PDF Dosyası - Ankara Üniversitesi Kitaplar Veritabanı

such a policy vvould help Turkey to emerge gracefully and vvith honourfrom its present status as being a captive ally of the West.To conclude, Kemal Atatürk's legacy remains relevant and its guidingprinciples vvill steer the Turkish nation into the next millenium. TheTurkish people as a collectivity, are the guardians of this legacy. Whatthey expect from Kemalism is vvhat Atatürk gave to Turkey vvhen helived. In today's terms this can be summarised as the protection and enhancementof the national pride, maximisation of Turkish national interests,and a foreign and domestic policy aimed at bringing peace and unityto the Turkish nation. Seen in this context, the time has perhaps arrivedfor the incisive revision of Turkey's strategic role in the region and furtherafıeld. Of immediate concern is Turkey's propensity to develop intoa torn nation vvith less and less povver to shape its ovvn future. Such a scenariovvould erode and undermine the great legacy of the great Kemal Atatürk.I am sure, hovvever, that prescient decision-making and vvise leadershipvvill prevail, and that Turkey's immense intrinsic national potentialvvill assure a great future for a great nation.AbstractThe post-Cold War political environment confronts states vvith nevvrealities and nevv challenges, as they stand ready to enter the next millenium.Atatürk has left Turkey gudelines as hovv to interpret its ovvn raisond'etre. and also hovv to deal vvith the continuous challenges facing theTurkish state. It is argued that Atatürk intended his legacy, as exemplifiedby his "six arrovvs", be interpreted and applied dynamically. The tvvo immediateissues vvhich particularly need to be addressed in the context ofthe Kemalist paradigm are, fîrstly, the impact of the so-called "clash ofcivilizations"- hypothesis on secularism in turkey, and secondly, Turkey'spro-vvestern foreign policy posture. These tvvo issues are not necessarilyinterdependent, and in the light of the fact that Atatürk's secularismdid not prescribe pro-vvesternism, foreign policy shifts may take placevvithout dishonouring his legacy. Change should be contemplated in vievvof the prevalence of vvhat seems to be "cultural apartheid" on the part ofEurope vis-â-vis Turkey, particularly in regard to membership of the EuropeanUnion. Continuation vvith the existing policy vvill progressivelyerode Turkey's ability to maximise its national interests and act in a vvaycommensurable vvith its regional geo-political position and status. In thenevv post-Cold War global environment, Atatürk's philosophy of "peaceat home and peace abroad" seems to cali for a different foreign policy architectureand posture. The fresh approach should be aimed at uniting theTurkish people behind a single overarching international purpose andserving the national interest by vvay of making the right choices fromamong the state's vvide array of options abroad.711