Turkey's policy of engaging with different governments and political groups in the Arab world has had a transforming impact on Middle Eastern politics and economy. The Turkish position on change has been clear all along; change in the Arab world is inevitable and must reflect people's legitimate demands for justice, freedom and prosperity. And change must come without violence.
Critics claim that since Turkey has worked with existing regimes in the Arab world and since many of them now face radical transformation or toppling, Turkish foreign policy has failed. This seems to imply that the newly emerging political order in the Middle East will jeopardize Turkey's strategic position in the region. This claim is wrong for several reasons.
First of all, Turkey has developed different types of relationships with countries in the Middle East over the last decade. They have included improved relations with both governments in power and the public in general. As Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said recently, Turkey is probably the only country that has been able to develop relations with regimes as well as the public in the Arab world.
This policy of engaging both governments and opposition groups has created a new dynamic in Turkish-Arab relations. It is true that some Arab governments have taken a reserved position towards Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's increasing popularity in the Arab world. But it is also true that many Arab officials, intellectuals, activists and youth leaders of different political inclinations have taken a keen interest in the Turkish experience of democratization, economic development and proactive foreign policy. This has created a new sense of appreciation for Turkey's achievements and deepened Turkey's soft power capacity in the Arab world.
One of the key outcomes of this multi-layered interaction has been the emergence of lively debate in the Arab world about how Turkey has been able to reconcile Islam, democracy and economic development. But more importantly, this has turned into a debate about how Arab countries should restructure and reposition themselves in the 21st century. Just like 19th century Arab intellectuals such as Rifa'a al-Tahtawi, who studied European civilization in order to highlight the structural problems of Arab countries, today's Arab world is taking a close look at the Turkish experience, in addition to others, to project a new political identity.
Secondly, while the Arab Spring moves at different speeds in different countries, Turkey continues to urge Arab governments for genuine reform. This is a good thing for the Arab world and should have happened two decades ago. But also, Turkey stands to gain from a democratic, pluralist and prosperous Arab world. A democratic era will give the Arab world a chance to be the masters of their own destiny. It will also enable Arabs to develop a new paradigm for their relationship with the West based on equality and partnership -- a position Turkey has come to symbolize.
Finally, Turkey's policy of engaging various actors in the Middle East, repudiated by some as controversial, extreme and even terrorist, is playing a significant role in bringing them into mainstream politics. Given the new political realities in Egypt, Tunisia, Palestinian territories as well as in Lebanon, Libya and elsewhere, these actors are no longer secret or illegal organizations. To put it simply, they include the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Nahda Movement in Tunisia and Hamas in Palestine and they will all play important and legitimate roles in the political future of their respective countries.
This means that Americans and Europeans will need to engage these groups publicly and directly, not secretly or indirectly anymore. This will be a learning process for all sides. Turkey has been unfairly criticized for engaging these actors. But as an irony of history, they are now part of the emerging political order in the Arab world.
