They sharpened their bayonets, and unanimously agreed on them, and considered it their last chance to kill the Turkish renaissance, and return it to the eras of oppression and poverty, tyranny and corruption, introversion to oneself, and begging on their tables in a suit. They could not hide their religious and historical grudges, and their political and strategic ambitions, and their "sober" media abandoned its sobriety, descended to low levels of depravity, and fought a fierce psychological war in order to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and bring in a weak sectarian system affiliated with them.

Perhaps the U.S. problem in this region is its addiction to dealing with cheap "agents" who serve it in faith and reckoning, not with respected "allies" who insist on equality and mutual respect.

To do so, they abandoned all objective and professional standards, and the tone of hostility on their tongues did not subside until it became clear that their dark bet had been lost. Only then did they soften the tones of vibrant hatred, adhering to their inherent opportunism expressed in the American saying: "jump in the cart as it arrives" after exhausting the power to hinder it, and that obstruction failed. The credit for thwarting this obstruction – after God's grace and payment – is due to two things:

  • The first is the deep political awareness accumulated by the Turkish people over the centuries, as this awareness was an impregnable barrier and a fortified shield against the games of enemies dressed in the clothes of friends. The whole world has watched with enthusiasm and interest a bright democratic path in Turkey, in which those in power competed with their opponents transparently under the eyes of the world, and the participation rate reached record levels that are hardly found in the oldest democracies, without any incidents of violence or convulsion. This shows the maturity of the people's culture and the depth of their political awareness. Otherwise, foreign media pumping would have succeeded in twisting the compass, distorting the experience, and pushing people to miserable political choices.
  • Second, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's genius and statesmanship. Here we must recall that time does not have much of a great leader. There is no doubt, in my opinion, that President Erdogan will enter history through his wide door, as one of the great political leaders, who put their mark on the destinies of their nation, marked their times with a special character, and fought politics with discernment, merit and principle. Erdogan has been characterized by the great leaders of each era of the marriage of principles and interests, the combination of principled courage and pragmatism, and careful strategic consideration that puts things in place, so he has been building a new edifice for his people every day, advancing steadily and patiently for two decades, preserving the acquired capital with courtesy and discernment, and building common spaces with various international powers, in the interest of his people and nation, without dependence or negligence.

President Erdoğan has once again demonstrated that he is the master of the ship in a sea of crashing waves, and that he is worthy of that place and that position, with his solid Islamic faith, a spacious human spirit, deep political wisdom, and a delicate sense of strategy. He built the staff, steered the ship safely, and carved Turkey a place worthy of its ancient history. Erdogan also dealt with various international powers as a strong statesman, proud of his religion, confident of his people, sure that strategic alternatives are abundant, and that his country is not dependent on anyone, and is able to split its independent strategic line, away from the diplomacy of begging and begging that is accustomed to weak leaders in the region.

President Erdoğan has complained since the end of 2018, in an article in the New York Times addressed to Turkey's American allies, that "the United States has consistently and persistently failed to understand and respect the concerns of the Turkish people," and warned that "if the United States does not begin to respect Turkey's sovereignty and demonstrate its understanding of the risks our nation faces, our partnership is at risk." He then concluded his article with an unequivocal message of warning: "Before it is too late, Washington must abandon the mistaken belief that our relations are not equal, and realize that Turkey has alternatives. Failure to stop this unilateral path and disrespect will require us to look for new friends and allies."

Perhaps the problem with the United States in this region is its addiction to dealing with cheap "agents" who serve it in faith and reckoning, rather than with respected "allies" who insist on equality and mutual respect. Because of this addiction to ease, the American decision-maker can no longer tolerate his allies to disagree with him in any matter, or express their independent self in anything, after he is accustomed by some of America's allies of absolute obedience and free service, even if that service is at the expense of the interests of their countries and the future of their peoples. But a democratic Turkey led by President Erdoğan rejected this lightness and lack of self-respect.

There are great challenges facing Turkey and President Erdogan in the next five years, which will be the inauguration of the second century of the contemporary Turkish state, and these challenges include:

1. Overcoming the identity fission that Turkey has suffered for 100 years

This is after a shaky Western minority imposed on it the position of the beggar on the tables of the West, and made it flee from itself, and manage from its nation and Islamic civilization. President Erdoğan and his colleagues in the AKP have come a long way in healing this wound of identity and achieving some reconciliation with the self of their people, but it still needs intensive work in the field of education, culture and others, and it seems to me that the AKP leadership has been too preoccupied with political and economic concerns rather than cultural concerns, and that it needs to balance this matter.

