We can be a leader

Turgut A. Karabekir, AIA

Freelance writer

turgutk@erols.com

We can be a leader

It is an undisputable fact that as a nation we must be united in the effort to fight global terrorism. Since the consequences of not minimizing the risk of terrorism are so devastating, it is imperative we must resolve this at all costs. For the safety of our citizens the cost is something we can afford to handle, even if it requires some sacrifices. In fact, the problem is not the cost but the way to go by fighting the terrorism. We should not apply a remedy that is deadlier than the sickness itself.

In the aftermath of the tragedy of 9/11, our action in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda has been somewhat effective but has failed to eliminate the leaders and the participants. Most of them just changed their hats, shaved their beards, and mixed among others without even bothering to flee. The resources have been reduced but not eliminated: their capabilities made more difficult to be put into action, but not eliminated. Afghanistan is still divided among the local landlords as ever, and the fight goes on.  The UN forces there are at harm’s way.

Now we are planning to embark on a mission to topple Saddam Hussein, without any doubt a ruthless, murderous, and self-centered dictator who has no love or respect to humanity including his immediate family, certainly not to his people, with a single goal to stay in power. Having said that, we should be extremely careful to relate to this issue not as Iraq, but as Saddam. It is obvious that most Iraqis will be glad to see Saddam’s regime replaced by a democratic government if they were given the choice.

Forty years after World War II and after the demise of the USSR regime, the US earned the leadership of the world the second time, and for the sake of freedom and prosperity, must maintain this position for many years to come. However, doing so, we must not take for granted that all nations because they happen to be on the West, are our staunch ally. Not long ago, with all our resources and with the loss of lives of our children we ran to the rescue of Europe, then suffered many years with the consequences of the Cold War with the USSR. If in fact we had not gone to their rescue, today Europe still would have been under the banner of the Nazi swastika. Despite this reality, today Europe is uniting to counterbalance the superiority of the US, under the undeniable inferiority complex acquired by them due to our rescue effort. In many issues they are not acting as our allies but dragging their feet to the last minute to minimize the global responsibilities that free nations must carry.

With the reluctance in part of Europe to share their responsibility and with the eagerness of the US to fight terrorism, for now Saddam, going blindly after him, even if we have the reasons to do so, we are about to put ourselves in to a no-win situation. Under the present policies, if they are executed, we are going to create a global conflict between Christianity and Islam, without intending to do so. It must be noted that with Europe’s double dealing attitude it is already not the free world against tyranny and terrorism: it is the US against Iraq. It is very disappointing to see even the references to the events as being not the UN, but the US against terrorism. We are already in this trap, and if we do not wake up, it may be too late to get out.

To be a leader in the world arena, a nation must act with integrity, fairness, and comprehension of other nations’ religions and customs, without applying a double standard from nation to nation. It is an established fact that most Muslim nations in the Middle East except Turkey do not have a democratic government. Most of them are dictatorships—uneducated and far from western standards. This fact will not make them stupid. It is very easy for them to see the double standards used against them and to resent the West for them. Leaders must prove themselves by their actions, not by unfulfilled promises. It is not necessary to go far back in history, just in our lifetime, when the West closed its eyes and ears during the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in Crimea, Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, and Yugoslavia all in the hands of Christians. Very recently in Yugoslavia when thousands of Muslims were being killed, Europe stood still for almost two years and didn’t respond to the US’s calls to attend to their own backyards. When the Armenians routed the Muslims from their ancient land and occupied their homes, the US sent monetary help to the Armenians. While the conflict between Israel and Palestine grows to unimaginable proportions, we are unable to make impartial decisions. When Turkey was suffering with Kurdish terrorism acts for over a decade, losing over thirty thousand people in the process, instead of understanding Turkey’s predicament, the West labeled Turkey with human rights violations, and Germany harbored the terrorist organizations with arms and funds. Double standards erode credibility; we have no credibility in the eyes of any Muslim nation. We have no clean record to show that we are not partial.

We are about to spend over 200 billion US Dollars in a war with no end in sight or in any planning how to end it. This war done in haste without the consent and full cooperation of the entire world, including Muslim nations, will only bring disaster to us. If executed, even Europe will be against us, and we will be completely alone, a hated nation by all other nations including almost half of our own population.

