The desperation of pro-Europe Turks

Since the polls closed in Turkey on Sunday, there have been many desperate messages from acquaintances and friends in the country who cannot stand the idea of another five years of authoritarianism and oppression. They had believed, especially after the deadly earthquakes in southeastern Turkey, that the opposition would win the elections. Reality crushed them. They suddenly realized that they do not understand their own country. Some cry out in anger, “This country no longer belongs to us.” They are looking for a way to come to Greece or another European country to teach and work without fear, without restrictions. As a friend said, “Quite soon we’ll be full of White Turks!”

They remind me of the reactions of Americans on both coasts the morning after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. The same despair, the same feeling that they do not understand and cannot come to terms with the tectonic changes in their country. Journalists, academics, diplomats, businesspeople now see an impasse. We can imagine – but only imagine – how businessman, activist and philanthropist Osman Kavala, the most emblematic victim of Erdogan’s regime, feels as he does not know how many more years he will be imprisoned based on flimsy and unsubstantiated charges.

There are some people who believe that, if he wins, Erdogan will make some pro-Western overtures and goodwill gestures to appease his critics. The pressure on the Turkish economy could help in this direction. But the signs are not good. The Turkish president does not “owe” anything to the West but to Russia and Qatar, who are not particularly interested in the protection of human rights.

I wonder if Europe, Greece can do something to help the disillusioned Turks who want a Europeanized Turkey? We have to think about it seriously. They are a vital part of Turkish society, which has always steered clear of anti-Greek rhetoric and had a balancing effect in the political discourse. Europe was initially fooled by Erdogan, who initially took on the role of the reformer and opponent of the military establishment.

And then it never considered any “carrots” that would entice and strengthen pro-European Turks and act as a bulwark against authoritarianism and Islamization. It prefered the path of compromise that involved mild criticism, an emphasis on business interests and the anxiety that Europe should not “lose” Turkey completely. In the end, instead of a specific policy, the illusion was cultivated that the opposition would win and everything would be rosy. With the now-obvious results.