Erdogan is living in a state of delusion imagining the revival of the Ottoman Empire. As a result of this delusion, he has built a 1150-room presidential palace with large gardens, a conference center and an operations room with satellite connections, military telecommunications systems and fortifications that can resist biological, nuclear and chemical weapons.
The palace has tight security measures that prevent the eavesdropping on telephone conversations. The palace guards wear the uniforms of the Ottoman Guard. All of the construction costs and post-construction costs including the maintenance and operation of this palace were enormous in order to satisfy Erdogan’s dream of reviving the Empire.
That dream has caused Turkey to lose its European and American allies, as well as neighbors and countries of the region due to its expansionist ambitions and policies of meddling in the affairs of others.
The tensions in relations between Turkey under Erdogan and the country’s neighbors have increased to the extent that Turkey has violated the marine economic borders of Cyprus to engage in gas exploration.
Previously, Turkey demonstrated territorial ambitions in Syria under the pretext of fighting the Kurds. In Iraq, Turkey meddled in the quota of water from the rivers by taking more water than it needed.
Moreover, it interfered in Egyptian affairs in a shameless, impudent and blatant manner that contravened all diplomatic norms. It even went to the extent of supporting and assisting the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organization.
Erdogan has lost his way in the building and development of his country, which was how he originally won the votes of those who supported him. Due to his affliction with the megalomania virus, he seems to believe that he will be able to make the neo-Ottoman dream come true by turning the wheel of time back by at least 100 years.
Erdogan has lost many of his comrades and his party, which brought him to power, has begun to show the cracks of division. It was his party that helped him change the constitution and convert the governing of the country from a parliamentary to a presidential system. It helped him eliminate the post of prime minister and invest wide powers in the president, and change the presidency from one seven-year term to a five-year term with the possibility of being elected to another term. It was Erdogan’s party that permitted electing the president directly instead of electing him via parliament.
Today we see that internal division has afflicted the Justice and Development Party due to Erdogan’s dictatorship, his single-handed decision-making and his attempts to impose his views on his party.
The Ottoman Turkey of Erdogan is not the Turkey of the future, but the Turkey of the weakness, failings, shortcomings and flaws of a former age.
The world is changing, but Erdogan is still living in a palace constructed of his own delusions and fantasies about the past.
The author is a Saudi legal consultant and writer. Follow him on Twitter: @osamayamani
