The Arab Spring was a critical process; however, the beacon of change, which lighted a vast area spanning North African countries and Yemen, as well as Syria, gave rise to concern among various groups. Upon the fear that Israel’s security, in particular, was under threat, Egypt received an extremely heavy blow.
Thus, Egypt was the second Islamic country following Algeria to encounter an intervention. Despite all the international pressure throughout the country post-coup, the Muslim Brotherhood continued to maintain its general position. Had the Muslim Brotherhood carried out activities that would put those controlling the international community at ease, Egypt may have experienced a period of exacerbated chaos today. Unfortunately, certain circles in Turkey chose to define the Arab Spring as the “manipulation of global imperialist groups.” This definition, the result of an early decision, prevented the emergence of a comprehensive reaction against Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi’s coup, which took place shortly after. The relationship between the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Fetullah Terrorist Organization’s (FETÖ) support to putschist Sisi and the negative perception of the Arab Spring could not be discerned until much later. In fact, the speech President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made in Cairo back then in support of the Morsi administration was also distorted. Our region was sieged both at home and from abroad, and those influencing the public opinion had taken control over our thoughts. Those who claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood would expose Egypt and the Arab region to capitalism and exploitation, closed the case with ostensible grief about the collapse of the Morsi administration.
A decade on, Libya narrowly escaped major disintegration with Turkey’s intervention, leading to the emergence of a new perception regarding the future. If Turkey had not intervened, Tripoli would have fallen into the hands of warlord Khalifa Haftar and the powers backing him. The mass graves uncovered by the Government of National Accord (GNA) might offer an idea about the end foreseen for Libya, but the result would have been more perilous. As reflected in the ambitious objectives of countries like France and Russia, our entire region was on the verge of a new invasion. We can guess the magnitude of the likely human disasters planned for Libya based on the current situation in Yemen.
The outcomes of Turkey’s intervention in Libya were all meticulously calculated. The ministerial-level visit, which was a sign of this, was Turkey’s express declaration of its presence in Libya to the whole world. The attack on Watiya Airbase following National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar’s visit is an indication of the impact of the geopolitical tremor caused by Turkey’s presence. This signifies the start of an era of change that will affect our region. Thus, the voices rising from Yemen confirms new movement across the region.
If we confine the call made to Turkey to put an end to the human tragedies happening in Yemen within today’s borders, we would be trivializing it. These also tell us that a new geopolitical map is being formed indexed to Turkey. As the UAE is setting up a fait accompli on Socotra island, it is also posing a threat to the safe zone Turkey is striving to form in Somalia. Turkey has an idea about who the UAE is working for, and the call from Yemen indicates regional activity. Turkey has an important role in this.
The Arab Spring failed to achieve its goal. The masses returned to their homes in disappointment. However, we see today that the ideas revealed with the Arab Spring continue to persist. As a matter of fact, these ideas are transforming and leaving traces of certain obsessions in their wake. The relations established by dependent political structures such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia on behalf of the region have exposed an extremely narrow-sighted perception in various fields. It is this narrow-sighted perception that made the region succumb for almost a century. In this respect, it can be said that Turkey’s intervention in Libya is shattering the relations that had led the region to surrender. The Arab Spring was distanced from its goal by the hand of the dependent structures mentioned. Meanwhile, Turkey put up a great fight against those dependent structures prior to its intervention in Libya. It was Turkey’s fight against these dependent structures and the powers endorsing them that activated Arab streets.
The traces Yemen left on our minds are proof that we do not have ordinary memories. The shattering changes in the region inevitably affect these memories. It is clear that those who attacked Watiya Airbase wanted to stop this change.