No one is pressuring us. Time is in our hands, and we have shown our might, determination, and readiness to act quickly. This should suffice for now hopefully to prevent another catastrophe from happening, and we should concentrate at the same time to mend some wounds and help those nations that with ease we call fanatics. Are they all fanatics? We know that is not true.

Turkey is a great example in front of us. After the British decided to dismantle the mighty Ottoman Empire and establish their own mandate on the Ottoman occupied lands, they created with their lack of knowledge and foresight, most of the new nations in the Arabian peninsula that are currently sitting on the oil reaches of the world. During the Ottoman time, Arabs and the entire region were in piece for over four hundred years. Since then, the Middle East has been the land mine of the world. And we are about to step on that mine.

From the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, with the genius of Atatürk, Turkey was able to abolish the Caliph, establish a modern secular democracy and a free nation. While most of the European countries were in turmoil until less then a decade ago, in trying to sort out if they are Nazis, Communists, Fascists, and/or other dictatorships, Turkey was enjoying the freedom of an uninterrupted democracy since 1923.

Turkey proved that democracy and freedom are not assets of western nations alone. It is applicable also to a Muslim nation. This should constitute a model for us to change the Near East countries. The Turkish model should be seeded in the Near East nations in turmoil. As a leader, it is our duty to aid people to do the right thing but not punish them because they did not have the ability or the means to do it. Punishment will only increase their hatred toward the West and their fundamentalism. Understanding and patience will do more then bombs.

It is also interesting to observe that although most of the Middle East countries are the benefactors of the oil riches of the world, they are among the poorest nations on earth. When in haste, Britain created these new kingdoms and had them headed with some tribal leaders from the desert; they didn’t realize that they were establishing families, not nations. If the wealth obtained from oil was distributed fairly for the good of Muslim nations, the Middle East conflict may have not existed today. On the contrary, their dictators or kings, whatever the case may be, use the funds either for their own families’ benefit or buy weapons to attack their neighbors while their own population is starving in poverty. At the foundation of this unbalanced distribution of wealth, no doubt lays the lack of education.

Instead of dropping billions of US Dollars in the form of bombs on desert lands, killing innocent people along with guilty, we should select approximately three countries as a pilot project and plant the seeds of the Turkish model. In each of these countries, one of which should be Palestine, we should build a complete modern town as “Bilkent” in Ankara, Turkey. This new complex contains a school complex, university, hospital, libraries, playgrounds, residential units, and shopping centers. We should train the management teams, preferably from the locals and Turks. We should assume the initial costs. It is known that most of these governments are corrupt; therefore, no funds should be given to local governments. All should be done as a US project, with the use of Turkish contractors, under the condition that 80% of the work force would be from the locals. A self-supporting trust should be established, and the ownership should be turned over to the people of the country. We should do all this without bargaining, without asking for a return. We should do it because we owe it to humanity and to ourselves as a civilized nation, for our own security and freedom, and most importantly for our own piece of mind. If we want to set a humanistic example for others to follow our path, in the proof of our democratic system, being the best it can be.

Before the world goes deeper into a full-scale religious conflict, we must make sure that our belief is heard with our actions—that we mean what we say. We should show that the Crusades were mistakes, and the essence is to believe in God.  Minor differences between religions are inconsequential. Since the Muslim religion occurred six hundred years after Christianity and several thousands of years after Judaism, the Koran declares that all earlier religions and their customs shall be recognized and respected. Christians and Jews should do the same for each other and to Muslims. In the Muslim belief, the Jihad is only to purify oneself. It is not to wage war as some fanatics started falsely claim it to be. Most importantly, we should stop using double standards; if we continue to be biased, we can only fool ourselves, and the conflict will go on forever.

No matter what condition people may be in when given the chance to experience democracy and the equality in human values, there will be no one to stop the tyrannical regimes from being toppled. They will trust the democratic system will work towards their benefit. Education and fairness are the keys to starting this irreversible process. The proof is the Turkish Republic.

Turkey is neither east nor west it is a bridge between Europe and Asia. Turkey is unique geographically and socially. The Turkish model is the only closest applicable remedy to the ever growing Near East problems. The sooner we start the process of change, the sooner the world will be closer to peace.

Rockville, MD

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