The Arabs are very easy to please, they add; just attack Israel and you become a hero in the so-called “Arab street.” But this is a very shallow and one-sided analysis. There are other reasons, and more serious ones, for Erdoğan’s increasing popularity in the Arab world.There is no doubt that the Davos incident was a turning point in many ways. It was a turning point in Erdoğan’s political career as well as in the modern history of Arab-Turkish relations. Coming in the wake of the heat of Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, the incident made Erdoğan an instant hero in the Arab and Muslim world. The streets of Gaza, the West Bank, Damascus, Cairo and many other places were filled with posters depicting Erdoğan, and in some instances, together with Turkish flags. Popular cultural products were out immediately: one-minute songs, short films, T-shirts were all over the place. Erdoğan became not only a political leader who openly defended the rights of Palestinians but also a sort of cult figure, a charismatic leader appealing to everyone from political analysts to students.
While there is truth to the fact that the Davos incident made Erdoğan famous in the Arab world, there are other reasons for his increasing popularity. The first and foremost is Turkey’s democracy. Just survey the Arab media, and you will find tens of articles and op-ed pieces on the travails of Turkish democracy, its bumps along the way and Erdoğan’s struggle against the anti-democratic forces in Turkey. Ask Fahmi Huwaydi, one of the most prominent minds of the Arab world from Egypt, for instance, and you will get a detailed analysis about the fact that Turkey’s rise to prominence is not a mystery, that the Turks work hard to improve their democracy, strengthen their economy and address their decades-old critical issues, such as the Kurdish issue. You will also find many Arab commentators such as Azmi Bishara and Mustafa al-Labbad explaining to their readers how the new Turkish foreign policy seeks to capitalize on the new realities of the 21st century and why Turkish policymakers act with the kind of self-confidence and energy that we have not seen in any nation-state in recent memory.
In all of these analyses, the Turkish struggle for full democracy takes the center stage. The Arab commentators as well as others follow the Ergenekon case closely and know the intricacies of civilian-military relations. They know that Erdoğan is walking a fine line between reform and political continuity. But at the end of the day, what makes the Turkish story and that of Erdoğan interesting and appealing is not the Davos incident or the Turkish soap operas shown on Arab TV channels. Rather, it is Turkish democracy. With its dynamic political debate, rich public space, well-establish media and a very strong civil society sector with thousands of associations and foundations, Turkey is a major story for anyone interested in a genuine democratic struggle. The Arabs also understand Turkey’s bid for full membership in the European Union and its upright and fiercely proud stand before the skeptical and anti-Turkish leaders of Europe.
In all of these, the Arabs and increasingly the world’s Muslims see something more in Erdoğan and the Turkish story he embodies than just a smack at Israel. The so-called “Arab street” is much smarter than that. As a matter of fact, I never liked the term the “Arab street” because it reduces the Arab political debate to mob psychology and robs the Arabs of intelligent analysis. The Arabs look up to Turkey not simply because the Turkish prime minister voices concerns over the rights of the Palestinians and the situation in Gaza. This incident may soon become part of history. The real underlying reason is the story of Turkish democracy. Erdoğan is popular among Arabs because he, along with Turkey, represents democracy, the rule of law, freedom, engaging world politics with self-confidence, addressing issues with courage and boldness, reaching out to people and remaining a man of the people -- all qualities they see lacking in their political leaders.
