Turkey's failed coup: In Arab world, the rulers and the ruled react differently
| Amman, Jordan
Peoples across the Middle East have been celebrating President Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an鈥檚 put-down of a military coup as a victory for democracy, even as their governments have had a much more lukewarm response to the Turkish strongman鈥檚 continued hold on power.
News of President Erdo臒an鈥檚 victory was met with celebration in large parts of the Arab world. From late Friday through Saturday afternoon, drivers in Arab capitals kept their ears to the radio, and shopkeeper kept their eyes glued to television screens, witnessing what many believed to be the unthinkable: a democratically-elected Islamist facing down a military coup 鈥� and winning.
Erdo臒an鈥檚 victory was met with such jubilance in some corners that citizens 鈥� such as Jordanian Mohammed Dahamsheh 鈥� named children born during the coup 鈥淩ajeb Tayyep鈥� in honor of Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an. With multiple cases over the weekend, government sources say, a total of 18 Jordanian children this year carry Mr. Erdo臒an鈥檚 name.
For many Egyptians, Erdo臒an鈥檚 victory was akin to witnessing 鈥渨hat could have been,鈥� three years after their own military rose up against Mohammed Morsi, the democratically elected Islamist president. Unlike in Turkey, rival Egyptian political groups 鈥� including leftists 鈥� sided with the military and backed the coup, leading to the military regime that is now suppressing those very democratic forces.
鈥淭he [Muslim] Brotherhood made many mistakes, but we should have found another way to force them out,鈥� Hassan Mohammed, a Cairo shopkeeper, says in a telephone interview.
But Erdo臒an鈥檚 appeal goes far beyond Islamism and his unique brand of conservative, Islamist politics.
Mideast pivot
Erdo臒an鈥檚 popularity among many segments in the Arab world dates back several years, as the Turkish leader has often reached out to the Arab world as part of a foreign policy pivot to the Middle East.
Many point to his refusal to allow a US-led coalition to use Turkish territory for its invasion of Iraq, as well as his support for Gaza and his public falling out with Israel as positions that matched those of Arab citizens.
In a 2012 Pew Research Center survey of citizens in Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan, 63 percent of respondents saw Erdo臒an鈥檚 Turkey as a role model for religion and politics. Nearly two-thirds, 65 percent, had a favorable view of Erdo臒an himself, while 70 percent had a favorable view of Turkey 鈥� the highest in either category for all countries and leaders.
Although no similar polls have been conducted since then, observers widely believe that Erdo臒an鈥檚 regional standing took a substantial hit as Ankara-supported Islamists floundered in Egypt, Libya, Iraq, and elsewhere following the Arab Spring.
However, even amid his recent rapprochement with Israel, Erdo臒an鈥檚 support for Palestinians 鈥� combined with his track record of lifting up Turkey鈥檚 middle class and revamping the economy 鈥� has led to renewed admiration among much of the Arab world, where inequality and corruption are rampant.
鈥淚 think [Erdo臒an鈥檚 popularity] is more about his foreign policy stances 鈥� pro-Palestine and anti-Assad, plus his ability to bring Turkey鈥檚 economy into a pretty enviable and independent position,鈥� says H.A. Hellyer, 聽a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council鈥檚 Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East.
Lukewarm response
In contrast to their citizens, Arab governments have had a much more muted response to Erdo臒an鈥檚 victory, underscoring their often-uneasy relationship with the Turkish president.
鈥淭here is a gap between the public attitude towards Turkey and their governments鈥� official approach,鈥� says Oraib Rantawi, director of the Amman-based Al Quds Center for Political Studies.
鈥淭hey see Erdo臒an as a competitor 鈥� he is portraying himself as a leader of the Muslim and Arab world at large, and they are not happy to watch him gain popularity.鈥�
In Syria, meanwhile, the reaction to the events in Turkey has been decidedly different.
Erdo臒an once had a close relationship with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, even referring to him a 鈥渂rother鈥� before the mass killings of Mr. Assad鈥檚 own citizens in 2011 pushed Erdo臒an to give full backing to the Syrian opposition and rebels.
Initial news of the coup was met with celebration in Assad regime strongholds, where government forces reportedly took to the streets and fired into the air to celebrate what they believed to be the end of Erdo臒an.
Judging from appearances, Erdo臒an鈥檚 survival was met with disappointment by decision-makers in Egypt. The Turkish leader has been a vocal critic of the military regime headed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi since he ousted Mr. Morsi, a close ally and ideological soulmate of Erdo臒an.
Tellingly, Egypt鈥檚 state-run Ahram newspaper ran headlines 鈥淭urkish Armed Forces Oust Erdo臒an鈥� Saturday morning, while other state-run media outlets praised the coup attempt as a 鈥渞evolution鈥� against Erdo臒an鈥檚 鈥渢errorist鈥� policies.
The Egyptian government later blocked efforts by the United Nations Security Council to condemn the violence in Turkey, objecting to a line in the statement calling for all sides to 鈥渞espect the democratically elected government of Turkey.鈥�
Relief in Saudi Arabia
Erdo臒an鈥檚 victory was also met with a cautious response from the UAE and Jordan, where King Abdullah has reportedly expressed his distrust of the Turkish president and the policy that allowed Salafist and jihadist militias to use Turkey as a corridor to Syria.
A rare sigh of relief over the coup鈥檚 failure was heard in Saudi Arabia, which recently has rebuilt its ties with Ankara and become increasingly reliant on Turkey as an ally and Sunni counter-weight in its struggle against perceived Iranian designs across the region.
Saudi King Salman personally called Erdo臒an less than 48 hours after the coup to congratulate him on the return of 鈥渘ormality鈥� and 鈥渟ecurity鈥� in Turkey, according to the Al Arabiya news network, and Saudi Arabia even arrested the Turkish military attach茅 to Kuwait at a Saudi airport on suspicion of being a coup sympathizer.
Observers say driving the gap between Arab governments and their people over Erdo臒an are their aspirations for the future.
鈥淭he people are sending a message that Arab regimes should listen to carefully: the people are desperate for a breakthrough in democracy and political reform and are desperate for any success story in the Middle East,鈥� Mr. Rantawi says.
