Turkey

A league of Muslim countries

2017 was the year when pressure on Turkey declained a little bit and those with evil intentions and deeds were paralyzed. On the other hand, it pursued very assertive political and economical policies.  While 2016 could be assumed as a year of despair, 2017 will be remembered with much hope. The year ended a few days ago was important to show what this country could do when it got rid of shackles

For example, terrorism chains formed by terrorist groups like DAESH, PKK, FETO and DHKP-C have been broken to prevent the country from being thrown into violence. Domestically neutralized groups could not feel safe abroad, either. They live with fear and try to find out how to hide abroad.  If states can not defeat other states, they will act together. Some foreign countries, which could not bow down Turkey with terrorism tool knock its door to improve relations. If bilateral relations develop, there is no doubt that the situation for their supporters will worsen.


Turkey, growing 7-8% every year, has started to benefit from its geo-political advantages, and has been able to minimize terrorism. If last year’s efforts can be transformed into economical and political power, Turkey will really be a regional power by 2023. While getting stronger, may Turkey crop seeds for Islamic and anti-imperialist countries?

USA became the sole superpower after the end of the Cold War. Yet, it is clear that it does not have adequate power to rule the World. The World is going towards a multi-polar era when Russia with its weapons, China with its economy and Europe with its unity will take seats to balance each other. There are also many countries that will side with future candidates of big powers.  Will there also be a Muslim superpower? If Turkey faces no more critical problems, it may be an influential country though it won’t be a superpower.

However, a league of some Muslim countries with same views and politics like EU may lead Muslim countries and become the representative of Muslim World. We all acknowledge that Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is no different than an ordinary association whose members could not even have a common stance for Al Quds, one of two holiest places of Islam. Some countries even kept silent, a type of endorsement in such issues, against declaration of Al Quds as capital of Israel.

Thus, a small but more homogenous alliance among some Muslim countries is crucially needed. My proposal is that Turkey, Qatar, Sudan and a few other countries on the same line may form a union or league. The new stracture won’t come into being by unifying members’ powers, unsatisfactory for now, but with unity in notion. Besides that, Turkey may contribute with its white collar human resources and military, Sudan with its wast lands and blue/white collar employees, and Qatar with its fiscal strength.

More countries may be included to to-be-founded league in the course of time.  We should admit that those Muslim countries going on the right path lack many necessities to become  self-sufficient, strong and effacious domestically and internationally. The only way to become a notable power is to complement each other’s deficiencies and acting together. Since some countries listed above has such will, the next step is to ignite a spark for it. Otherwise, our strife like an illness will continue to keep us weak.

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About the author

İbrahim Karataş

İbrahim Karataş

İbrahim Karataş is a columnist at Yeni Akit, a daily newspaper based in Istanbul.

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