Should Russia be Demonised?

Should the West be afraid of the nascent resurgence of a strong Russia that is set to alter the balance of power in the current unipolar world characterised by the domination of the United States?

This was the topic of a very edifying and insightful programme televised recently on BBC named Panorama. You might have to call into question many of the firmly believed convictions about Russia disseminated by the media in the West hot on the heels of watching the on-line video. In fact, the documentary responds very effectively to the below set of questions that I have often had in mind:

· Has the West taken an effete Russia that withdrew into its shell following large-scale economical and political problems for granted?

·Is the West’s attitude of demonising Russia for its emergence from its slumber justifiable?

· While Russia was severely reprimanded for its involvement in South Ossetia as a result of the abrupt escalation of the confrontation, has the world truly been exposed to what took place in Georgia? In fact, contrary to what we were fed with in the Western media, was it really the Russian army that launched an offensive on civilians or was the Russian army merely protecting the civilians?

· Is the overwhelming majority of the Russian population very discontent with the political administration in Russia, as is often purported by the Western media?

· Finally, the most important question is the West utterly unprepared to see Russia engage in realpolitik in exchange for the West’s own attempts at realpolitik in the region (for instance, the enlargement of the NATO which has now encompassed some former Soviet Republics, and the Eastern European countries, which used to be part of the Warsaw Pact)?

It’s important to have a balanced exposure to the Russian side of the story; in fact, this importance has further gained momentum following the divulgation of Georgia’s outright human rights violations in the conflict in Southern Ossetia while Russia had been depicted as the aggressor.

Should we be Scared of Russia? (Video)

Should we be Scared of Russia?

Did Turkey have a narrow escape from a coup d'état?

The social scene within the Turkish society has recently been awash with outright demonstration of religious symbols which, in the main, defy the strictly secular structure of its state apparatus. An ever-growing tendency amongst urban women to opt for head scarves, the widespread acceptance of religious ceremonies and rituals amongst state officials on a state level, as well as a gradually higher proportion of the population being gravitated towards religion all depict a Turkey that starkly contradicts its image of 10 years ago.

It all started with the eagerly anticipated election of Turkey's incumbent president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as a prime minister several years ago. Having braved the threats from the army and having been incarcerated for his remarks critical of the way that Turkey's secular regime has been pushing secularism on the throats of ordinary citizens against their will, he quickly entranced the disillusioned masses who attributed the country’s bleak economic problems to the corruption of secular parties. He has also been at the centre of virulent attacks from secular rulers for defiling the legacy of Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, whose legacy, he affirmed, has been haunting Turkey posthumously. However, along with his incarceration, his fervent brickbats of the way that secular regime in Turkey has been abusing secularism to repress ordinary people elevated him to a charismatic personality, as he had dared to engage in a consistent spate of unflinching criticisms against Turkey's then more than 70-year-old secular establishment.

Amidst his growing popularity, the state not only released him from prison, but also lifted the ban previously imposed on him to found any political parties. Hence, the political party that Recep Tayyip Erdogan founded, AK Parti, managed to form a majority government by crushing all but one existing secular parties in the parliament. Throughout its tenure, which continues to date,AK Parti has played very cleverly by first tackling the country's notoriously moribund economy, which had witnessed decades of mismanagement, corruption, and three-digit inflation rates. The miraculous economical improvements attained by AK Parti not only bolstered its popularity at home, but also infuriated the army, long known as the guardian of Turkish secularism. However, AK Parti had a miraculous way of warding off the threat of the army as well: The European Union. As a matter of fact, with its pertinent capitalisation on Turkey’s bid to be part of the European Union – a bid set in motion decades ago—Ak Parti was aware that the Turkish army had previously been cautioned not interfere in state affairs and not to set back the advancement of democracy in the country.

Turkish society is used to military coups. Throughout its very foundation since 1923, the Republic of Turkey has been the scene of several military coups that overthrew the-then-existing governments and established marshal law until the perceived threats by the army dissipated. All the same, the cost of every military coup has been characterised by a severe setback in democracy as well as harsh a assailment from Europe ever since Turkey applied to become a full member.

However, the recent attempt at deposing the government of Turkey by ultra-nationalists, whose alignment with the army is gradually unfolding, demonstrated once again the fury of the army with the existing status quo. The army’s greatest fright is Turkey’s gradual resemblance to its eastern neighbour, Iran, with which the incumbent government in Turkey has been having flourishing trade relationships, much to the chagrin of the army.

The below article (in English) from Hürriyet, one of Turkey’s most popular newspapers, expatiates on the fates of the perpetrators of the recent coup d’état attempt, which was thwarted by the government officials, as their trial is still under way.

What is the Ergenekon operation?

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