Neo-Ottomanism: Difference between revisions

Focused on the rhetoric of the encounter between civilizations, [[Ahmet Davutoğlu|Davutoğlu]] takes up the approach of former President [[Turgut Özal]], who was the first Turkish president to begin discussions on Turkey's accession to the West. The latter put an end to the crisis that arose following the 1974 coup in [[Cyprus]] in order to move closer to the Western bloc, and thus to look towards [[Asia]] and extend its area of influence towards the countries of the [[Caucasus]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lea |first=Raso Della Volta |title=Les paradoxes du nationalisme turc : La construction de l'identité de 1869 au néo-ottomanisme de Recep Erdogan |date=2021 |publisher=L'Harmattan |pages=401 |oclc=1268921056}}</ref> Aiming at a policy of national harmony, [[Turgut Özal|Özal]] refuses any denial of specificity among Turkish citizens. He sought in particular to relaunch dialogue with the [[Kurds]], wishing to put an end to the permanent state of war between the [[Kurdistan Workers' Party|PKK]] and the Turkish state, a conflict which tarnished Turkey's image in the world.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lea |first=Raso Della Volta |title=Les paradoxes du nationalisme turc : La construction de l'identité de 1869 au néo-ottomanisme de Recep Erdogan |date=2021 |publisher=L'Harmattan |pages=396 |oclc=1268921056}}</ref>

 

As President, Erdoğan has overseen a revival of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] tradition.<ref name="Calian">{{Cite web|last=Calian|first=Florin George|date=2021-03-25|title=The Hagia Sophia and Turkey's Neo-Ottomanism |url=https://armenianweekly.com/2021/03/24/the-hagia-sophia-and-turkeys-neo-ottomanism/|access-date=2021-05-28|website=The Armenian Weekly|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-10|title=Europe must wake up to Erdogan's neo-Ottoman ambition|url=https://capx.co/europe-must-wake-up-to-erdogans-neo-ottoman-ambition/|access-date=2021-05-28|website=CapX|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Todorović |first1=Miloš |title=TİKA's Heritage Restoration Projects: Examples of Foreign Aid or Proof of Neo-Ottomanism? |journal=Insight Turkey |date=2021 |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=141–156 |doi=10.25253/99.2021233.8 |s2cid=244203965 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354721571 |access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref> While serving as the Prime Minister of Turkey, Erdoğan's AKP made references to the Ottoman era during election campaigns, such as calling their supporters 'grandsons of Ottomans' ''(Osmanlı torunu).''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taraf.com.tr/politika/akpnin-sarkisinda-uzun-adam-gitti-osmanli-torunu-geldi/|title=AKP'nin şarkısında 'Uzun adam' gitti 'Osmanlı torunu' geldi ! – Taraf Gazetesi|author=Oktay Özilhan|work=Taraf Gazetesi|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208184432/http://www.taraf.com.tr/politika/akpnin-sarkisinda-uzun-adam-gitti-osmanli-torunu-geldi/|archive-date=8 February 2015}}</ref> This proved controversial, since it was perceived to be an open attack against the republican nature of modern Turkey founded by [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]]. In 2015, Erdoğan made a statement in which he endorsed the old Ottoman term ''külliye'' to refer to university campuses rather than the standard Turkish word ''kampüs''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilk-kursun.com/haber/212703/erdogan-kampus-degil-kulliye/|title=Erdoğan: Kampus değil, külliye|work=ilk-kursun.com}}</ref> Many critics have thus accused Erdoğan of wanting to become an Ottoman [[sultan]] and abandon the secular and democratic credentials of the Republic.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/recep-tayyip-erdogan-the-new-sultan-now-has-a-new-palace--and-it-has-cost-turkish-taxpayers-400m-9841319.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/recep-tayyip-erdogan-the-new-sultan-now-has-a-new-palace--and-it-has-cost-turkish-taxpayers-400m-9841319.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The 'new sultan' now has a new palace – and it has cost Turkish taxpayers £400m|work=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/erdogan-is-turkeys-new-sultan-1407865770|title=Erdogan Is Turkey's New Sultan – WSJ|date=13 August 2014|work=WSJ}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21612237-recep-tayyip-erdogans-plans-presidency-next-sultan|title=The next sultan?|date=16 August 2014|newspaper=The Economist}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/11380281/Turkeys-president-is-not-acting-like-the-Queen-he-is-acting-like-a-sultan.html|title='Turkey's president is not acting like the Queen – he is acting like a sultan'|date=2 February 2015|work=Telegraph.co.uk|last1=Akkoc|first1=Raziye}}</ref> The American philosopher, [[Noam Chomsky]], said that "Erdogan in Turkey is basically trying to create something like the [[Ottoman Caliphate]], with him as [[caliph]], supreme leader, throwing his weight around all over the place, and destroying the remnants of democracy in Turkey at the same time".<ref>{{cite news |last=Barsamian |first=David |author-link=David Barsamian |url=https://chomsky.info/20201010-2/ |title=Noam Chomsky Discusses Azeri Aggression on Artsakh |work=Chomsky.info |date=2020-10-10 |access-date=2021-01-10 |quote= Erdogan in Turkey is basically trying to create something like the Ottoman Caliphate, with him as caliph, supreme leader, throwing his weight around all over the place, and destroying the remnants of democracy in Turkey at the same time, Chomsky said }}</ref>