The Winds And Waves Of Change

Grudges and resentment can span long periods of history.
As Turkey has become more sophisticated and confident, you might come across some modern Turks who either express a dislike of being associated with their nomadic ancestors and / or prefer not to be associated with the Ottomans. Then there are those who are not so pro-West. Believe me, Turkish history and politics are all rather complicated. There are deep-rooted pain, feelings of revenge and strong opinions.

Regularly I am reminded that a number of Westerners are unaware that the arrival of the Turks began with that of their ancestors, who were nomadic tribesmen living on the steppes of Inner Asia, in the sixth century CE. You see, for a lot of Americans the subject of world history is dull and difficult to comprehend due to the fact that America is such a young nation.

The ancestors of the modern Turks were nomadic tribesmen who lived on the steppes of Inner Asia in the sixth century CE. Over the next 1,000 years, after a series of conquests, different Turkic clans created a succession of multicultural, poly-ethnic empires that stretched from China to the Mediterranean. The Oghuz Turks moved west to Transoxiana (roughly modern-day Uzbekistan and southwest Kazakhstan), where they settled and embraced Islam, before migrating south to Iran. There they founded the Great Seljuk Empire, which created an inclusive Turkic, Arab and Persian culture. Waves of breakaway tribes from the Oghuz confederation started entering Anatolia, where each would establish a kingdom only to fall to the next Turkic group that came their way.

By 1000 CE the Byzantine Empire was fading away. The seat of the empire, Constantinople, was on the European shore of the Bosporus. The last successful Emperor, Basil II (976–1025 CE), was succeeded by weak rulers who failed to maintain the city's defenses. In the 11th century, the caliph of Baghdad, the supreme religious leader of Islam, recruited Seljuk mercenaries to help him maintain his position. As a result, their leader, Tughrul, was made sultan of Sunni Islam. The Seljuks assumed control of Baghdad, and soon their empire covered most of modern Turkey, Iraq and Iran. In 1071 CE the Byzantine army of Emperor Romanus IV Diogenes was utterly defeated by the Seljuk Turks at Manzikert, near Lake Van in what is now eastern Turkey. Six years later the Seljuks founded a new state in Rum, the name the Muslims used for the Eastern Roman Empire.

Following a major defeat during the First Crusade in 1097 CE, the Rum Seljuks set up their capital at Konya, formerly Iconium, in central southern Anatolia. This city stood at a crossroads and had long served as a conduit for ideas and influences from nations of diverse ethnicities, languages and cultures. There the Seljuks presided over a cultural renaissance, building magnificent mosques, academies and centers of trade. Ruins and ancient mosques testify to the splendor of Seljuk architecture. The period is famous for developing the use of brickwork. Their literature includes the mystical works of the great Sufi poets Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi and Yunus Emre.

In the 12th century CE the Byzantine Empire was shrinking, but the Seljuks were also in trouble and under pressure from Crusaders in the West and the Mongols in the East. In the 1190s, invasions and civil war gradually brought the Seljuk Empire to near collapse, and in 1243 CE the Mongols defeated the Seljuks at Kösedağ. Seljuk power was completely broken by 1261.

Anatolia has hosted civilizations that are familiar with the historical winds of change. At present the winds are blowing, and nobody knows which direction will be the strongest. This week Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's chief economic advisor, Yiğit Bulut, claimed that Turkey no longer needs Europe, suggesting that the “new West” solely comprises the United States.

In the early part of 2011, the results of some research by Professor Faruk Şen on the subject of Turkey and the European Union, which was conducted in six Turkish provinces, were released. His findings reveal that Turks believe they should not put up with Europe's condescending attitude or be used any longer.

Over the centuries, you can see a drive and longing westward. For centuries there have been attempts to conquer or join Europe in one way or another. Evidently a majority of Turks now believe that Turkey does not need the EU.

I have come to appreciate the complex Anatolian civilization and its special values and attitudes over the centuries. The important customs and traditions continue to shape Turkey.

CHARLOTTE MCPHERSON (Cihan/Today's Zaman)