libya, and increasingly
across the wider region. France has become quite friendly with Egyptian
dictator al-Sisi and this has also put Erdogan at odds with Paris. There are
disputes over trade, resources and regional policies. The fact that France is
selling weapons to Cairo hasn't helped. It's one thing for the United States to
do it, but France is a Mediterranean rival and Egypt is but one of the points
of contention between Paris and Ankara.
It was no accident that the Euractiv article (itself an arm
of the EU) and Agence France-Presse (AFP) collaborated on this article. They represent
the state and trans-state interests expressing the greatest concern.
The article is by no means false in what is says but is
lacking in what it doesn't say – its failure to contextualise and explain
France's true role in these same regions. Nor does it explain the decades of
NATO manipulation and exploitation of Turkey – the forces that led to the
backlash that came in the form of Erdogan. Additionally since the failed 2016
assassination attempt and coup in Turkey, Erdogan has exhibited a boldness undoubtedly
born of destiny-driven conviction. He knows he's a marked man and as such he is
no longer concerned with placating and pleasing those who oppose him. He tried
to join their club on his terms and they attempted to kill him for it. What
does he have to lose?
It must be said the passing 'terrorist' comment regarding the
Muslim Brotherhood and in particular it's linking of the label to Egypt –
without some qualification and explanation is just plain deceitful.
Additionally the article points out that Libyan warlord
Khalifa Haftar is backed by Egypt, the UAE, and Russia. It conveniently
neglects to point out that he is also supported by Israel and France. This is a
tangle for France as their policy goes against the official national and EU
policy which supports the Tripoli government. And yet everyone knows different.
Additionally I have continued to argue that the same is true
with the United States. Washington officially supports the Tripoli government
(which is now backed by Turkey) but unofficially it supports Haftar who was
(and I believe remains) as US-CIA asset. Praised by the Trump administration,
Haftar has even throughout 2020 continued to expand his US-based real estate
empire – hardly the actions of someone who fears serious retribution from a
state that he is 'officially' opposing in North Africa.
That said, there are forces within the vast US governmental
framework that are attempting to go after Haftar as recent lawsuits indicate.
It will be interesting to see if the incoming Biden administration shifts its
posture. I expect smoke but very little fire in that regard.
And so if one takes into account the Euractiv-AFP article's
failure to contextualise and its rather suspect omissions – one is left
questioning the overall value of the article. It has some (if limited) value.
One can read it and learn something but unless one reads on a wider basis their
thinking will be skewed by the agenda of the article. This is all too typical
when it comes to mainstream news outlets. They're not exactly 'fake' as some
would have it but they are lacking and sometimes can be misleading.
See also:
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2016/09/french-arm-sales-under-scrutiny.html
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2020/06/geopolitical-chess-libyan-civil-war-and.html
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