Turkey's rising clout leaves Iran fuming on sidelines of Arab Spring
Christian Science Monitor / Scott Peterson
03-Nov-2011 (2 comments)

Once friends, Turkey and Iran are finding that their reactions to the Arab Spring revolutions are driving them apart and renewing an old regional rivalry.

...people-power uprisings have helped transform the Turkey-Iran friendship into an escalating rivalry.

So far, analysts say, Turkey appears the winner in pushing for secular, democratic outcomes in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and especially Syria – even if more by default than by design. And Iran, offering little more than nondemocratic Islamic rule and anti-Western vitriol, at this point appears the loser.

The result is a rekindling of a centuries-old rivalry for influence between the Persians and the Ottomans, with an outcome that "will affect the security architecture of the Middle East for years to come," according to Gonul Tol and Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute in Washington in a recent analysis.

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FG

IRANIAN OR TURKISH MODEL? (A checklist)

by FG on

The following "checklist" comparing the Iranian and Turkish models deserves to be circulated among young folks throughout the Middle East

IN WHICH COUNTRIES DO ISLAMISTS ALLOW TRULY FREE, FAIR AND OPEN ELECTIONS?

Turkish model.  Erdogan’s party, being genuinely popular, can more than hold its ownl—unlike Iran’s rulers who would never survive a truly free election in these days as they well know.  Thus, in Iran many candidates are barred in advance so elections are hardly “open.”  As a further check, the “Supreme Leader” simply overrules real results are replaces them with rigged ones.    Afterwards, he arrests and imprisons losing candidates.  Anyone else who complains can be beated, raped, tortured or even murdered with the Supreme Leaders approval.

WHICH “MODEL” PERSECUTES MINORITIES?

Sunnis, Kurds and Baia are persecuted in Iran. The latter are not even allowed to attend college.  Even to try establishing a college for Baia will get you arrested.

WHICH MODEL IS ECONOMICALLY COMPETENT?

Turkey—even though it has no oil.   In 1979 Turkey’s per capital income was similar to that of, though the latter was drowing in oil wealth.  In 2011 Turkeys per capital income is over 4 times greater than Iran’s and the gap is visibly increasing by the day.  Thus Arabs see two countries headed in opposite directions in every sense.  While Turkey has a private economy, the Supreme Leader has given an economic monopoly to his security/military forces because—having made himself immensely unpopular—he needs their support to bash the people’s heads.

WHICH MODEL USES PRIVATE MILITIA AND DEATH SQUADS TO KEEP THE PEOPLE IN LINE?

Turkey wouldn’t tolerate it.  However, in Iran dozens of reformers, journalists, human rights spokesmen and even one of Khoumeini’s sons were death squad victims during the Khatami presidency.    When those death squads were exposed by investigating
journalists, Khamenei punished the journalists and protected death squad members.  More recently the Supreme Leader has come to rely on private militias (Basilj, Irasnian Hezbollah) as favored “tools” for brutalizing anyone who protests.

WHICH MODEL  ALLOWS  OR FORBIDS A FREE PRESS?

Turkey’s record is not perfect here but Iran’s is infinitely worse. It allows no free press at all.  Journalists, authors and bloggers may be arrested anytime on Khamenei’s whim.

WHICH MODEL ALLOWS OR FORBIDS HUMAN RIGHTS?

Turkey.  In Iran, anyone who demands such rights will likely end up in jail, beaten, tortured and subject to show trials.  Some have been murdered?  Human rights campaigners have recently been arrested even for visiting the graves of prominent regime murder victims, such as Neda.

WHICH MODEL ALLOWS SATELLITE TV, FREE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL FREEDOMS?

Turkey does.  Iran seizes people’s satellite dishes and jams the airwaves.  It also jams internet news sites, slows internet and cell phone sites to a crawl when politically expedient and arrests dissident bloggers for public lashings and long sentences.   Actors, directors and musicians have all been arrested for “propaganda against the regime” when they shine a light on its extreme misbrehavior.  Unlike Iran, Turkey has no social police and no official censors.  Women are free to wear hajib or not as they please.  Young men are not arrested for having the wrong haircuts, wearing jeans, etc.

WHICH MODEL ALLOWS FAIR AND OPEN TRIALS?

Only Turkey.  In Iran, the government can arrest and hold you forever without charging you.   Trials are held in secret with the public and media excluded.   Defense attorneys are arrested if they try to do their job.


WHICH MODEL HAS ISOLATED ITSELF FROM THE WEST, MODERN WORLD AND MOST NEIGHBORS?

Iran

WHICH MODEL ENDORSES THE CONCEPT OF AN ABSOLUTE DICTATOR WHO CAN OVERRULE ANY BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT ANY TIME HE CHOOSES AND IGNORE PUBLIC OPINION?

Iran.  Its ruler virtually claims to be Allah.  You can see this attitude reflected in the outrageous charges brought against those who criticize his actions and crimes.  They are said to be guilty of “crimes against God.”  (Hence, Khamenei = God).

 

WHICH MODEL IS SEEKING TO CREATE WORLD CLASS UNIVERSITIES ESSENTIAL TO COMPETE IN THE MODERN AGE?

Turkey.    After making progress during the Khatami presidency, Iran has reversed directions by ousting real scholars and replacing them with "approved Islamists."   Meanwhile, an affirmative action program for Basilj memners has been introduced to prevent students from creative thinking or raising emarassing issues.

 

CONCLUSIONS

Turkey offers a model worthy of emulation.   No sensible arab would choose to emulate Iran except at gunpoint.    Iranians on a road to nowhere under reactionary rulers. Young people in Iran have no more reason to hope than young Russians living under Breshnev. 






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FG

3 questions for Iran's Suprme Dictator

by FG on

Three Questions concerning your
public relations image in the Arab World.

1. Havng just ousted dictatorships, why would you think any young Arab in his right mind prefer your geriatiric and absolute dictatorship to Turkey's democratic style which is far more appealing?

2. From a propaganda point of view, don't you think Iran's claims to have "inspired"more jeers and revulsion than applause?  That is, the whole world knows quite well how you treat your people and how you run elections and judicial systems.

3. Can't you also see the more brutal and dictatorial you act at home the less inspiring your model is elsewhere?  Turkey treats its citizens so much better.  Your people are only sulbjects who can hardly be described as "citixzens."