Erdogan's wavering and Turkey's Janus-faced identity
Ankara (AsiaNews) Turks are increasingly dismayed by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's yo-yo attitude towards the Pope's visit. After repeatedly saying he was not going to meet Benedict XVI during the latter's trip to Turkey because of his commitment to go to Estonia for a NATO meeting, a government spokesman announced yesterday that the Turkish authorities were working with the Vatican to ensure that the Prime Minister and the Pope would meet at an airport in the capital on November 28 before the start of the NATO summit in Riga.
In Turkey, where Islamo-nationalists continue to protest against the visit, the press has reported that law enforcement authorities have pledged maximum security during the Pope's stay in Turkey, safer than in the Vatican according to the police.
A-level, i.e. maximum, security arrangements will be in place, similar to those made during the visit by US President Bush and British Prime Minister Blair.
In the air two F-16 fighters will escort the plane carrying the pope. Overland travel will be done with three bullet-proof cars, one of which will carry the pope, 50 special agents and two helicopters monitoring every movement from the air.
In Ephesus security will be handled by 1,500 gendarmes and 275 policemen; in Istanbul the police will deploy 4,500 men.
Erdogan's indecision reflects Turkey's wavering identity, tentative and Janus-faced, pulled in different directions by opposite forces.
His decision a month ago to go to the NATO summit on November 28 and 29, making a meeting with Benedict XVI all but impossible, made a stir. Suggestions were made that a meeting might be organised for the 30 in Istanbul but no official decision was made making the tête-à-tête highly unlikely.
Yesterday the Turkish press reported that no member of the government would meet with the Pope whether in Ankara or Istanbul, ostensibly for commitments abroad, except for Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
One paper, Aksam, actually published a photo of the Pope with the title "Run, the Pope is coming!" In the box underneath, readers were told that the "three most important members of the government will be absent during the Pope's visit". Only Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin would meet him.
According to the planned schedule President Sezer would greet Benedict XVI according to protocol. The list of absents with leave would follow: Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc would be back from the United Arab Emirates on November 28 but would not meet the Pope, whilst Prime Minister Erdogan, who left yesterday for Jordan, would be in Riga for the NATO summit along with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Vice President Adbullatif Sener would be in Damascus, on Syria's invitation and Religious Affairs Minister Mehmet Aydin would instead be in Germany.
Some papers also reported some reasons adduced for the number of absent top officials. Speaker Arinc for example said: "I have nothing to say about the issue. I'll be abroad on Saturday as planned. As parliamentary speaker I might have changed my schedule to welcome him in the best possible ways if the Pope had asked to meet parliament. What other government officials do does not concern me."
Another paper, Zaman, in yesterday's front page quoted Ali Bardakoglu, head of the Religious Affairs Directorate. "I think the attitude the Pope should take is that neither Islam nor Christianity is a source of violence," he said.
Mr Bardakoglu also said he was sorry for what happened in Saint Sophia Museumanti-Pope prayer-cum-demonstration by young extremistsand for the flight of top government leaders from having to meet the Pope. "All this goes against an alliance between culturesit is something goading and painful".
In the past few weeks Prime Minister Erdogan's office insisted that he would attend the Riga summit in the first two days of the Pope's visit and then would be engaged in other events elsewhere in Turkey. But four days before the Pope's arrival, the Prime Minister had a change of heart and said he would meet Benedict XVI upon the latter's arrival at Ankara Airport.
Hence, after all the criticism voiced for the lack of a meeting, a government official announced that Turkish and Vatican officals were working to ensure that the Prime Minister and the Pope would meet at the capital's airport on November 28 before Erdogan's departure for the NATO summit in Riga.
Ordinary Turks reacted to the news reported late last night by TV stations with amusement and dismay. His wavering risks undermining his credibility. Islamists and nationalists will view his decision as a defeat and a cave-in; democrats will see it as indecisiveness that would public opinion disconcerted.
But more than that, Erdogan's wavering is a sign how he is boxed boxed in a corner, stuck between a rock and a hard place.
In November 2002, Erdogan, head of the Islamic AKP or Justice and Development Party, won a landslide victory in the general elections. He was able to ride the wave of anger and disappointment many Turks felt towards a corrupt and degenerate bourgeoisie that had led the country for so long. However, the pragmatic and efficient representative of Turkey's "Islamic democracy" now seems to be wading in troubled waters.
Presidential elections are scheduled for 2007 and Erdogan is planning to run. A recent survey has indicated that the AKP would only get 29 per cent of the vote against 34.5 per cent in 2002. About 19 per cent of voters are undecided, 12 would vote for the Republican People's Party or CHP, a leftwing party, and 10.5 would not vote at all.
The same survey showed that one in two people had no idea as to who should be the next presidentonly 12 per cent said they would like to see the current prime minister in that office.
Why the loss of favour? In four years, Erdogan's government has been unwilling or incapable of introducing a single "Islamist" policy (not only no Quranic schools, but also no repeal on the ban on women wearing veils in public buildings and universities). And yet he was able to get many pro-Europe reforms adopted but not enough to get the European Union to admit Turkey.
For some Turks, he is still an unknown quantity as far as maintaining the secular nature of the state, whilst for those who were hoping to see a greater ""Islamisation" he has been a disappointment for promises not kept. The paradox is that his government seems paralysed from opposing forces with neither religious Islamists nor secular Kemalists satisfied.
Christians are also perplexed by his moves. His last minute decision to meet Benedict XVI seems opportunistic, designed to quell rumblings by international public opinion, rather than inspired by any genuine desire to meet the Pope and see what he stands for.
Still Mgr Georges Marovich, spokesman for the Bishops' Conference of Turkey, said he was satisfied with Erdogan's decision. The fact that he is now trying to meet Benedict XVI must be seen as "signal" that he wants to create a climate of détente. In condemning the demonstrations against the Pope, he also confirmed the impression that he wants to distance himself from the controversy generated by his visit.
Marovich is convinced that even if the meeting will be a short one, the prime minister will greet the Pontiff mindful of traditional Turkish hospitality.
One nagging question remains though. With three days to go before the Pope lands in Turkey and with Erdogan in Jordan, will he change his mind there?
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02/05/2009
