While the Egyptian uprising continues, with vigor, not disputed, despite the curfew and that coordination of opposition organizations calling for a dramatic mobilization, Tuesday February 1 for the start of Hosni Mubarak, the reactions of experts, media and Turkish officials remain dominated by prudence. Last Friday, just as the Egyptian uprising took an unprecedented scale, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmet Davutoğlu, has finally expressed stating that the Arab governments could not remain indifferent to the demands of their people, and emphasizing the role of new media in the development of a widespread aspiration for democracy. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, usually much more verbose, is, meanwhile, remained remarkably quiet since the start of events. Several commentators in the Turkish press astonished by the oppressive silence, arguing that a country that often boasts of being the only democracy in the Muslim world, in this case could be bolder.
One can not fail to observe, in fact, the strong contrast between the modesty of the official Turkish reaction to the Egyptian situation, and diplomatic ambitions that the new leaders of the AKP have displayed in a regional area where they are often Attached, in recent years to improve their relations with their neighbors and to offer their mediation to facilitate conflict resolution stuck. For, beyond the purely economic and strategic interests that worked to defend this new diplomacy has not hesitated to take a strong political tone, when strongly condemned Israel, to advocate for Palestinians in Gaza, or has negotiated with Brazil and Iran signed an agreement aimed to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis, to the chagrin of Americans. In fact, what was first analyzed as a neo-Ottoman, marking the return of Turkish power on the regional scene, has increasingly been seen as a new "non-alignment", which can be the vector of values. And, indeed, Turkey, an emerging country economically, has often been described at During the past year as a regional political power, embodying with other countries, like Brazil, the demand for a new global governance.
Therefore it is not surprising that this innovative policy approach either appeared to be in phase with the internal political changes experienced by Turkey in parallel. Activism deployed to the Middle East by the AKP government, and the tone adopted by it in respect of Israel, have often put the balm on the heart of the Arab peoples, but they also grow the interest of these developments for internal policies of a country run by men from the Islamist movement, who managed to keep the army in its barracks, while leading the opening reforms. Some also wonder now if this Turkish example has not contributed to the outbreak of protests that are taking place in the Arab world, providing evidence that a Muslim country can build a democracy without leave the field open to radical Islam.
Yet it should be noted that the leaders of the AKP have never posed in political example for the Muslim world, and they have already been reluctant to stand up for democracy in their immediate environment. In June 2009, they had they criticized their silence over the repression of the "green revolution" in Iran. Today their analysis of the Egyptian crisis focuses primarily economic and strategic consequences of it is therefore only half-surprised. Turkish diplomatic initiatives in the Arab world have been primarily a strong economic (free trade agreements, opening of free zones ...), which could be reached, if in the wake of the revolutions of Tunisia and Egypt, the all the Arab world ablaze. While the forthcoming parliamentary elections to be held next June, this focus on diplomatic business concerns will probably complained to the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, if the case ever goes wrong for Turkish investors. There is also the concern about the strategic consequences that could have, the Middle East, the collapse of the regime of Hosni Mubarak. Therefore Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in recent times, very tough on Israel and willingly rebellious against its Western allies, seems like they stunned by the fires of Cairo, and especially anxious to override a cold pragmatism in its reading of the Egyptian crisis.
JM
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