Are the anti-Islam, anti-Türkiye sentiments one-sided political, cultural setups?

In addition to the Qur’an-burning and tearing sessions that recently emerged in North European countries, Western media outlets competing to insult President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is ongoing. We can consider that both developments, though separate, support each other. The signs showing a new era is starting, especially in terms of North European countries, are striking. I use the term culture in accordance with Nobert Elias’ definition that it determines the nation’s borders. The political identities that stood out in the Qur’an-burning acts played a role, and states supported these acts. Furthermore, they brought forward European civilization’s values system to explain this system. As known, Europeans had the idea that this system gained them a certain superiority in their relations with other regions. They are now implementing this system in a way that it will redesign their relations with other cultures in the European region. In this case, is politics and culture seeking to renew themselves through the other, or is a culture policy including terrorist organizations such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) being implemented? Do the Qur’an-burning sessions – as determined by Elias – signify the reformation of self-awareness, or are the boundaries of the concept expanding?

I mentioned in a previous column that occidentalism and orientalism cannot contradict one another. I would like to specifically reiterate this. It is very natural for two different cultures to have negative judgments about one another. Such negative judgments apply to different units within the same culture circle as well. There is no surprise in this context that occidentalism is mentioned in contrast when orientalism is reduced to the West's negative judgments about the East. However, it is impossible to understand the current developments with this approach. It would be truly difficult to reduce the new era that launched with a Danish politician burning under Swedish state protection the holy Qur’an to two different cultures’ negative judgments of one another. Sweden Democratic Party member Richard Jomshof said, “Türkiye’s fury deserves to be responded with the burning of another hundred Qur’ans.” Within which opposition can this statement make sense? It is almost impossible to place this statement – which can cause surprise in even criticisms aimed at orientalism – within any opposition. The, “Freedom of speech is more important than Sweden’s NATO membership” statement should not be considered separately from the claim, “we are going to take democracy,” which the U.S. turned into a slogan ahead of its invasion and occupation moves. These statements cannot be considered as opposition. All anti-Islam and anti-Türkiye statements should be seen as a one-sided political and cultural setup.

In terms of Türkiye, the last leader who most likely drew such a reaction politically was Sultan Abdulhamid II. Political concepts containing negative connotations came to the fore back then as well. In fact, terms such as oriental despotism, commonly used in sociological analyses, were quite important in terms of orientalist literature. We see similar expressions in present-day publications aimed at attacking Erdoğan. In fact, similar to the past, concepts that are produced abroad are frequently used within as well. Surely this is something that needs to be taken into account in terms of orientalist literature’s continuity. But it is a fact that this time, in addition to the U.K. and France, North European countries and the U.S. stand out as well. It can be said that the U.S., the U.K., and North European countries are working towards developing a new strategy against Türkiye. By making an attack warning to its citizens in Türkiye, France showed that it both wants to take advantage of the artificial opposition and that it is aligned with the countries mentioned.

Surely it would not be wrong to interpret the events within the context of the future of foreigners –and especially Turks and Muslims – living in the European region. Yet, the target audience must be determined correctly. When the holy Qur’an was burned in front of the Turkish embassy, the PKK and FETÖ terrorists Türkiye is demanding from Sweden were already on the agenda. Therefore, associated incidents may give an idea of what the states that prepared the grounds for the burning of the Qur’an were trying to achieve. These may very well be powers that establish control over states. Dependent groups such as the PKK and FETÖ were useful in terms of the recruitment system. We can say that this is ongoing.

Dependent organizations’ process of detachment from the region is ongoing.