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The Nation, Pakistan
Aug 17 2014
Back to the Ottomans?
August 18, 2014
Abdul Majeed Abid
History used to be a genre of literature till the nineteenth century.
In the sub continental tradition of history, revisionist writers such
as Nasim Hijazi and Allama Iqbal employed the tools of literature to
glorify history in pursuit of a new form of nationalism. In recent
times, different writers have used this technique in a much better
way, exploring the history of regions in the guise of fiction. Manto's
short stories on partition are considered more representative of
prevalent conditions during the partition of India than the
traditional accounts found in the history books. Octavio Paz and
Gabriel Garcia Marquez discussed Latin American history and politics
in a way that is simply not possible for non-fiction writers. In the
same way, it is necessary to read Charles Dickens to understand
Victorian era England. Tariq Ali's `Islam Quintet' belongs to the
historical fiction genre, taking place in five different settings in
Muslim history. In the third book of the quintet, `The Stone Woman,'
Tariq Ali focused on the decline of the Ottoman Empire during the
nineteenth century.
The Ottoman Empire stretched from modern day Algeria to Iran on one
side and from modern day Romania to Egypt and Ethiopia in the year
1800. The sentiments of the Turkish elite during the time of the
upheaval are best summarized in the words of a character in Tariq
Ali's book:
`We are living in uncertain times. The old order as we have known it
all our lives is dying. The Sultan is no longer powerful and the
Empire has itself become a fairytale now. Everything is being taken
away and nothing is ready to take its place.'
The decline continued throughout the nineteenth century, culminating
in the disastrous decision by Sultan Mehmed V to participate in the
First World War alongside German and Austro-Hungarian Empires
(collectively known as the central powers). Turkish forces, aided and
in many cases led by German soldiers were heavily defeated by the
opposition forces composed of the armies of the British Empire,
Russian Empire, France and Arab Rebels. The Turkish army was able to
defend Istanbul by the skin of their teeth at Gallipoli under the
guidance of a charismatic Lieutenant Colonel named Mustafa Kemal.
After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, its constituent parts were
divided amongst the victors. Mustafa Kemal took over the reins of
government, abolished the derelict institution of the Caliphate and
proclaimed the establishment of a Turkish Republic in 1923.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (Father of the Turks) embarked upon an ambitious
project to carve out a new Turkish nation, changing the Arabic script
to Latin, banning the use of Fez and forced the modernization of
society. Amidst this nation-building project, he inflicted misery upon
people who were not compatible (in his eyes) with the Turkish nation,
including the Kurds and Armenians. His policies were continued in one
way or the other till the 1980s.
In the year 1983, Turgut Ã-zal became the Prime Minister of Turkey. A
strong proponent of liberal capitalism, Ã-zal is credited with opening
up and modernizing the Turkish economy during his tenure as prime
minister. He continued his program of free-market expansion and
regional trade as president, laying the groundwork for strong economic
growth in the 1990s. It was during his tenure that the concept
`neo-Ottomanism' gained credence and Turkey tried to renew its
influence in the geopolitical scenario. In 1992, he proclaimed that
the twenty-first century would be the `century of the Turks.' He paved
the way for improved relations with the former Soviet republics which
had historical and cultural ties with Turkey. He also realized that
Kurds and Armenians will have to be taken into the folds of Turkey if
this project has to succeed. In the early 1990s, he opened
negotiations with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Turkey's main
Kurdish rebel group, leading to a ceasefire in 1993.
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an arose from humble beginnings and was a talented
amateur soccer player before becoming active in the Islamist Welfare
Party. He was elected Mayor of Istanbul in March 1994. After a short
stint in prison, he established the Justice and Development Party
(known as AK party), along with Abdullah Gul. The new party swept
national elections in 2002 and has held power since then. Turkey
progressed at an incredible pace under the control of AK party, with
its focus on free market capitalism and keeping the country stable to
attract foreign investment. The major accomplishment of the party was
to put the intervention-happy military in its rightful place, sealing
the doors shut for any future coups. Due to tremendous growth in the
last decade, Turkey is considered one of the top twenty economies in
the world.
Due to its healthy economy and relative stability, Turkey has
attempted to portray itself as a regional superpower in the Middle
East. Along with traditional means of diplomacy, Turkish cultural
exports (especially the Ottoman-era soap operas) have weaved their
spell on audiences in the Middle East, South Asia and Balkan states,
boosting Turkey's soft power. Turkey has voiced its support for the
East Turkestan movement, helped Palestinian citizens by sending an aid
Flotilla (alongside recent denunciations of Israel by Mr. ErdoÄ?an),
paved the way for the Kurdish Regional Authority to sell oil to other
countries, and aided Sunni militants in Syria. Additionally, trouble
in Ukraine has opened up the prospect of the southern corridor for
Energy Supply to Europe, which would undoubtedly increase Turkey's
importance for EU countries.
Within the country itself, there is widespread nostalgia for Ottoman
era glory and it is reflected in Turkey's foreign policy outlook. This
policy is not advancing as well as would be expected. Turkey's
overtures towards Central Asia are overshadowed by Russia, its
`adventure' in Syria backfired and its posturing towards Israel has
caused a warming of relations between Israel and Turkey's nemesis:
Greece. With ErdoÄ?an winning the recently held Presidential election,
neo-Ottomanism is expected to remain in vogue, despite temporary
setbacks.
The writer is a freelance columnist.
http://www.nation.com.pk/columns/18-Aug-2014/back-to-the-ottomans
Aug 17 2014
Back to the Ottomans?
