Turkey during the last decade

In the first term of AKP (2002 - 2007), the center of weight of the government's policies was located aroud Turkey becoming a member of the European Union. It is no exaggeration to say that there was not a single domestic or foreign issue (with the possible exception of those directly concerning US.A as the invasion of Iraq) that was not related to the potential membership of Turkey to the EU. It was very clear from the outset that the West had not even the least intention to accept Turkey to the EU. The plan was to keep Turkey bound to the door of the EU without letting it enter, in order to prevent Turkey from even seeking other alternatives in the East. One of the major common denominators of the political party leaders, generals and oficers, rectors, journalists, intellectuals imprisoned under the Ergenekon, Sledge-Hammer and similar operations is that they all have been regarding Eurasia as an alternative to the West on the

international plane, that in a rather broad spectrum though, ranging from just increasing the bargaining power of Turkey towards the West to considering Eurasia as the geography where the future civilization of mankind is being born.

In the second term of AKP (2007 - 2011), especially after Obama took ofice in the US, things started to change drastically. Membership to the EU was not even mentioned any more. The additional influence of the global economic crisis on this change cannot be denied, of course. The EU had also lost its charm due to the economic dificulties that especially its southern members were faced with. The substitute for the EU was now «regional leadership of Turkey», or «New Ottomanism». Turkey becoming a regional leader was subject to a particular constraint, which was not spelled out as loud as the leadership part though, namely «regional leadership by aligning Turkey's stance along the interests of big powers towards the region». The attitude of Turkey in the nuclear issue towards Iran, its developing relations with Syria, its opposition to Israel in the Palestinian issue, the growth of economic relations with Eurasian countries lead to the question of whether there was a shift in Turkey's axis towards the East on the international plane.