Paranoia

I am not sure which part of these accusations one should address, but for me the most troubling one is the widespread belief that it is indeed possible to steer a large and strategic country such as Turkey into action by a single report written at a think tank in Washington. It is the lack of self-confidence and paranoia that shines through such an outlook that is so repulsive. It is a state of mind that is far removed from the current thinking of this country's leadership. We have been preaching for years now that Turkey is a growing dynamo in this region attracting the attention of many countries in its immediate neighborhood. This is a country that has moved up in the League of Nations. It is now a member of the G-20, a member of the UN Security Council, is negotiating with the European Union, is a co-founder of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative and has many other foreign and domestic achievements to list. Yet, it is being portrayed as fragile and open to manipulation to such an extent one wonders whether we are coexisting in the same country. One would expect more integrity and self-confidence from the leader of the main opposition when engaging in such a discourse. Mr. Baykal is trying to tune into the paranoia of some segments in our society who continue to be plagued by the ominous Sèvres Syndrome. Almost a century has passed by but it is the same outlook that is afraid of any change. It is an outlook that is so far removed from the realities of this complex world, of globalization and, even worse, of the dreams and aspirations of our people. The extent of detachment from one's own society is the most worrying aspect of this frame of mind and that is what I am taking issue with.

One other aspect overlooked is that the US is about to withdraw from Iraq and a historic opportunity has presented itself for us in the Iraqi-Middle Eastern context. Turkey is destined to play a larger role in the Middle East and if that offers Turkey an opportunity to address its own problems with some of its Kurdish citizens, what is there to be concerned about? Unfortunately, the messenger matters more than the message in this country -- whatever the issue. This country has been debating and thinking about its Kurdish citizens for years and there have been many reports that advocate similar things to the one in question. Why then the fuss about this one? Could it be there is a distinct paranoia nourished by a heavy dose of insecurity festering in the minds of some? Could it be that some of us are in angst about what is foreign? Could it be that some of us are very xenophobic?

Indeed, could it be…?