August 18, 2014
Abdul Majeed Abid
History used to be a genre of literature till the nineteenth century.
In the sub continental tradition of history, revisionist writers such
as Nasim Hijazi and Allama Iqbal employed the tools of literature to
glorify history in pursuit of a new form of nationalism. In recent
times, different writers have used this technique in a much better
way, exploring the history of regions in the guise of fiction. Manto's
short stories on partition are considered more representative of
prevalent conditions during the partition of India than the
traditional accounts found in the history books. Octavio Paz and
Gabriel Garcia Marquez discussed Latin American history and politics
in a way that is simply not possible for non-fiction writers. In the
same way, it is necessary to read Charles Dickens to understand
Victorian era England. Tariq Ali's `Islam Quintet' belongs to the
historical fiction genre, taking place in five different settings in
Muslim history. In the third book of the quintet, `The Stone Woman,'
Tariq Ali focused on the decline of the Ottoman Empire during the
nineteenth century.
The Ottoman Empire stretched from modern day Algeria to Iran on one
side and from modern day Romania to Egypt and Ethiopia in the year
1800. The sentiments of the Turkish elite during the time of the
upheaval are best summarized in the words of a character in Tariq
Ali's book:
`We are living in uncertain times. The old order as we have known it
all our lives is dying. The Sultan is no longer powerful and the
Empire has itself become a fairytale now. Everything is being taken
away and nothing is ready to take its place.'
The decline continued throughout the nineteenth century, culminating
in the disastrous decision by Sultan Mehmed V to participate in the
First World War alongside German and Austro-Hungarian Empires
(collectively known as the central powers). Turkish forces, aided and
in many cases led by German soldiers were heavily defeated by the
opposition forces composed of the armies of the British Empire,
Russian Empire, France and Arab Rebels. The Turkish army was able to
defend Istanbul by the skin of their teeth at Gallipoli under the
guidance of a charismatic Lieutenant Colonel named Mustafa Kemal.
After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, its constituent parts were
divided amongst the victors. Mustafa Kemal took over the reins of
government, abolished the derelict institution of the Caliphate and
proclaimed the establishment of a Turkish Republic in 1923.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (Father of the Turks) embarked upon an ambitious
project to carve out a new Turkish nation, changing the Arabic script
to Latin, banning the use of Fez and forced the modernization of
society. Amidst this nation-building project, he inflicted misery upon
people who were not compatible (in his eyes) with the Turkish nation,
including the Kurds and Armenians. His policies were continued in one
way or the other till the 1980s.
In the year 1983, Turgut Ã-zal became the Prime Minister of Turkey. A
strong proponent of liberal capitalism, Ã-zal is credited with opening
up and modernizing the Turkish economy during his tenure as prime
minister. He continued his program of free-market expansion and
regional trade as president, laying the groundwork for strong economic
growth in the 1990s. It was during his tenure that the concept
`neo-Ottomanism' gained credence and Turkey tried to renew its
influence in the geopolitical scenario. In 1992, he proclaimed that
the twenty-first century would be the `century of the Turks.' He paved
the way for improved relations with the former Soviet republics which
had historical and cultural ties with Turkey. He also realized that
Kurds and Armenians will have to be taken into the folds of Turkey if
this project has to succeed. In the early 1990s, he opened
negotiations with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Turkey's main
Kurdish rebel group, leading to a ceasefire in 1993.
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an arose from humble beginnings and was a talented
amateur soccer player before becoming active in the Islamist Welfare
Party. He was elected Mayor of Istanbul in March 1994. After a short
stint in prison, he established the Justice and Development Party
(known as AK party), along with Abdullah Gul. The new party swept
national elections in 2002 and has held power since then. Turkey
progressed at an incredible pace under the control of AK party, with
its focus on free market capitalism and keeping the country stable to
attract foreign investment. The major accomplishment of the party was
to put the intervention-happy military in its rightful place, sealing
the doors shut for any future coups. Due to tremendous growth in the
last decade, Turkey is considered one of the top twenty economies in
the world.
Due to its healthy economy and relative stability, Turkey has
attempted to portray itself as a regional superpower in the Middle
East. Along with traditional means of diplomacy, Turkish cultural
exports (especially the Ottoman-era soap operas) have weaved their
spell on audiences in the Middle East, South Asia and Balkan states,
boosting Turkey's soft power. Turkey has voiced its support for the
East Turkestan movement, helped Palestinian citizens by sending an aid
Flotilla (alongside recent denunciations of Israel by Mr. ErdoÄ?an),
paved the way for the Kurdish Regional Authority to sell oil to other
countries, and aided Sunni militants in Syria. Additionally, trouble
in Ukraine has opened up the prospect of the southern corridor for
Energy Supply to Europe, which would undoubtedly increase Turkey's
importance for EU countries.
Within the country itself, there is widespread nostalgia for Ottoman
era glory and it is reflected in Turkey's foreign policy outlook. This
policy is not advancing as well as would be expected. Turkey's
overtures towards Central Asia are overshadowed by Russia, its
`adventure' in Syria backfired and its posturing towards Israel has
caused a warming of relations between Israel and Turkey's nemesis:
Greece. With ErdoÄ?an winning the recently held Presidential election,
neo-Ottomanism is expected to remain in vogue, despite temporary
setbacks.
The writer is a freelance columnist.
http://www.nation.com.pk/columns/18-Aug-2014/back-to-the-ottomans