The modern face of Turkey

The Treaty of Lausanne broke apart the Ottoman Empire and gave birth to modern Turkey, both in terms of geography and development all while laying the foundation of the Middle East as we know it. Signed between Turkey and its adversaries, the British, the Greeks and their allies, the Treaty of Lausanne will soon mark its hundred years’ anniversary. Many conspiracy theorists and common folks believe that there is a secret clause in the Treaty of Lausanne, set to expire next year that allows Turkey to reinstate its former glory. One thing is certain; Turkey is working towards reviving and exporting its neo Ottoman identity via its public diplomacy using Islam as core instrument. Whether there is a secret clause or not, Turkey desires some semblance of the global prestige of the Ottoman Empire. The tools to achieve this feat include export of neo Ottoman identity and accelerated economic growth.

The Treaty of Lausanne was negotiated after the Treaty of Sevres failed to bear fruit. The Treaty of Sevres was later rejected by the Turkish national movement that was struggling against the previous terms as well as the substantial loss of Anatolia and the adjacent territory. On 24 July 1923, the treaty of peace commonly known as the treaty of Lausanne, was signed in Lausanne, Switzerland. This treaty brought the war between Turkey and the Allied British Empire, the Kingdom of Greece, the Kingdom of Italy, the Kingdom of Romania, and the Serb-Croat-Slovene State and French republic to an end that was at daggers drawn against each other since the beginning of World War I.

The Treaty of Lausanne was an accomplishment because, except the Iraq border, it succeeded in defining all the other borders of the modern Turkish state. This treaty made Turkey relinquish all claims to the remains of the Ottoman Empire and in response, the Allies accepted Turkish sovereignty inside its latest borders. Europe occupied the old Ottoman territories while the French took control over Syria and Lebanon. The British Empire took control of Egypt, Sudan, and Iraq. Before handing over to newborn state Israel, the control of Palestine was given to the authorities of Britain. Italy occupied Libya and lastly, the Cyprus issue also resurfaced.

The Bosphorus strait is considered to be a crucial maritime route for the transport of oil from Russia and the Caspian Sea expanse to the regions including Asia, Western and Southern Europe. The strait is the prime oil export course for Eurasian countries. Moreover, this Strait is a source of provision for the Greek-Turkish population exchange that enabled unobstructed civilian passage through the Turkish Straits. Due to this treaty, Turkey faced more restrictions that barred it from drilling for gas or oil and off-putting its resources from its international routes. In addition, it officially declared the demise of the old Ottoman Empire and affirmed the birth of Turkey and remodelled the current borders of the Middle East as well as the Arab countries.

This treaty also paved the way for secularism in Turkey. In 1928, Turkey’s first president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk amended the Constitution of 1924, and introduced Secularism/Laicism (or Läicité), removing the condition that the “Religion of the State is Islam”. Recently, Turkey has been striving to reclaim its legacy and has been employing several strategies of public diplomacy; “Islam” is being used as a public diplomacy tool. The foreign policy strategy of Turkey is a true reflection of its Ottoman fantasy. Turkey is expanding its geopolitical options by creating the Turkish zones of influence in Central Asia, the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus to acquire regional control, the support of the Muslim world, and make its strong presence felt.

The Ottoman dream is aimed at creating a common individuality amongst the subjects of the empire and to easily bear domestic and global disputes caused by both colonization and nationalism. It is impractical for Turkey to regain the Ottoman Empire as it would be a utopian idea. The end of the Lausanne treaty might open the path of the Caliphate. But it doesn’t mean that another Ottoman empire will emerge; instead the Muslim community will be able to acquire a common voice.

A Turkish adage encapsulates Turkish history as winning the battles but losing at the tables. Turkish armies are believed to be skilled and brave enough to win the wars but their inadequate diplomatic skills made them suffer the loss of table talks, such as international treaties. The Turkish public diplomacy is enriched in actors, but not in coordination. No co-operation is observed between academia and practice, mainly due to the domestic element ascribed to the PD and due to the scantiness of enticements that can help in developing research in this field of study. Reviewing this case study is quite critical to better comprehend that the foreign policy of Turkey is inclined towards national interests and regional matters. However, some Turkish institutions have been practicing PD functions for nearly a century, which causes apprehension, particularly in the West, where Turkey is believed to be returning to its Islamic roots.

In September 2010, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan disclosed a plan during a telephonic conversation with a columnist working for the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah. The project which he called a “crazy project” is the latest shipping canal of 45 kilometres that runs just west of the two airports; Istanbul on the outskirt of the city, from the Black Sea in the north to the Marmara Sea in the south. The Istanbul Canal will transform the whole European side of the Turkish city into an island. Canal Istanbul has the potential to emerge as one of the major shipping canals in the world since it has a maximum depth for ships, of 17 meters, a length of 45 kilometres, and a width of 275 meters.

However, the $15 billion mega projects are likely to dislocate millions of people residing on the outskirts of Istanbul to create the space for the engineering projects. The controversies created by the environmentalists, Turkish banks, and opposition are hindering its further construction and labelling it to be an environmental calamity, a total rip off with the potential to ignite dispute with Russia. Nonetheless, the construction was resumed across the intended route of Canal Istanbul on June 26 which fanned the flames of dispute against the project. The Turkish government rebuffed the criticism because it feels that Canal Istanbul would be a quicker substitute to the Bosphorus Strait, where presently it takes almost 14 hours for the ships to enter. In addition, Canal Istanbul could turn out to be a huge source of income for the government.

The international law restricts the Turkish government from charging profitable tolls on ships that harbour in the Bosporus Strait. A new canal could draw off almost 40,000 cargo ships that use the Strait annually (far more than the roughly 19,000 using the Suez Canal), let alone the 2,000 everyday crossings of civilian ships. It could also lessen the overcrowding on the Bosphorus Strait. Turkey is also building amicable diplomatic relations with China, Iran, Russia, Central Asia, and Pakistan.

In today’s era, sovereignty is a sensitive issue, and it’s unlikely of Turkey to even rekindle the Ottoman dream. Nonetheless, the end of this treaty will open the doors of abundance and prosperity for Turkey. The country will be able to drill its oil, and impose taxes on Bosporus Strait. Istanbul Canal is capable of replacing the Suez Canal in the coming future.

Turkey is no doubt an important geopolitical power; its vibrant economy also lends credit to its rich history. After 2023, Turkey will be able to amplify its income by imposing a duty on ocean trade taking place through the Straits of Bosphorus and Dardanelles which will assist her in becoming a leading economy.

The concern displayed by President Erdogan regarding the Palestinians and Kashmiris has earned him immense respect and the Muslim world perceives him as a Muslim leader rather than a Turkish leader. Turkey has always raised its voice for Palestinians on every international platform. He has also spoken relentlessly for Rohingya Muslims.

Turkey may not revive the Ottoman Empire in physical sense although in terms of generating a common identity in the region, Turkey’s public diplomacy as well as economic growth will play a crucial role.

The writer is an analyst and researcher on national and international issues