On November 6, 2013, the Turkey Sector of the Center for Near and Middle East Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences held an international scientific conference "90th Anniversary of the Republic of Turkey: Evolution, Results and New Trends". The reports reviewed the stages of development of the Republic of Turkey, analyzed its achievements and problems in the field of economic, socio-political and cultural development, the evolution of its international political status. The speakers ' attention was drawn to the history and current state of Russian-Turkish relations, the role of the media in the life of Turkish society, the ideological, cultural and religious influence of Turkey in the post-Soviet space and in the Muslim regions of Russia, as well as approaches to covering the history of Turkey in a new textbook for higher education, which is being prepared by domestic orientalists.
The conference was attended by employees of the Turkish Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ISAA MSU, RISI, the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Federation, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, representatives of the universities of Istanbul, Ankara and Yerevan.
The plenary session heard reports by V. Ya. Belokrenitsky, S. F. Oreshkova, N. G. Kireev, G. I. Starchenkov, M. S. Meyer, S. N. Uturgauri, E. Tellal, B. Gunay.
Vladimir Belokrenitsky (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) noted the importance of the conference due to the importance that Turkey has recently acquired in the Middle East and the rest of the world.
S. F. Oreshkova (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) considered the influence of the Ottoman heritage on the political formation of the Republic of Turkey. In her opinion, the death of the Ottoman Empire, based on
The rule of Sharia law contributed to the fact that at an early stage of the formation of the new Turkish statehood, the principles of secularism and the national state prevailed in Turkey.
N. G. Kireev (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) spoke about the participation of religious figures in the national liberation struggle of the Turkish people, drawing attention to the difference in approaches among the Ottoman clergy to the Kemalist movement.
G. I. Starchenkov (IB RAS) analyzed the policy of Turkey during the crisis of Arab secular regimes in 2011-2013. In his opinion, Turkey is currently in a difficult foreign policy situation, since the personal diplomacy of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who sought to assert Turkey's influence in the Middle East during the "Arab troubles", led to the fact that the country seriously complicated its relations with its Arab neighbors.
M. S. Meyer (MSU ISAA) justified the need to write a new textbook on the history of Turkey for higher education. This is due to the outdated concept of previous textbooks, the publication of new domestic and foreign fundamental studies on the history of Turkey, as well as the low level of general education training of higher school applicants.
The report of S. N. Uturgauri (IB RAS) examined the role of white emigration in relations between the USSR and Turkey in the 20s of the XX century. With regard to the" white Russians", Turkey pursued a flexible course, acting in its own interests. As a result, while not ignoring the Soviet demands for the expulsion of White emigrants, the Turkish government at the same time delayed the process as much as possible, so as not to annoy the League of Nations, with which it hoped to raise the international status of the Republic of Turkey.
E. Tellal (Ankara University) analyzed the political, economic and cultural aspects of relations between Russia and Turkey since the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Brotherhood in 1921. According to the speaker, the peculiarity of Russian-Turkish relations in the 20th century was that they were invariably peaceful in comparison with the previous period.
B. Gunay (Istanbul University) outlined the prospects for the development of Turkish democracy in connection with the "democratization package" proposed by the AKP government, which is designed to integrate various political trends into the existing political system. The speaker described the modern political system of Turkey as a "conservative democracy", noting that the course of democratization depends on whether Turkey will withdraw into itself or further expand its potential in the international arena.
The section "Issues of economic and domestic political development of Turkey" included reports by E. I. Urazova, N. Y. Ulchenko, B. M. Yagudin, P. P. Suleymanov, Ya.A. Amelina, I. G. Saetov, V. V. Tishin, V. I. Shlykov, P. V. Shlykov.
E. I. Urazova (IB RAS) has identified structural changes in the Turkish economy from the period of statism to the present. According to her, today Turkey has firmly entered the top ten new industrial countries, using advanced technologies and widely developing the service sector. At the same time, Turkey remains a country of developed agriculture, fully meeting its own needs and carrying out agricultural exports.
