Can Baydarol
Those who know me well are aware that I am particular about style. In communication, anything can be said; every emotion can be expressed, from the most intense to the most subtle. However, the language used in this context—or, to put it another way, the style—is the means by which you can convey your message most accurately.
In this context, two particular statements made in recent days caught my attention. The first was made by US Ambassador Tom Barrack during the D2026 Diplomacy Forum in Antalya. Barrack stated, in essence, that democracy is a luxury in our region and that authoritarian regimes with a velvet glove are the best form of governance.
Although some commentators may have appreciated Barrack’s bluntness—which is far removed from diplomatic culture—and labelled him an ‘honest man’, under normal circumstances, the US Ambassador should have been declared ‘persona non grata’ (an unwelcome person) and expelled following such remarks.
Firstly, in terms of geography, our country is not a Middle Eastern nation. At best, it could be described as a “Near Eastern country”. Secondly, if we take the First Constitutional Era as the starting point for Turkey’s struggle for democracy, it dates back to 1876. This ignorance of history and the tendency to view everyone in the region as identical afflicts the entire current US administration. Finally, the US becoming bogged down in the Iranian quagmire and not knowing how to extricate itself is the finest example of this. I hope they are not making the same mistake with us.
Of course, this is not the first major blunder regarding Barrack. His previous remarks regarding the legitimacy granted to President Erdoğan by the Trump administration are still fresh in our minds. We saw in the recent Hungarian elections whether such overt support for an individual actually benefits them. It is clear that the US and Russian-backed support for Orban did not work; on the contrary, it backfired.
The second major blunder was revealed in a request letter sent by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the US Embassy. The text drafted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure the approval of former AKP MP Mehmet Metiner’s application for a US visa using his diplomatic passport is, for many who think as I do, an absolute disgrace. You know, those texts written in the final days of the Ottoman Empire—which, to put it bluntly, reeked of ‘brown-nosing’—used to conclude in a style that the current generation would scarcely understand, by ‘bestowing honour upon’ the recipient. In this request, whilst there is no such ‘honour’ bestowed, it has gone so far as to border on begging and unnecessarily glorifying the US Embassy.
So, has this odd style served Metiner’s purpose? His visa application was rejected on the suspicion that he might emigrate to the US.
Whilst facing stylistic issues in relations with the US, the final stop on CHP General Chairman Özgür Özel’s rally tour took place in Ataşehir due to the arrest of Ataşehir Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel.
Özel emphasised that Tom Barrack should be considered a ‘persona non grata’. He criticised not only Barrack but also US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in the harshest terms, and finally alluded to the ‘Global Progressive Mobilisation’ meeting he attended in Barcelona.
Judging by the current situation, Turkish political life is divided into two camps in terms of foreign policy. On one side is the ruling camp, which, in Barrack’s words, derives its legitimacy from the Trump administration; on the other is the main opposition camp, which is prepared to risk a confrontation with the US and Israel and sees its future more in Europe’s progressive wing.
The scenario the ruling party least desires at present is, no doubt, Trump’s defeat in the November mid-term elections. Under normal circumstances, our government would be expected to raise its voice against Israel much more forcefully; however, given the current economic conditions, it has unfortunately been unable to become an active player and is instead experiencing passivity. Having become entangled in the image of supporting Trump—and, whether it likes it or not, Israel—holds the potential to emerge as the most significant vulnerability in foreign policy in the days ahead.
I hope for days when we can express ourselves in the right tone, without anger or frustration…