Turkey stays ahead in Islamic world

-DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL 

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Turkey, the only Muslim nation in Europe now ruled by Islamist leaders, has been on diplomatic job to enter the European Union (EU) as a legitimate nation.  However, a few EU members with anti-Islamic mindset are keen to keep Turkey out of Europe and instead to advise Ankara to join the Islamic Mideast and give up its European dreams and claims.  

Also, in the meantime, it seems the Arab world, led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, is back in action to contain the influence of former Ottoman Empire, now Turkey, over Arab world. 

According to the poll by an Istanbul-based pro-West think-tank, the Turkey Economic and Social Studies Foundation said that Turkey's popularity in the Middle East has dropped sharply over the past two years, an opinion poll showed recently, reflecting Ankara's sometimes controversial foreign policy strategy.

The biggest decline, according to their survey, was registered in Egypt and war-ravaged Syria, where Turkey is strongly opposed to those in power. Overall, the number of people surveyed in 16 countries who supposedly had a positive view of Turkey earlier now slid to 59 percent this year from 78 percent in 2011. In Syria, 88 percent of those surveyed believe that Turkey is "not friendly" towards their country, which has been in the grip of a brutal conflict since March 2011.

The survey focused on Egypt and Syria where the regimes are annoyed with Turkey for opposing – instead of supporting the embattled anti-people regimes. In Egypt, the ratio of those with a favorable view of Turkey dropped by more than half to 38 percent over three years, the poll found.

Nevertheless, 60 percent of respondents, according to the subjective survey, supported a greater role for Turkey in the region and the country retained its popularity among other Sunni-run states such as the United Arab Emirates.

Turkey, a regional Sunni Muslim power, had adopted a "zero problems" policy towards its neighbours but has found itself losing influence in the wake of the Syrian civil war and the Arab Spring uprisings.

The Islamic-rooted government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan supports the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad chiefly because Turkey hosts about 600,000 refugees from the war.

Relations with the Arab heavyweight Egypt are in tatters after Erdogan's outspoken criticism of the military "coup" that ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July, prompting Cairo to kick out Turkey's ambassador last month.

It appears Turkey with its growing  global diplomacy,  tops  the Islamic world for a possible veto seat  on UNSC and Saudi Arabia works to gain  the same by getting rid of Istanbul claims- the old rivalry among Saudi Arabia, Ottoman Empire and Egypt that cost both and Egypt a seat on UNSC when the powers first decided to share the  global responsibilities according to their  respective strength in the post WW-II scenario. 

Western powers just ignored Islamic world all together for placement on UNSC veto regime.

Saudi Arabia has now refused to assumed UNSC non-permanent membership after getting elected for that assigning some vague reasons like USA did not attack Syria and  remove Assad form power. Obviously, the real reason is Riyadh needs veto seat.

Notwithstanding the survey reports like this, Turkey will continue to play its global role, especially in Mideast where it actively supports the cause of besieged Palestinians as its tensions corner stone of new foreign policy that also resulted in confrontation with its long time ally and US protege - fascist Israel. Turkey prefers to serve the cause of Palestine than conducting joint military execercises wiht Israel. 

Obviously, Turkey means what it says and does.