We can summarize Turkish people's expectations for the coming year in three sentences: They want change. They want more of a say. And they want sympathy from the international community.
After five years of economic growth and unprecedented socio-political change, the Turkish people finally hit some rocks in 2007. Starting with the secularist protests that attracted crowds of millions, and the government's stand-off with the military in April, the political climate had become quite harsh by the time elections arrived in July. Although Turkish democracy came out stronger when the problem resolved itself through the reassuring election victory of the ruling AKP, the tensions did not ease and polarizations grew deeper. All this had slowed down the pace of political reform in the country, but it also accelerated the democratic awareness and the desire for change among Turkish people.
The re-election of the reformist AKP was a clear sign that the Turkish people were happy with the pace of reforms on all fronts and wanted to see the process gain momentum again. Turks are probably annoyed by the roadblocks but certainly are not tired yet. This is reflected in this moth's poll results showing that the AKP has increased its support to 51% from a 47% election victory. Currently no other political party, excluding the pro-Kurdish DTP, offers political reform at the top of their agenda. This is clearly why AKP's support keeps growing despite its widely-criticized security policies.
The latest in the string of events to add to Turkey's political turmoil were the deadly PKK attacks on military and civilian targets, which left Turkish people in an angry, nationalist outrage. Protests against the PKK, some of which bordered or perhaps crossed the line of racism, were common in Turkish cities last month. Almost all windows had a Turkish flag waving in a show of unity against the attacks. To many observers who were following 2007’s political tensions, Turkey looked like a country almost about to explode with political anger.
When I look at Turkey, my native country, I also see a country that is about to explode. Yet this is not an explosion of anger but one that resembles the breaking of a shell. Given the hot-blooded nature of our people, I believe the nationalist reaction will soon fade and yield to real demands that will result in change.
The economic growth and democratic reforms of the past few years have given the Turkish people confidence that with hard work, ideals can be accomplished even in this geography. Turks know they are not commodity-rich; the sheer strength of their country comes from their work. Therefore, if things were to change around the region, Turks would like to be leading it. These demands are manifest in the full-court efforts of Turkish foreign office to be involved as a mediator in Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as its efforts to join the Security Council of the UN.
Lastly, the Turkish people feel left alone against the violence of terrorism. Despite the romantic interviews delivered by PKK members to Western journalists visiting the Qandil Mountains, PKK is still a terrorist group and it deserves that label. They have killed civilians in great numbers including a suicide-bomb in an Ankara market this year. Turks have to go through security checks walking into malls and theaters of Istanbul because they have been violently targeted before. Even tourists were not spared from PKK violence. What the Turkish people expect is direct and unconditional support against terror from the international community. Turkey has sent its soldiers to Bosnia, Somalia, Afghanistan and Lebanon to help fight crimes against humanity and to support efforts to quell terror. These efforts will only find true meaning if they are serving an ideal to protect each other against terror. Citizens of Europe and America can have their own views of the struggle of Turkey's Kurds, but all should unite behind the idea that violence cannot be supported nor ignored at any cost.
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