2. The dilemma of acute political, sectarian and racial polarization

Turkey needs a less polarized political space and the emergence of a common space for moderates from all political forces to compete fairly, without sectarian tensions or racial fanaticism. It seems to me that the decline of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in these elections and the failure of its leaders may be an opportunity to transform this party from a deaf political bloc with a solid sectarian core, to an open and diverse political force, close to the general midst of Turkish society, and reconciled with its Islamic faith, and its Ottoman roots, which are known for their plurality and tolerance.

Millions interacted with the Turkish elections like no other before, which indicates the unity of feelings, hopes and pains, and the confidence of the Arab peoples in Turkey, the country, the people and the leadership, despite all the bias that some have broadcast in the two peoples

3. Preparing for Erdogan's succession in the party and in the state

This is the last term of President Erdogan constitutionally, and it is in the interest of Turkey and the Justice and Development Party that the project initiated by Erdogan continues, through the political institutional building of the party and the state, in a way that ensures the accumulation of construction without splitting in the ranks, or interruption in the march. The age of states is not measured by the age of individuals, and one of the most important tasks of a leader is to create leaders who succeed him and carry the flag after him. I don't think President Erdogan will lose sight of this in the next five years, because it is vital for the future of Turkey and its future generations.

4. Drafting a new constitution for Turkey

A new constitution commensurate with the social and cultural realities of Turkish society, which has grown and changed a lot during the 100 years of the republic's life, the current constitution - despite all the democratic amendments made to it - is originally a document prepared by the military who ruled Turkey by oppression, and sought to engineer society according to their whims. Controlled by the inferiority complex of Western culture, they sought to impose a rigid secular ideology on a conservative Muslim society as a whole.

It is necessary to focus now on building a tolerant democracy that accommodates all components of society, without ideological abuse or coercive tendency. Democracy is not synonymous with secularism, and the best democratic system can be built away from rigid secular ideology.

5. Engage more in solving some of the regional dilemmas affecting Turkey

The most important and most attached to Turkey is the dilemma of the war in Syria. I believe that Turkey, with its growing status, and the need of the Western and Russian sides in the Ukraine war, can reach with the Russians a practical formula for political change in Damascus that responds to the aspirations of the Syrian people. It can also reach an understanding with the Russians to expand its presence in northern Syria to include the entire city of Aleppo, ensuring a safe space that facilitates the voluntary return of most Syrians to their country, without fatigue or embarrassment, while placing Turkish-Russian forces between the regime-controlled area and the opposition-controlled area, until a comprehensive political solution is reached in Syria.

6. Strategic repositioning in the region

So that it is a position commensurate with Turkey's position and historical leadership in the Islamic world. The international system is changing rapidly, and international powers are moving brightly, as I explained at length in my recent study The Sunrise of the East and the Sunset of the West. In the next five years, Turkey needs to adopt new strategic options in its relationship with international powers, both eastern and western, and to pursue something that the peoples of the Muslim world, especially in the Arab world and Central Asia, attach to it from the hopes of leadership and leadership. The call of history is called, and the first is to respond to it before the emergence of rival forces, or the negative change of the strategic environment, which means that the opportunity is lost and it is too late.

The hope of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory has been renewed, and the necks of millions in the region and in the world have been stretched to follow the Turkish elections, interacting and excited, and this indicates that the Turkish political affairs are no longer purely Turkish in any way, and that the internal political equations in Turkey have become influential on the region and around the world.

In the Arab world in particular, millions interacted with the Turkish elections in an unprecedented way, which indicates the unity of feelings, hopes and pains, and the confidence of the Arab peoples in Turkey, the country, the people and the leadership, despite all the prejudices that some have spread in the two peoples. The Arab peoples who aspire to freedom and democracy still see Turkey as a good example, an example to be followed and a light that gives renewed hope to millions of Arabs, who have been exhausted by years of destruction and displacement as a result of internal oppression and external abuse.

Congratulations to the Turkish people on their impressive democracy, and congratulations to President Erdoğan for the trust of their people and nation.