"The Turkish Model for the Arab World" Discussed at a Roundtable

At a roundtable meeting organized by the Bahçeşehir University AMERS (American Studies Center), Türkiye's new foreign policy shaped around the Arab Spring and Türkiye's role were discussed.

The meeting was attended by Bahçeşehir University Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations Prof. Dr. Mert Bilgin, Turkish-Indian Business Council Chair Cefi KAMHİ, Observer Research Foundation Member and Journalist Saeed NAQVI, Milliyet Newspaper Columnist Sami KOHEN, Istanbul Bilgi University faculty member Prof. Dr. İlter TURAN, DEİK Turkish-Iraqi Business Council Chair Ercüment Aksoy, Bahçeşehir University faculty member Assist. Prof. Dr. Ebru Canan SOKULLU, Bahçeşehir University Lecturer Dr. Selçuk TUZCUOĞLU and Bahçeşehir University Graduate School of Social Sciences Secretary Muhsin BAYIK  .

Cefi KAMHİ opened the meeting by introducing Saeed NAQVI, one of India's leading journalists and a researcher at the Observer Research Foundation. Saeed NAQVI began by sharing his comments on what is happening in countries such as Iraq, Syria and Jordan based on his own experience. Saeed NAQVI stated that countries considered to have achieved revolution, such as Tunisia and Egypt, are currently going through serious upheavals, and that the rebels in Libya have still not been able to take control of the whole country. It was stated that after the collapse of the old regimes in these countries, interim administrations were established to ensure the transition to democracy, and in both a roadmap and timetable were set for a new constitution and elections, but this transition process has not been as fast as the overthrow of the dictators. Noting that religious and sectarian conflicts are taking place in both Egypt and Tunisia, Saeed NAQVI spoke about social tensions. Emphasizing that however the Arab Spring is defined, as "revolution" or "change," the Arab World will not be the same from now on, NAQVI said he foresees that this process will continue, however difficult and painful it may be.

Sami KOHEN also stated that expectations from the Arab Spring are high, that democracy cannot be achieved in a day, and that this is a transition process. Stating that it would be more accurate to consider the Arab countries separately, that Syria and Egypt are in different situations, and that developments in each country will therefore proceed at a different pace, KOHEN pointed out that the situation in the Middle East will be more painful.

In response to the question of whether Türkiye could be a model for Arab countries, Saeed NAQVI stated that there are some things not yet completed not only in the Arab World but also in Türkiye, and that therefore the "Turkish model" is not very suitable for the Arab World.