The Erdoğan stance, rising Turkey, the new ‘One Minute’

Wtever anyone says, the plane crisis between Turkey and Russia is the deepest crisis since the Cold War, and can lead to regional and global impacts.

Wtever anyone says, the plane crisis between Turkey and Russia is the deepest crisis since the Cold War, and can lead to regional and global impacts.

In fact this is not limited to two countries alone. While Iran reaches Syria and countries in the region, it is also a new situation that has the potential to affect the power map between East and West.

The crisis taking place at a time both Turkey and Russia are preparing to make history with their new rise, bringing the past to the present, is another reality that needs to be followed carefully.

Russia-Iran axis is threatening

After the Soviet era, Russia decided to return to Tsarist Russia, stopped the disintegration process before long and immediately started to spread to the Tsarist and Soviet periods' expansionist map. It gained China's support with the partnerships it developed, used Iran as a front country and first intervened in the south Caucasus and then the north of the Black Sea, and annexed Crimea, becoming centralized once again in the Black Sea and then surprisingly entered Syria.

Russia's entering Syria is the same degree of intervention as the US entering Iraq. Furthermore, just like Israel using US power in the region, Russia has left its guidance in the Middle East to Iran and Tehran has started to use Russian power as a weapon in the entire region. The Russian-Iranian axis, going back centuries and dividing the Sunni Turkish world, has started to make a rise and is in efforts to shape the entire region.

Turkey is in a rising period

Turkey is a country that has woken up from its century-long sleep. It has got back up on its feet for the first time after the collapse of the Ottoman political structure by the global coalition, the strong political leadership and deep political mind going back centuries took action and a nation confined to Anatolia has started to spread to the region. This is a historic turn and will never divert from its path. Turkey is now preparing for the post-Republic period, and continuing on its centuries-old political journey with a new search for power.

This is an extremely long walk. This is not a struggle that can be understood by those who are unable to remember the pre-Republic era, whose vision is limited by membership in the European Union. Both friendships and enmity in this period are situational. Turkey is now a power on its own and is integral within its region. It has to be this way. While the rules of the game change on an international scale, Turkey has long changed the rules of its own game. Hence, it will continue on its path with new words, new methods and new political priorities.

Those trembling with fear cannot understand this

The duel of words between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin need to be read within the context of the pursuits these two rising powers. This is why Erdoğan's upright stance, his use of powerful words are not valor but the stance of the Turkey of the rising period. Routines are now broken, so nobody should expect Turkey to be hesitant, shy, apologetic, daunted.

The state's power and power of the nation will support one another, as will the country's power and the power of promise. This is not an adventure. This is a message, a new signal given to the entire region and societies, it is the display of a stance that comes all the way from centuries ago.

While some continue to tremble with their old fearfulness in the face of the threats Putin is directing at Turkey one after the other, Erdoğan's words yesterday stunned the “domestic invaders” the most and threw a curveball at those doing PR for Russia. The “operational” campaigns of those trying to sell their old fearfulness to the entire country by saying, “Let us not take on Russia, the situation is dire, we don't have enough strength for this,” were negated with these words.

Muslim manifesto…

The response given to Putin's surprising “Islamization” accusation was actually a response given to the entire region: “Turkey is 99 percent Muslim. How can you say such a thing? Can I say, 'The administration in Russia is trying to Christianize?' Tayyip Erdoğan is a Muslim. What effort am I going to make.” These words represent an identity, they are words of responsibility and a challenge. They are indicators that these lands and political history are normalizing.

His words, “The Syria issue is our principle issue, just like Iraq, Egypt, the Balkans, Crimea, the Caucasus. Our stance in this region can never be like that of other countries. The Middle East and North Africa may be a swamp for others, but for us, it is an integral part containing memories thousands of years old. Those who are unaware of this deep-rooted history cannot understand our sincerity toward the problems in our region,” will keep Putin sleepless at night.

Said for the first time since the Ottoman Empire

This is a challenge. It is the declaration of the political map on our minds. This is the picture of our common history, our deep-rooted unity. Putin, who will be rapidly stuck in a rut in Syria, will read the Caucasus and Crimea statements carefully.

These words are the words of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, from Sultan Abdülhamid. These words have been said for the first time since the Ottoman Empire. Then both the East and West will need to take heed of these words and will do so, too.

He says, “We will not apologize. Russia is the one that should apologize for violating our airspace. If the violation is repeated, we will do the same thing,” together with these powerful words.

Some on the inside are panicking. They want to intimidate and scare the nation. Those who are unable to grasp this stance, these powerful words and those who understand but are forming alliances with opposition fronts, are in pursuit of an operation. But from now on, they will be standing against a Turkey that reigns with these words. They always lost until today and from now on they are going to face greater losses.

A map cannot be drawn in spite of Turkey

Nobody should come under Turkey's nose and make threats. Nobody should try and take hostage Turkey's relationships with the Arab/Muslim world. Nobody should draw a map in this region in spite of Turkey. Those who think about doing these things should read a summary of the history of the fight given since the Crusades that will be enough for them.

Erdoğan's words are not intended to deepen the crisis. The two countries will certainly overcome this crisis with the experience of their common political history going back centuries. But nobody should try to set Russia onto Turkey and fire at Turkey through Russia. The matter the Russian administration needs to consider the most is probably how the Persian fire took hostage of the Russian political mind, because the cost of this for Russia will be heavy.

Beyond the National Pact and the new 'One minute'

Erdoğan's words are determining the position of a rising Turkey. This is the kind of country we are going to be from now on. This is not a front country, a wing country, a bridge country reflex but a central country reflex. Perhaps the mind map is expanding beyond the borders of the National Pact and very soon this map might produce its own common political language.

Yes, this is a challenge. We have been making such challenges on these lands numerous times for thousands of years; if we know this, we can better understand what it means.

We have witnessed a larger-scale “one minute” outburst than the one that set Israel. This is a warning to both those who are trying to adjust Turkey and define Turkey's exact position among nations.

This is the kind of country Turkey will be from now on. Peace and war will be with such a Turkey. There is no room for cowards in this great struggle.