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founding

“When something like the Gaza War happens, I still find that I agree with Erdoğan more than I otherwise would. “

Why feel embarrassed? Maybe you like justice and human dignity.

When your başkan supports that you agree with him.

When he acts contrary to those values you don’t.

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author

I don't feel embarrassed. Not sure how you got that. I just don't think Erdoğan's stance on this is conducive to justice and human dignity.

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Really good piece. I wonder how much of Turkey's politics is driven by the reaction you describe and its opposite. If Turks in Muslim countries routinely get sparkling eyes and a grin when they reveal their origin, and Turks in Western countries get a much less pleasant reaction due to stigma, is it any surprise that anti-Western sentiment is going to be an important factor in politics?

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author

My argument over the past 7-8 years has been that this kind of resentment is at the core of Turkish politics today. People from Russia, India and other countries have been making similar arguments. Robert Schneider calls this "the resentment paradigm" and traces its history: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/R/bo185792317.html

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