N. Y. Ulchenko (IB RAS) proposed an alternative principle of periodization of the economic history of the Republic of Turkey. Traditionally, in the national Turkological science, changes in the ratio of state and private property were considered as a criterion for periodization. The speaker's criterion is the nature of fiscal and monetary policy, which remained restraining until the middle of the 20th century, and then changed to stimulating at the same time as Turkey's transition to a multi-party system. In view of this, N. Y. Ulchenko defines the economic development of Turkey in 1950-2002 as the result of the implementation of the populist-market model of the economy. In a transformed form, the features of populism also characterize the economic policy of the current ruling Justice and Development Party.
B. M. Yagudin (Kazan Federal University) He noted the role of mass media in the system of public and political institutions in Turkey at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. In his opinion, despite the availability of huge resources, at present the Turkish media are not the real fourth power in the country. This is hindered by the monopolism of information corporations in Turkey and the economic growth of the country.
the pragmatism of a significant part of society, as well as the desire of the authorities to control the media.
P. P. Suleymanov (Kazan branch of RISI) has studied the religious influence of Turkey on the Muslims of Tatarstan in the post-Soviet period. He noted that religious influence from abroad on Russian Muslims significantly contributes to their spiritual and political orientation towards foreign religious centers, and therefore contradicts the interests of Russia. Ya. A. Amelina (RISI) continued the topic of Turkey's influence in the post-Soviet space, considering the religious, political and economic role of Turkey in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In her opinion, unlike Tatarstan, Turkey's success in strengthening its spiritual and cultural influence in these republics is rather modest due to the small size of the Muslim community and the dominance of nationally oriented elites here. I. G. Saetov (Turkish-Russian Research Center of the Russian State Library of Religious Sciences) spoke about the Menzil Sufi community, in particular about its history and various aspects of its activities He also noted that there are followers of this religious community in Russia. The report of V. V. Tishin (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) examines the methodological features of Turanism and Turkish nationalism as two main trends in Turkish historiography in the 50s and 60s of the XX century. V. I. Shlykov (ISAA MSU) reviewed the electoral process during the rule of the Democratic Party in Turkey. In his opinion, despite the efforts of the Democrats to subordinate this process to their own interests, the objective nature of their policies did not prevent a critical reduction in the electoral resource.
The political situation in Turkey after the removal of the Democratic Party from power was highlighted in the report of P. V. Shlykov (ISAA MSU), which examined the dynamics of protests and mass demonstrations in Turkey during the "Second Republic" (60-70 - ies of XX century).
Zh.S. Syzdykova, G. A. Uysal, V. A. Nadein-Rayevsky, A.V. Suleymanov, I. I. Ivanova, I. A. Svistunova, N. M. Gorbunova, K. V. Vertyaev, A.V. Boldyrev, V. Petrosyan, A. G. Hajiyev presented their reports at the section "East and West in Turkey's Foreign Policy"., O. P. Bibikova, E. I. Larionova, N. S. Belyakova, N. Ragimov, N. A. Zamaraeva.
Zh. S. Syzdykova (ISAA MSU) analyzed the Central Asian policy of Turkey and the future prospects of Turkish foreign policy in Central Asian countries. G. A. Uysal (IB RAS) considered the main stages of Russian-Turkish cooperation in the republican period. She noted that, despite the contradictions on the Syrian issue, relations between Russia and Turkey are actively developing, including at the interstate level within the framework of the activities of the Russian-Turkish Supreme Cooperation Council, which includes members of the two countries ' governments.
V. A. Nadein-Rayevsky (IMEMO RAS) spoke about the influence of F. Gulen's religious ideology on the foreign policy of the Republic of Turkey. In his opinion, ideological changes within the country also led to changes in Turkey's foreign policy, contributing to its "turn to the East", which was expressed in the desire of Prime Minister R. T. Erdogan to become the leader of the Muslim world. This decision was facilitated by disagreements in the ruling elite on a number of foreign policy initiatives of the Turkish leadership, the impasse in the Syrian issue and the weakening of the position of R. T. Erdogan himself inside the country.
The study of the ideological aspect of Turkish foreign policy was continued by A. V. Suleymanov (Kazan Federal University), who touched upon the historical, ideological and geographical determinants of Turkish foreign policy.
