The Emergence of Turkey as a Regional Power and the Neo-Ottomanism

Abstract

Turkey was liberated and re-generated by Kemal Ataturk, a secular leader, on the ruins of six centuries old Ottoman Empire. The population was forced to accept the western way of life as strongly as possible. In fact, Ataturk never appreciated the deep cultural identity roots of the Turkish people with Islam and the Orient. Turkey's relationship with the US developed-based on the reasons that it (US) could protect Turkey from its traditional enemy-Russia. Since the 1990's, as Turkey was growing fast economically and in population, its ottoman legacy started re-surfacing. Islamism and Neo-Ottomanism were silently growing with the rise in Turkey's economic power and population. The failed military coup of 2016 has enabled President Erdogan to obtain control of an increasingly more Islamic army and administration. Today, Turkey has emerged as a regional power in the shifting international order. The concept of Neo-Ottomanism, launched by Erbakan and his associates in the early 1970's, has been silently promoting Turkey to be recognized as a regional power in this 21st century-by consolidating its political, military, economic and cultural strengths. This article has shown that Turkey is a sustainable regional power in the Balkans, Caucasus and in the Middle-East and the spirit of Neo-Ottomanism, has silently inspired and rejuvenated the Turkish national spirit to reach its goal.