You may have read about surveys indicating that Turks are more anti-American than any other group worldwide. Don't trust those surveys. The Bush administration has ruined the image of the US around the world and this may be true in Turkey more than any other country. But aversion to US government policies does not necessarily mean unfavorable views about American society and people, although persistence of the former may lead to the latter in the long run. A clear majority of Turks had favorable views of the US during the presidency of Bill Clinton, and if his wife, Hillary Clinton, or better, democratic candidate Barack Obama, takes over the US presidency next year, "anti-Americanism" in Turkey may decline rapidly depending on what they do in Iraq.Be it anti-Americanism or anti-Bushism that is widespread, there is considerable interest in US politics in Turkey. The debate about the US among Turkish intellectuals nowadays may be said to have two sides and to center basically on three related issues. One issue is about whether the US has the capacity to learn from mistakes and correct itself. One side maintains that there is no real democracy in the US, and hence no capacity to correct itself. Administrations may change but the US will remain a unilateralist, militarist and arrogant superpower. The other side argues that the US has a democratic regime, even if an imperfect one, and may well learn from mistakes to change its course toward a multilateral, non-militarist and humble superpower.
The second issue of the debate is about whether there is just one America or two. One side maintains that there is only one, while the other maintains that there are not one but two Americas: There is on the one hand the religious, conservative and militarist "Red America," and the secular, liberal and non-militarist "Blue America" on the other. The former is represented roughly by the Republicans, the latter roughly by the Democrats. Which of these two Americas prevails is of great concern for the world.
The third issue of the debate on the US among Turkish intellectuals is about the role of the US in global politics. One side maintains that the US is the source of all evil (an "evil empire") in the world. It seeks global hegemony and is a reactionary force with all the political, economic, cultural and military aspects of its power. The other side maintains that it is possible for the US to use its political, economic, cultural and military might for the general good of the mankind and it is therefore most important who is in charge in the US. If Al Gore, for example, instead of George W. Bush had been elected the president of the US in 2000, the world may have been a significantly different place than it is today.
I am aware that some of my American friends find me naive because I belong to those Turks who maintain that the US has the capacity to learn from its mistakes, that there are two Americas in rivalry with each other and that America may well be put into the service of the good of all. I consequently think that the US presidential election this year is of great importance for the global community. The Republican Party is dominated by neoconservatives (the core of the Israel lobby in the US) and Christian Zionists, both of which work against the interests of both the US and Israel itself. I therefore clearly am in favor of a Democratic president. I would not at all be disappointed if Hillary Clinton is elected the next president of the US, not only because that would constitute a great victory for women, but also because that would mean the return of the Clintons to the White House. But my real preference for the White House is surely Barack Obama, because part of his roots come from Africa, because his middle name is Hussein and because he seems to have the capacity to re-brand the US.
I admit, however, that my preferences rarely coincide with those of the American electorate. Particularly since Howard Dean was my favorite at the start of the previous presidential election campaign.
