Indeed, if the places frequented by and the figures visited by the people detained under the Ergenekon investigation are examined, one can clearly see that neo-nationalism and Eurasianism are the dominant views here.As put by the prosecutor, Ergenekon is a terrorist organization plotting to overthrow the democratically elected government by resorting to terror and anarchy. It follows that there must some ideological or theoretical infrastructure on which this terrorist organization rests. This ideology, which seems to still be in the making and which is capable of recruiting the disgruntled and opponents from all groups, manifests itself as neo-nationalism in terms of domestic politics and as Eurasianism in terms of foreign policy. So one must study well the neo-nationalist and Eurasianist mentality in order to better understand the Ergenekon mentality.
Nuriye Akman's interview with retired Gen. Nejat Eslen, published by the Zaman daily last Friday, is full of important hints about what emergent movements of neo-nationalism and Eurasianism are and what the position of Ergenekon is with regard to these movements. We will publish the entire interview in Sunday's Zaman, but I would like to quote some of Eslen's words here without making any comments about them.
Eslen believes the outcome of the July 22 election is a counterrevolution and that democracy is not a priority issue for Turkey. What must be done urgently, in his opinion, is to create a new definition of strategy for Turkey, to assess Eurasianism and to turn the country's face from the West to the East. "Eventually, Turkey will be a Western or Middle Eastern or Eurasian country," he says, maintaining that the Eurasianist fluctuations inside the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will end and the military will find the "truth" in the end.
Let us now read the following quotes together:
"There may be those inside the TSK who argue that we must maintain our relations with NATO and the US as in the Cold War era, and those who think like me. What I argue is that our interests no longer overlap with the US strategic and security vision in the post-Cold War era."
"Some groups advertise Eurasianism as a bad thing. It is the US which desires to enter Eurasia the most among the world countries. This is because energy resources are there. If the move by US and the EU toward Eurasia is logical, then Turkey's move toward Eurasia is as logical."
"It is quite meaningless to accuse the supporters of Eurasianism of being associated with the Eurasianism of Aleksandr Dugin, who proposed that Turkey move closer to Eurasia. Turkey should develop its own geopolitical vision and see where its interests lie. We allocate a majority of our political energy to EU membership. Why don't we think about utilizing the riches of Eurasia as the big powers do?"
"What makes the Eurasiansists in Turkey stronger is not Russia, but the impositions by the US and the EU. If today Eurasianism in Turkey and the possibility of Turkey's shift toward Eurasia are being discussed, then the West should engage in self-criticism and ask itself, 'Where did I do wrong toward Turkey?' Turkey's cooperation with Russia will certainly change the balances in the Middle East and Eurasia. If Turkey shifts its geopolitical axis from the West to the East, this will do the greatest damage to the US and Europe."
"It is inevitable that Turkey will redefine its geopolitical identity. Eventually, Turkey will be a Western or Middle Eastern or a Eurasian country. ... We have options. We may try to enter Eurasia together with the EU, the US, China or Russia. Or we may act independently. The Marmara Group wants to do this with the US. The Doğu Perinçek group wants to do it with Russia. It is not a crime to think about these options."
"In my opinion, this [the Ergenekon investigation] is a game played on us by the West. The West has concerns: Will Turkey shift its geopolitical axis toward the East? Will it develop cooperation with Russia, or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO]? What can we do to prevent this? We must eliminate, denigrate and discourage those who can steer Turkey away from the West. This is the gist of what is currently happening in Turkey. The West has given start to such an operation in order to purge the neo-nationalist groups, i.e., those intending to steer Turkey toward Eurasia."
"The republic is in danger. Turkey's priority issue is not further democratization. Beware, the priority issue is the republic. This is because the republic includes democracy as well. ... Where can you find absolute democracy? Is the US a democratic country? Turkey's unitary structure and its regime are in danger. First, we must concentrate on these issues. ... Russia would want Turkey to be a strong nation-state against the US. It is the West that does not want a strong Turkish nation-state."
"There has been a talk of military coups, but there has already been a coup against the republic in Turkey. We saw this coup on July 22, 2007. Forty-seven percent of the Turkish electorate voted for the Justice and Development Party [AK Party]. ... The promotion of Abdullah Gül's headscarved wife to Çankaya is part of this counterrevolution. The regimes in Ukraine and Georgia have been changed via democratic means. ... The closure of the AK Party will be decided depending on the political environment. There is an ongoing power struggle between two sides. On one side is the issue of the closure of the AK Party, and on the other side is the Ergenekon issue. From time to time, these sides make their attempts to gain advantage. I want the republic left to us by Atatürk to be protected. I don't want to see the headscarved wife of a president in Çankaya."
