As a Romanian, my understanding of the Middle East, particularly Turkey, and my engagement with the culture and traditions are widely developed. As we may all know, Romania is rooted in the Ottoman Empire’s history, as it was under its influence for more than 200 years. Trade, political relations, and the list can continue from language to history; there are many similarities. Romania and Turkey have strong political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian relations, which I have always known. Still, thanks to our university, I had the opportunity to personally experience all these while doing my student exchange in Istanbul last semester, having the chance to embrace all of them as a resident fully.
Although my understanding of Turkey is relatively straightforward and realistic, the Western implication in contouring its image, including the Middle East, through media and sometimes propaganda, has managed to change this understanding throughout time. Nowadays, it is vaguer and tends to incriminate their nature, religion, politics, etc., unless political and economic opportunities benefit the claimers- Westerners.
During my stay there, I travelled around the country, examining and comparing these influences with what I knew and what they actually are- with a high interest in their culture, traditions, and development- and I discovered a lot. One of the most important discoveries was the political and cultural development the whole country is experiencing: the complex relationship between its secularism and Islamism. This has shaped the country’s modern identity, governance, and regional role.
The ideological shift from the Ottoman Empire’s caliphate system – which integrated religious authority into governance- to a secular republic under Ataturk’s leadership profoundly influenced Turkey’s cultural and political evolution. Secularism, while institutionalised, was not fully embraced by all sectors of Turkish society, and I do believe that it will not be, especially in the conservator areas of Turkey, which strongly oppose Western and democratic views. There are tensions between secularism and Islamism, which I believe I will comprehend more deeply through the module and the field trip to Istanbul.
Moreover, on the academic side, I am convinced that this trip will solve the puzzle I could not have, which is crucial in understanding generally the Middle East and the exterior powers in the ongoing conflicts and all the world’s challenges. I believe that to be able to make real progress and obtain natural development on any plans, considering the difficulties the Middle East goes through, it is crucial to acknowledge the shifting balance between democracy and authoritarianism because it is key in Turkey’s evolving political identity and its complicated relationship with the West and, particularly, the European Union.
Denisa Dima