Irina Ivanova (IV RAS) highlighted the evolution of the Middle East policy of the Republic of Turkey during the republican period, starting from Kemal Ataturk to the period of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule. The speaker noted that until recently, the AKP successfully pursued a policy of "zero problems with neighbors", but Turkey's desire to lead the Arab world, taking advantage of the foreign policy situation during the "Arab Spring", complicated its situation in the Middle East. This forces the Turkish leadership to reconsider its previous plans and once again try to normalize relations with its neighbors.
I. S. Svistunova's report (RISS) examined the current state of Turkish-Iranian relations. In her opinion, despite the fact that Turkey and Iran remain "on opposite sides of the fence" on the Syrian issue, the active economic cooperation between the two countries in the 2000s, as well as the long history of their interstate relations, mitigate the intensity of competition between them for regional influence.
N. M. Gorbunova (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) turned to the past of Turkish-Lebanese relations and the prospects of their relations in the future. She stressed that while Turkey and Lebanon are committed to
to adhere to a mutually acceptable foreign policy line, the two countries ' opinions differ on the Syrian issue and the issue of the Armenian Genocide. By supporting one of the parties to the conflict during the Syrian crisis, Turkey has weakened its traditionally strong position as a mediator in the Middle East.
K. V. Vertyaev (IB RAS) reviewed the approaches of the AKP ruling in Turkey to solving the Kurdish issue. Opposing any form of Kurdish autonomy, the ruling elite of Turkey puts forward as an alternative the idea of democratic confederalism within the framework of a single Turkish state. According to the author of the report, the AKP's current position among Kurds is quite strong, but the "Kurdish" initiatives of the AKP have led to the fact that it is gradually losing popularity among Turkish nationalists - the majority of the Turkish part of the country's population, which adheres to the traditional harsh approaches to Kurds and "Kurdish separatism"for the previous years of the republic.
A.V. Boldyrev (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) studied the relations between Russia and Turkey on the Black Sea Straits in the XX-early XXI centuries. He concluded that shipping through the Straits, oil transit and the military regime of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles are the most pressing problems in relations between Russia and Turkey in the Black Sea region.
V. Petrosyan (Yerevan State University) reviewed various aspects of cooperation between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan. The speaker noted the temporary nature of cooperation between Turkey and the Kurdish Autonomous Region (KAR). In his opinion, this cannot be considered as a partnership between the two sides, since Turkey is fundamentally opposed to the independence of KAR, fearing the integration of oil-rich Kirkuk into the new state, as well as the strengthening of separatist sentiments among Turkish Kurds. A. G. Hajiyev (Voice of Russia radio station) spoke about the main stages of integration of Turkey and the EU. In his opinion, the main obstacle to Turkey's inclusion in the European Union is the difference in the civilizational models of Turkey and European countries. The report of O. P. Bibikova (IB RAS) was devoted to the Turkish diaspora in Europe. The author of the report noted the slow process of integration of Turkish migrants in Europe due to the preservation of the traditional Turkish mentality and the liberal attitude towards migrants of the host country. In her opinion, the adaptation of the Turkish population in Europe, which needs to attract new labor, will be facilitated by the spread of European education standards among Turkish migrants and immigrants from other countries of the Middle East.
E. I. Larionova and N. S. Belyakova (both Dip. acad. Russian Federation) considered the interaction between the Black Sea twin cities of Russia and Turkey as an example of civil diplomacy. According to the authors of the report, civil diplomacy is currently one of the dynamically developing elements in the system of international relations, which can be used by Russia as a "soft power" policy.
N. Rahimov (IB RAS) highlighted the role of the Kurdish factor in Turkey's policy towards Syria. It was noted that the careless policy of the Turkish government towards the Syrian Kurds-the desire to create a buffer zone between the territory of their residence in northern Syria and Turkish Kurdistan - led to a sharp complication of relations between Ankara and representatives of the Kurdish community in Syria. She believes that Turkish-Pakistani relations are developing steadily due to the economic, diplomatic and anti-terrorist cooperation between the two countries.
At the final session, the participants noted the growing attention to the study of the problems of modern socio-political development and the history of Turkey, the emergence of relevant research areas and specialists in some universities. Noting the high level of the majority of reports heard, the participants emphasized the undoubted scientific effectiveness of the exchange of views on the main issues raised in them. It was decided to prepare a collection of articles based on the results of the conference and continue developing relevant scientific topics and problems.
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