When Egyptians took to the streets in July 2013 protesting the rule of then President Muhammad Mursi, observers were filled with fear even more than when people had filled Tahrir Square in a similar revolt against his predecessor two years ago.
There was a huge difference between the two events in the same capital. Fears increased due to clashes in and outside the protest area, and for the first time it seemed that Egypt’s January 2011 revolution could go the same way as Libya, Syria and Yemen.
The months following Mursi’s ouster were full of clashes and threats to Egypt’s stability. In Turkey the situation is different. The country is stable with its regime democratically developed over three decades and a huge majority had elected the current government. There are no large movements demanding a change of regime. It is amid this political stability that the coup attempt suddenly took place a week ago.
I do not deny that some are angry at the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, almost all regional governments and politicians must have been worried that night about possible chaos, given that the wars in Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Syria are bigger than any power’s ability to control them or prevent them spilling over to the neighboring countries.
People have become used to Syria’s tragedy, and are tired of watching news about it every night. However, the situation there pains the heart. The most recent tragedy there was two days ago, when the regime shelled four hospitals and a blood-donation center in Aleppo.
We do not know the number of victims, as a few details have emerged. The world was busy with the crime of a German of Iranian descent, who opened fire on civilians in a mall in Munich. Less than two days later, a Syrian migrant killed a woman with a machete.
Who can imagine how the region would have been affected if another big country such as Turkey suffered from a similar situation? It is a very scary prospect for the world. Had the coup succeeded, Turkey would have been doomed to unrest. No one in the region wants the list of stricken countries to grow. No one in Europe wants Turkey to become a gateway for terrorists, immigrants and chaos.
Regardless of disputes between countries, politicians realize the wide-ranging consequences of uncalculated adventures. I think even Iran, which is igniting the region with problems, is afraid of the repercussions of a change in Turkey. The same applies to Russia. Meanwhile, some of the region’s governments are working on major concessions to put out the fires raging in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and to a certain extent in Libya. God alone knows what would have happened to Turkey had the coup succeeded and the country been divided.
There was a huge difference between the two events in the same capital. Fears increased due to clashes in and outside the protest area, and for the first time it seemed that Egypt’s January 2011 revolution could go the same way as Libya, Syria and Yemen.
The months following Mursi’s ouster were full of clashes and threats to Egypt’s stability. In Turkey the situation is different. The country is stable with its regime democratically developed over three decades and a huge majority had elected the current government. There are no large movements demanding a change of regime. It is amid this political stability that the coup attempt suddenly took place a week ago.
I do not deny that some are angry at the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, almost all regional governments and politicians must have been worried that night about possible chaos, given that the wars in Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Syria are bigger than any power’s ability to control them or prevent them spilling over to the neighboring countries.
People have become used to Syria’s tragedy, and are tired of watching news about it every night. However, the situation there pains the heart. The most recent tragedy there was two days ago, when the regime shelled four hospitals and a blood-donation center in Aleppo.
We do not know the number of victims, as a few details have emerged. The world was busy with the crime of a German of Iranian descent, who opened fire on civilians in a mall in Munich. Less than two days later, a Syrian migrant killed a woman with a machete.
Who can imagine how the region would have been affected if another big country such as Turkey suffered from a similar situation? It is a very scary prospect for the world. Had the coup succeeded, Turkey would have been doomed to unrest. No one in the region wants the list of stricken countries to grow. No one in Europe wants Turkey to become a gateway for terrorists, immigrants and chaos.
Regardless of disputes between countries, politicians realize the wide-ranging consequences of uncalculated adventures. I think even Iran, which is igniting the region with problems, is afraid of the repercussions of a change in Turkey. The same applies to Russia. Meanwhile, some of the region’s governments are working on major concessions to put out the fires raging in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and to a certain extent in Libya. God alone knows what would have happened to Turkey had the coup succeeded and the country been divided.
