He spilled the beans in Antalya: "Everything depends on finding common ground with Israel"
A scandalous statement from US Ambassador Tom Barrack in Antalya: He deemed dictatorship appropriate for the region's peoples with a "colonial governor" tone that excludes democracy while polishing Syria and monarchies. The goal is clear: Not the will of the people, but Israel's interests and the authoritarian status quo!
12punto
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum hosted a scandalous admission that, beyond diplomatic courtesy, disregarded the will of the region's peoples. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, setting aside diplomatic conventions, argued that the "only prescription" for the Middle East is authoritarian regimes and monarchies.
Barrack's statements once again brought to light those ancient and dark "orientalist" codes in Washington's view of the region.
The most striking and controversial point in Barrack's speech was his characterization of democracy as a "failure story." While the Ambassador belittled the peoples' demands for freedom (the Arab Spring) as a "fading process," he did not hesitate to hail the bloody status quo in Syria as "decisive leadership."
These words from Barrack were interpreted as the decrees of a modern colonial governor. This approach, which ignores the right of the region's peoples to self-determination, sends the following message: *"You cannot manage democracy; you only need a 'benevolent' king or dictator."*
It did not take long for the Ambassador to spill the beans while explaining his formula for "prosperity." According to Barrack, the peace of the region does not come from democracy, human rights, or the rule of law, but from the convergence of Israel's interests with those of the Gulf monarchies.
Barrack's sentence, which he began by saying, "I will be criticized for being anti-democratic," is actually a display of arrogance showing that he was aware of the injustice he was about to commit but did not care. These statements, which ignore Turkey's democratic tradition and its sensitivities regarding the region in the heart of Ankara, are the most concrete proof of how the US's promises of "bringing democracy" can easily turn into "praises for kingdoms" when strategic interests are at stake.
In Antalya, instead of building a diplomatic bridge, Tom Barrack acted as the spokesperson for an old and dirty foreign policy understanding that views peoples as subjects and constructs the region as a playground for great powers and Israel.