Erdogan’s political gambling plunged Turkey into severe crisis – Armenian expert
In an interview with Tert.am, Mr Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Academy of Sciences of Armenia, commented on Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s statement comparing Kurds to “Armenian gangs.”
Selahattin Demirtaş, Chairman of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, commented on the Turkish premier’s statement. According to him, Ahmet Davutoğlu is threatening with a Kurdish genocide.
Mr Safrastyan, Ahmet Davutoglu compared Kurds to “the Armenian gangs” that would collaborate with Russia.
Davutoglu’s words are not surprising and continue the policy of the Turkish state, including during the Ottoman period. On the one hand, it is evidence of Turkey denying the Armenian Genocide, applying different tricks. On the other hand, it is evidence that the present-day Republic of Turkey continues Turkish policy of statehood in dealing with national issues. And it is a policy of pressure and genocide. It was carried out toward the Armenian people early in the 20th century, and we can see it continue toward Kurds. That is, the Turkish State – whether Ottoman Turkey or the Republic of Turkey – is incapable of peacefully resolving the national problems by means of compromises, by political means. Rather, it is in the habit of using brutal force, which results in genocides, like it was in 1915.
Davutoglu has also stated that Kurds are collaborating with Russia as Armenians did in the past - the well-known thesis that Armenians would transport arms and ammunition from East Armenia with Russia’s help.
There is no point in commenting on it because the claims by Davutoglu and other Turkish political figures have been made since the Ottoman period, in the time of Mehmed Talaat Pasha and Ismail Enver Pasha. Moreover, official Turkish historiography has for decades been repeating it.
You have said Recep Erdogan is implementing a bankrupt policy. But Turkey’s foreign policy has traditionally been perceived as prudent, far-sighted and effective, has it not?
Yes, it has. But Erdogan’s policy is a political gamble indeed – especially during the last few years. The reason is that his task is to secure Turkey’s regional hegemony by means of his foreign policy and make Turkey regional leader. However, Turkey has not the necessary political and geopolitical prerequisites for that. Therefore, to achieve this unrealistic goal, Turkey got involved in different gambles – aggressive and dangerous to both the region and itself. In the context of the Islamic state and other terrorist groups in the Middle East, Turkey spared no effort to have the Bashar al-Assad regime overthrown because it wants to see Syria as an extremely weak state, viewing it as its geopolitical rival. This is the reason why Turkey’s foreign policy has recently clearly displayed Islamist tendencies. Specifically, Turkey started showing tendencies to the Sunni branch of Islamism. And it launched relevant activities in the Middle East. As a consequence, Turkey started showing its support to “Muslim brothers,” an extremist Sunni organization, which seriously worsened its relations with Egypt. Turkey started supporting its Sunni-oriented policy in Iraq despite the fact that the Shiah form part of the country’s authorities. It worsened Turkish-Iraqi relations as well, to say nothing of Turkish pressure on the Kurdish movement in Syria, outside Turkey’s borders. It should also be noted that, after downing the Russian warplane, Turkey plunged itself into a severe crisis. So Turkey’s foreign policy poses a threat to both the region and Turkey itself and to the neighboring states.
Davutoglu is drawing parallels with that period, which actually saw the start of disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, and, according to some experts, a similar process has got under way now.
It is too early to make such claims or draw such conclusions. But I would say some tendencies suggest such a scenario cannot be ruled out. That is, Turkey is now in a crisis. Specifically, Recep Erdogan’s irresponsible, aggressive and extremist policy has caused grave internal and external problems to Turkey. But I say again that it is too early to answer a question as to whether this crisis will inaugurate the process of Turkey’s disintegration.
The Kurdish problem is simmering. Could it play a role in the process of Turkey’s disintegration, given the fact that Turkey is most concerned over Syrian Kurds. According to some information, they will be granted autonomy.
Yes, and Kurds actually have their autonomy in Iraq. Secondly, if formation of a Kurdish autonomy gets under way in Syria, it will prove a heavy blow to Turkey. Preconditions are available, but no legal process has yet got under way.
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