Continental bridge will help determine future paths

But a trip to Izmir and Istanbul has helped erase many of these misconceptions, formed by years of mass media and Hollywood portrayals.

Everywhere you go in Turkey, you’ll see people moving all the time. They want to work, to have a better standard of living and a better future. At the same time, their neighbours, the Greeks, might be complaining that their government is not doing enough to help relieve the dire economic conditions in the country. The Turks might not use English well, but they like to communicate with and welcome foreigners. They are very similar to the Thais, in that they are friendly, kind and sincere. They love their families and relatives. They still live in extended families, particularly in the smaller towns, where everybody knows each other and everyone helps their friends and neighbours. 

Turkey is now at a crossroads. Although the Turkish people are Asian and most of their territory is in Asia, their aspirations lie in the West. About six million Turks are living and working in Germany alone. Turkey has been trying to seek membership of the European Union, but so far to no avail. France has almost single-handedly blocked Turkish membership of the European club. But Turkey, a majority Muslim country, is continuing its policy of embracing the EU.

Fortunately, Turkey is thriving economically outside the EU area and the wobbing euro. Turkey is growing fast. In 2010, its economy grew by about 9.2 per cent, compared with 8.8 per cent in 2011. With the ongoing Europe-wide economic crisis, Turkish growth weakened to only 2.2 per cent last year. But the International Monetary Fund expects the Turkish economy to recover to 3.5 per cent, while the euro zone still faces the prospect of negative growth this year.

Turkey is thriving although its neighbours are plagued with problems. To the west, Greece and Cyprus are facing severe economic and financial crises. Turkey’s neighbours to the south and east – Syria, Iraq and Iran – are in deep water with Military, civil and political strife, as well as security and economic difficulties. But Turkey’s relationships with the former Soviet states are improving, with natural gas being piped in from Central Asia to provide energy for the country’s rapid development.

Turkey wants to be part of Europe. Its political and international relations have also been geared toward the West. It is a Nato member, with close military ties with the US. Its prime minister recently made a visit to the White House. Missiles have been stationed in southern Turkey and aimed at neighbouring countries on behalf of the Western powers. Turkey has been accused of providing assistance to anti-government rebels in Syria, but some 400,000 refugees from Syria are now in Turkey, escaping from the civil war. Turkey and Iran do not see eye to eye. During the decade-long war between Iraq and Iran, Turkey supplied logistical and food needs to both countries.

However, from my conversations with Turkish journalists, Turkey is now trying to reach out to the East. It is forming closer relationships with Russia and other states in the East, realising that it needs to balance its international relations with neighbouring and rival states.

As Russia, China and India – which form the core of the BRICS and emerging countries – try to map out a new global order, Turkey will have to decide whether it wants to continue to stick to the Anglo-Saxon, dollar-dominated current world order, or shift to a multi-polar power structure. Turkey is a bridge between Asia and Europe. Its role will be crucial in the future as it performs a balancing act over the growing confrontation between West and East.