“Neo-Ottoman” Turkey?
Nowadays, many observers are obsessing over the supposed "loss" of Turkey and what it means for Europe and the West, with some commentators going so far as to liken Turkey’s neighborhood policy to a revival of Ottoman imperialism. In fact, Turkey has no choice but to engage with the many regions of which it is a part, and its acting on that necessity should worry no one.
ANKARA – Nowadays, the international media are obsessed with the question of who “lost” Turkey and what that supposed loss means for Europe and the West. More alarmingly, some commentators liken Turkey’s neighborhood policy to a revival of Ottoman imperialism. Recently, a senior Turkish columnist went so far as to quote Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu as saying that “we are indeed neo-Ottoman.”
ANKARA – Nowadays, the international media are obsessed with the question of who “lost” Turkey and what that supposed loss means for Europe and the West. More alarmingly, some commentators liken Turkey’s neighborhood policy to a revival of Ottoman imperialism. Recently, a senior Turkish columnist went so far as to quote Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu as saying that “we are indeed neo-Ottoman.”