Young Egyptian activists in Turkey seeking inspiration

In his eyes and voice there is evidence of a great love and respect for Turkey. Last week in Turkey, there were more than 50 such young people from Egypt who were the real spark igniting the recent revolution in the country. The leaders of the Jan. 25 Tahrir Youth wanted to see the Turkish experience in person, so they spoke with Turkish statesmen, attended rallies and met with politicians.

It was President Abdullah Gül who was the first foreign leader to visit Egypt after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak’s regime. While Gül met with political representatives from every spectrum of society in Cairo, he also met with the youth. And these same youth visited Turkey last week on an invitation from Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), touring Istanbul, Ankara and Konya. In Ankara, this group of young people was accorded almost more respect than world leaders. They were met individually and separately by Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. The group watched a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) rally in İstanbul, and visited the offices of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). They did not limit their contacts to just politicians either, also taking time to meet with businessmen and trade organizations. And so they got to personally see Turkey, which is being held up as a model for Egypt these days.

Turkey, not France, as a model

The Turkish and Egyptian modernization projects really began in very similar styles, with the two countries in a sort of competition on this front. Both countries took France as a national model for their own reforms, Egypt under Mehmet Ali Pasha, who began the era of separation from the Ottoman Empire, and Turkey under Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II. Both nations sent their students to France to study and used the French model for their own state structures. But in the end, the fate of these countries was not to be the same. While Turkey entered the democratic process after becoming a republic, dictatorships took over in Egypt. And nowadays the youth of Egypt are seeing Turkey as a model for their nation. Beyond education, it is aspects such as self-confidence and vision that are particularly sought after by Egypt when it comes to the Turkey model. Egyptian youth are just as educated and at peace with global values as Turkish youth are. Perhaps this model is best seen as “a quest for a leader who will take the helm of the country and follow an independent foreign policy in full self-confidence.” First and foremost, Egyptian youth are made uncomfortable by the image of their country as “a partner of the US in the Middle East.” They are searching for something that will “make them themselves again.” This is why Turkey is a model for them. Just as France was once on the horizon for Egypt in the 19th century, it is now Turkey that fulfills that role.

Normalization of history

But what is it that Turkey can tell and advise these youth? The answer to this question is actually quite simple: Turkey explains everything it has experienced lately and talks about what it has made happen for itself. Foreign Minister Davutoğlu told these things to the young people who were being hosted in Konya. Turkey’s basic values. What are these? A pluralistic political structure, a democracy that reflects the will of the people, accountability, transparency, respect for human rights, a balance between freedom and security, self-confidence, foreign policy based on certain principles and prosperity. Davutoğlu talked at length about his own discomfort with history indexed on the West’s past. He noted that not only Muslims but also Eastern societies, such as China and India and so on, had all played important roles and left important marks on history. He insisted that highlighting this had no connection to being anti-Western. He also noted the importance of taking advantage of some Western values. He labeled this general concept as being the “normalization of history.” He pointed to the critical nature of self-confidence in all this. He also brought the subject back over and over to the importance of implementing policies at peace with basic realities. Davutoğlu urged the young Egyptians to “have a new inclusive intellectual culture, a comprehensive political reform package and an economic strategy,” as a result of their revolution.

Not only model but also love

One must also talk here about another important reason that Turkey is held as a model for Egypt and many other Middle Eastern countries. Turkish authorities have never pushed Ankara as a model, just saying, “Those who want to take us a model will be happy and we will do what we can to help.” In other words, there has been no looking down from above at other societies. In fact, at the end of the conference, Davutoğlu even prompted one of the Egyptian youths by saying, “So, tell me, how is it that you brought about that revolution?” The Egyptian youth are well aware of this difference.

Turkey is also learning

We should also touch on the sheer love for Turkey expressed by so many Egyptian youth. It is difficult otherwise to relay the pure excitement. It is impossible not to see the love and admiration on their faces after even a brief conversation. Those listening to Davutoğlu were anxious to record much of what they were hearing and feeling on Twitter: “But we are just as much a part of history. History is not in the hands of the white man, as Kipling said (another reason to love Davutoglu),” writes one Shimaa Rashad. We ask her whether “love” isn’t a bit of a strong word here, to which she replies: “But our emotions are very sharp. We experience both love and hate very strongly.”This group of Egyptian youth come to Konya to meet with Davutoğlu for 20 minutes, but ended up staying late, until 2 a.m., talking. Again on Twitter, the young El-Katatney tweets, “General mood after FM speech is big smiles and inspired mood.” As a last note, let me say this: This visit was not just about learning for Egyptian youth. It was also a great example of the “public diplomacy” which we have been hearing so much about recently, and a great sign that Turkish statesmen and Turkey have really learned this business well.