Madrid, Madrid

In spite of the news of crisis and unemployment, I see little signs of these in the city. Madrid is charming and lively. Unlike us, they actually preserve the green spaces and parks here. The city center boasts wide boulevards and beautiful buildings with attractive architecture. What brings me to Madrid is a closed meeting, organized by the Toledo International Centre for Peace (CITpax) and the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), titled “Turkey's Policies in the Middle East.” As the title suggests, there's a lot to be covered here. That said, we do not limit ourselves to foreign policy issues. We also discuss the domestic scene. Gezi, press freedoms, freedom of assembly -- everything is on the table.

Back to foreign policy, or to be more specific, our problematic situation in the Middle East. Spaniards are confused by our behavior in the region. They acknowledge that Turkey has a role to play but urge us to stay anchored to the EU. The intricacies, complexities and paradoxes of the Middle East are once again put on the table. So are decades of efforts and work by Western powers in the region. Our neighborhood policy is discussed. I feel the Arab Awakening is transforming itself into a Turkish Awakening as Turkey finds out the hard way that the region's complexities are far from easily solvable. Contrary to conservative and Islamist perceptions, the region was not waiting for Turkey to come back and be its new big brother. Rather, regional actors were eager to exploit Turkey's entry in their own internal confrontations. Failing to recognize that has come with a heavy price tag. The “order” that was to be founded is nowhere to be seen. Yet some sort of reintegration is inevitable, albeit at a more modest pace.  

As one Islamist academic recently confided: “There was a logic to the Kemalists' Middle East policy.” Indeed, there was. The Kemalists were aware of their limitations and thus had no choice but to be modest and cautious. However, the Kemalists' presumptuous tendency to look down on the region was reprehensible. Surely, there is a middle ground between the old and the new.  

Some of us are optimistic that the recent efforts to “reset” things might work, but most do not share that view. Too much has been mishandled. Egypt is the most obvious example that comes to mind. Turkey does not have ambassadors in three major capitals in the region. It will take years before Turkey will be able to genuinely re-engage important actors in the region. Time is needed. There is also a practical aspect to all of this. Turkey is entering an intense election cycle that will naturally divert political attention back home rather than to the region. Perhaps that is not so bad.

The disintegration of the Levant, the potential breakup of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are of great concern to everyone. Perhaps the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003 were precursors to the disintegration of the post-World War I order in the region. What might follow in our southern neighborhood gives us more than adequate reason to be cautious, modest and prudent. Many participants complain that foreign policy has been excessively entangled with domestic politics. This aberration is detrimental to our foreign policy objectives. Turkey has great potential to be a constructive and stabilizing force in the region. Yet, there is considerable distance to be traveled.

We wish farewell to Madrid and thank our hosts for allowing us to focus intensely on our Middle East policy. It was a rewarding treat from our Mediterranean friends. The Turkish Awakening is continuing full speed. More realistic expectations are being shaped by our foreign policy elite. Despite some exaggerated commentary, Turkey's conservatives also seem to be beginning to see that a recalibration is needed. When the Soviet Union disintegrated there were extremely exaggerated comments from Ankara about the Caucasus and Central Asia. Remember the Turkish world stretching from the Adriatic to the Great Wall of China? In time it became clear that our human and economic resources were not adequate to match such grandiose slogans. Policy adapted accordingly. Similar to our experience vis-à-vis the Caucasus and Central Asia, in the Middle East too, Turkey will learn to adopt a more sober and sensible foreign policy. Give us some time.