New era for OIC

It’s a promising development, because I don’t remember any Turkish citizen rising to the top of any international organization up to now, at least not such a big one. Another important thing about this election is Turkey’s rising significance and influence. In recent years Ankara’s influence in world politics has been gradually increasing. After the Cold War, it tried to take the steps expected of it in its sphere of influence. However, Turkey’s greatest shortcoming is being unaware of the weight of history, geography and culture which will establish our policies.

In the late 1980s, people were wondering when and how the international wave of democratization and restructuring would be felt in the Islamic world. Authoritarian administrations in Central and Eastern European countries were overthrown like dominoes, and their countries quickly democratized. They went through great transformations in a short period of time. However, this transformation wasn’t as rapid or sweeping in societies outside the West. The process of this transformation not only influenced the domestic political and social orders, but also altered the structure of international institutions. Neither the Middle Eastern nor most other OIC countries resisted Turkey’s tough demands, and this can’t be considered something independent from developments in the international system.

What is Turkey’s place in the aims of the OIC? The OIC was first established in order to defend Jerusalem when Israel occupied it and burned the Al-Aqsa Mosque. For this reason, it was impossible for Turkey to be fully involved in the OIC due to its strategic relationship with Israel. Although Turkey was one of its founding members, it was one of the last to sign the accession pact.

Does Turkey have a special vision for the Islamic world? One cannot consider Turkey’s special relationship with the OIC apart from developments in the international system. New relations with the OIC cannot be evaluated without considering the mission set out for Turkey as part of the US’ Greater Middle Eastern Initiative (GME). Turkey’s mission cannot be ignored apart from its being the only OIC member also a member of NATO, its relations with the US, and its EU candidacy. Those who wanted Turkey to cold shoulder the Islamic World following the Ottoman era now want it to be warm up. The basic question is for whom Turkey will have a role. In sum, Turkey should have a vision tailored to itself for the Islamic world.”