Russia and Turkey: New Country, New Neighbor
Turkey had to live through its own "red scare" during the Cold War era, with the average person on the street having an exaggerated fear of communism and, of course, Russians. Not well understood by Turkish people, Russians were seen as communist drunkards doomed to live in poverty.
But a series of economic and social dynamics that were set into action with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 completely changed the way Turks perceive Russians.
"First there was fear of communism, in the early years after the Soviet collapse; people here associated Russia with mafia and dangerous liaisons. Businessmen visiting the region would be worried they'd get robbed or attacked. These worries are now in the past, as nearly 2 million come and go annually between the two countries," says İsmail Tas, the secretary-general of the Diyalog Avrasya Platform, which publishes the monthly journal DA (Diyalog Avrasya), which means "yes" in Russian.
The possibility of travel both ways and increasing commercial activity after the fall of the communist regime led to bicultural marriages. Today, the number of Russian-Turkish couples is estimated to be 100,000. "There are also kids now. The child born to a Russian-Turkish couple would need to learn the aspects of both cultures. This is why we need special schools delivering education targeting the children of such couples," Tas says, explaining how intense interaction between the two nations has brought about new demands.
The Russian perception of Turkey also changed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. "After the collapse of the Soviets, they came to Turkey first, as their closest neighbor. They came here and saw a rich country, as opposed to a poor one, which was what they were expecting. Relationships turned into marriages, people started trading and commercial activity," Talha Balik tells Sunday's Zaman. Balik is the editor-in-chief of the Russian-language quarterly Bosfor, which is sold at newsstands in Russian populated areas of İstanbul and in the south, and also distributed for free in the country's airports, planes and hotels.
Balik notes that the Russian press remained negative toward Turkey until the 2000s. "Then they changed, too," he says. "Also, the two states had to get closer whether they wanted to or not as the increasing proximity between the people forced them to. Turkey's exports to Russia are at $10 billion, only about $4 billion of this being recorded economic activity."
The state's attitude in Russia has changed greatly. Balik remembers that in the late '90s, if a Turkish prime minister visited Russia, the news would barely get any coverage in the press. "But every second of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visits has been covered, from his arrival at the airport to the minute he leaves," Balik said.
Turkey's establishment has also been more receptive to Russia. "There were only two Russian language departments in Turkish universities in the mid-'90s. Currently, there are at least 12 such departments. Some private schools offer Russian classes as a third language for primary and secondary schoolers. There are also children of bicultural couples," Balik explains. "We will feel the influence of these much more strongly within the next 10 years."
But how does the Turkish public view Russian people now? "The general view is positive," says Tas, though he admits that certain negative stereotypes about Russian women persist. In Turkey, most people still refer to Russian women "Natashas," a word used to describe women from the former Soviet countries who engaged in prostitution, a phrase that emerged at the time of the initial influx of migrants from former Soviet countries in the '90s. "Turkish women have this worry. They see Russian women as potential home wreckers, perhaps due to some of the things that were seen in the Black Sea region in earlier times," he said. But Tas believes Russian women have done a lot to reverse that image. "Many come here to work or for internships in tourism agencies in Antalya. There are a lot of Russian women holding proper jobs," Tas says. "I think the problem is the way we see them as a nation."
Tas, who lived in Russia from 1993 to 2007, points out the common attitudes and ways of thinking between the two nations. "You make a lot of friends and start to see after a while that we show the same reactions to most things and discover traditions common to both nations, such as hospitality."
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