Caliphate? One Minute, One Minute…

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won the hearts of millions in the Islamic world with his walkout at Davos. Love for Turkey in these countries hit a peak. And, of course, they recalled the Ottoman Empire, which ruled these territories for five centuries.

The positive memories left by this rule were recalled. Neither Turks nor anyone else has fully investigated the great contributions of the Ottoman state; I hope someday we will.

However, there are some who exaggerate Erdoğan's gesture. Some even recommend extreme actions that would raise doubts and concerns. Jihad al-Khazen, from Dar Al-Hayat, a reputable paper in the Arab world published in Lebanon, wrote: "Erdoğan made us proud as Muslims. We are ashamed of being Arab because of our timid leaders who remain silent to Israeli cruelty. Erdoğan saved our honor and respect. The Ottoman state should be rebuilt. Erdoğan should be declared sultan and caliph. He should lead the Muslim world."

Is it possible to imagine that the columnist from the Hürriyet daily who described people who vote for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) as "men who scratch their bellies" would not, after reading this, use it as an opportunity? He wrote yesterday, "His Excellency the Caliph has been found; we need to find a camel immediately."

In fact, this issue is pretty serious. There is a group in Turkey that views religious people as a potential threat and danger just because of their attachment to religious practice. This religious majority has been subjected to systematic insults and accusations since 1950, when the Democrat Party (DP) came to power. These circles became more furious after the AK Party consolidated its support base and reinforced its position in office. For instance, the prime minister's stance in Davos, endorsed by 80 percent of the Turkish people, made these elites angry. They just cannot accept the growing interest and affinity in the Arab and Islamic worlds toward Erdoğan. They have already accused him and his party of "Arabization."

When the above remarks were published in an Arab daily, they found the pretext and justification for their allegations.

For this reason, we have to consider this issue seriously and discuss what the caliphate actually is. Above all, I would like to draw your attention to how Fethullah Gülen, a distinguished opinion leader in our age, approaches this issue. He says on the institution of the caliphate: "I believe that some superpowers would like to promote this institution of the caliphate so that they can use it to ignite conflicts and clashes. For example, if this issue of the caliphate is brought up in Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia or another country, others would oppose it. Nation states have been built. Every state has its own independence. Therefore, it is obvious how they would approach this issue. Some others might have done this based on other calculations." [Mehmet Gündem, "Fethullah Gülen'le 11 Gün" (11 Days with Fethullah Gülen), Alfa Publications, pp. 165-169).

The biggest mistake made by rulers of Muslim countries is their failure to understand and read the world. The promotion of the caliphate would be one of the primary sources and reasons for conflict and disagreements in our world, where polarization and global terror are the greatest challenges and threats. In a world where democracy, freedoms, human rights and universal human values are emphasized, the goal of Muslims should be winning the hearts of others by using the opportunities of globalization. This will be possible only by representation. Turkey's state policy is obvious: to become a full member in the European Union by relying on our national and traditional values and standards.

This goal does not take us away from the East; you do not have to give up on the Turkic, Arab world or Islamic worlds. Quite the contrary, we have to remain close to them. We have to build strong cultural and economic ties. Our heightened image in these countries will make us more eligible for EU membership. An EU where Turkey is a member will be a real alternative in world politics. A Turkey that has strong ties in the Turkic and Islamic worlds will mean a lot for an alliance of civilizations, rather than a clash of civilizations. I think this is the only way to maintain universal peace and promote universal humane values. For this reason, we have to just say, "One minute, one minute," - the famous slogan at Davos - when this issue of the caliphate is brought up, regardless of any good intentions in advancing this idea.