Davutoğlu And Strategic Depth On Display In Brussels

On return from his first trip to Brussels in his capacity as prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu shared some of his views of his experiences there.
Not taking any questions after his meetings with authorities from the EU, Davutoğlu was excited, knowing the sort of queries that he would get from some journalists who accompanied him on the plane, and was feeling sure of his own answers. He told them he had scolded the Europeans for their reactions to the police operations on Dec. 14, 2014, and had made sure he straightened them out on that front. He had “cleaned up the floor” with the European Parliament (EP) decision to condemn the arrests of both Samanyolu TV Group General Manager Hidayet Karaca and Zaman daily Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanlı. He challenged them to provide him with the names of all the journalists in prison in Turkey, emerging victoriously from that round, as EP members were apparently unable to give him the names.
Of course, in the meantime, it apparently never occurred to our journalist colleagues on board the plane with Davutoğlu to ask the prime minister why he had not met with the EP members who had supported the decision to officially condemn the arrests of Karaca and Dumanlı, or why it was he visited Brussels when the EP members were not there.
So it was that Davutoğlu was bursting with self-confidence on the plane ride back to Ankara. In reading the series of interviews printed in the newspapers, one gets the impression that Davutoğlu deigned to visit Brussels. One learns that during the “lesson” offered by Davutoğlu to the Friends of Europe think tank in Brussels, the prime minister disclosed a magic formula that will allow Turkey to cure Europe's woes.
Yes, Davutoğlu has re-conquered Europe, in the process removing any remaining doubts about deep strategy. The story of his brief Brussels visit is perfect.
But there is one small detail that ruins this story. During the very same hours he was paying his visit to Brussels, the EP was rendering the toughest decision it has made in years in condemnation of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). This needs to be explained. In the wake of this decision, the same cries about the existence of a “parallel structure,” which helps solve every problem in Turkey these days, rushed to the rescue.
While it used to be members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C), now it is the “parallel” people, and they are busy conducting professional psychological operations, which the naive Europeans believe. But this being the case, one needs to ask: Since Davutoğlu is apparently able to enlighten everyone as to the truth on this front, why did he not visit the EP and why didn't he try to disrupt the “parallel” game the AKP claims is unfolding in Turkey?
Remembered in Brussels for the promises he never kept, the former foreign minister claims that the “parallel” members have darkened Turkey's image throughout the world. At the same time, both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ turn Western criticism aimed at the AKP around and blame it instead on the “parallel” structure.

SELÇUK GÜLTAŞLI (Cihan/Today's Zaman)