Are Turkish intellectuals awake to the world’s new fault lines?

As one of the most terrifying genocides in modern history unfolds against Palestinians in Gaza, the open support of Western European countries—especially the United Kingdom, Germany, and France—for Zionist Israel has been a major development. We continue to see that support today. While the UK and Germany openly back Zionist Israel’s expansionist aggression, they simultaneously crack down on pro-Palestine voices. I have tried to argue that Western Europe’s stance after October 7, 2023 cannot be explained with the familiar narratives shaped in the second half of the twentieth century. Neither Germany, France, nor the UK was acting out of some supposed historical debt to the Jews. On the contrary, these countries were at the center of the expansionist aggression, and Germany was using Palestine’s historic lands as a “laboratory” for developing its war industry. The UK, meanwhile, viewed Zionist Israel as a geopolitical instrument.

Such monumental developments should have produced a clear intellectual and ideological response among Turkish thinkers and political groups. Unfortunately, even in our youth, the West dominated our intellectual landscape. In the 1990s, this was even more pronounced compared to earlier periods. Contrary to popular belief, the center of the left was also in the Western world. Even after Gaza, Turkish intellectuals did not question this central role of the West. We can see this as we observe the new generations. It is hard to speak of any new line of thinking that has spread widely as a result of the events in Gaza. The continued strong interest of younger generations in Europe and North America is a serious indicator. We cannot speak of broad awareness regarding Israel and Zionism. The absence of new thinking in this direction also prevents more systematic analysis of the political practices associated with abstract concepts like colonialism and imperialism. Vague, outdated slogans from the 1960s still seem to have more impact. It is equally difficult to find any meaningful work that connects those old slogans to the current behavior of Western European states.

In the previous article, we said that the crimes committed by Zionist Israel would leave a stain and a curse that will not stop haunting European countries and the United States. This is not an ordinary reaction. Led by the UK, France, and Germany, Western European countries—together with the U.S.—are taking steps that threaten all of humanity. Yet at the same time, we are witnessing a massive backlash against the colonial and imperial legacy of these countries across nearly every corner of the world. The emergence of new concepts such as the Global South and the Global North is very significant because they point to a new reality. It is clear that Africa and Asia are no longer waiting in fear before the imperialist Western European powers and the United States. Whatever the justification, the imperial centers that shaped the entire twentieth century are no longer remembered with their old strength. Western philosophers, who once possessed the comfort and reach to address the entire world, now find their old foundations collapsing—and as that happens, they rally behind Zionist Israel’s expansionist aggression. They too speak according to the orientalist canon born of colonial “civilizing mission” ideology. We must understand how critical a turning point this is.

Claiming to act out of historical shame stemming from the crimes of the Nazis gave Germany enormous room to maneuver. The British also reinforced the illusion that they were helpless by hiding behind Jewish power. They even managed to create the impression that they might be innocent. Yet Germany went so far, as a matter of state policy, as to accuse even Jews who criticized Zionist Israel of antisemitism. The UK, for its part, encourages Israeli aggression in every circumstance. Its base in Cyprus has practically turned into an offshore extension of Israel. To view this as a subtle diplomatic strategy would be a mistake.

It seems clear that such developments do not concern Turkish intellectuals very much. Yet these are deeply vital issues that deserve serious study. The path we took to blame ourselves has, in the end, narrowed our topics to our own “inner world.” We must recognize that this represents a severe intellectual collapse that needs to be taken seriously.