Mickaeel Collier
Cape Town - Thirty years ago, in the early 1990s, Türkiye was shaken by an earthquake while South Africa was moving towards democracy.
The country was undergoing a turbulent period, with threats from the military, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) onslaught, and the challenges of modernising the state.
Meanwhile, anti-apartheid movements in South Africa were gaining momentum.
Despite negotiations between the National Party and the ANC, violence persisted due to the right-wing militants’ resistance to change.
Nelson Mandela and his inner circle’s leadership enabled South Africa to negotiate its way to the peaceful elections of April 27, 1994.
In contrast, Türkiye’s political landscape was dark and constrictive under a military junta, leaving no time for Africa or Islam.
However, the reformative ‘’Islamic movement’’ of the late 90s and early 2000s humanised Türkiye and increased its relevance to the Muslim and developing world. It is against this backdrop of regional and global political shifts that I flew into Istanbul for the first time.
Its pencil-thin minarets dotting the landscape stood as proud beacons of what I saw as a testimony of the Islam that they had borne for centuries.
As a 13-year-old teenager, I arrived from South Africa – which, although plagued by the trauma of segregation, apartheid, and violent repression, still boasted a functional infrastructure, a self-reliant industrial sector and a stable currency.
On the other hand, it was strange arriving in Istanbul to electricity cuts, shabby infrastructure and poor service delivery, as well as a currency that made you an instant millionaire when converting a single dollar into the depreciated Turkish lira.
Over the ensuing three decades of regular visits, I have witnessed two critical phenomena: the first is the socio-economic impact that three decades of development has had in transforming their society; the second is the disconnect of a generation that is born into that new society without an appreciation of the past.
For many, the lived experiences of previous generations, those who suffered subjugation and oppression, is simply not grasped. In South Africa, for example, the youth no longer know what it was like for a person of colour to be prevented from going to a beach or thrown off a bus that was reserved for whites.
Likewise, in Türkiye the youth have no understanding of what it is like to be denied entry to universities or places of employment because of religious convictions.
Lest we forget, during this time, in the 90s, society was opening up in South Africa, and political figures once classified as terrorists were now being welcomed as members of Parliament in a democratic republic.
This while the military junta in Türkiye was ejecting women like Merve Kavacki from Parliament for wearing a hijab.
When, in South Africa, political exiles living abroad were returning home, Turkish students were being expelled from universities and seeking refuge in foreign lands.
When, in South Africa, schools and universities, previously confined to whites only, were opening up for multiracial education, universities in Türkiye were prohibiting girls from attending school and university for wearing the headscarf.
Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership, Türkiye has made significant advancements in technology, aerospace and telecommunications.
The country has launched satellites, developed unmanned aerial vehicles, and established a strong defence industry.
Additionally, Türkiye’s start-up ecosystem is thriving, and there has been an increase in the number of schools and universities making education more accessible to disadvantaged students.
Türkiye also has a strong tradition of philanthropy, with a growing number of wealthy individuals and foundations supporting charitable causes worldwide.
The government has established several programmes to encourage giving, including tax incentives for charitable donations. In a 2017 report by the UN, Türkiye was listed as the most charitable nation with nearly $8.1 billion donated, equating to almost 30% of all international humanitarian aid.
This dwarfs the US’s contribution of $6.68 billion, Germany’s $2.98 billion and the UK’s $2.52 billion.
Over the past 20 years, Türkiye’s industrial output has grown at an average annual rate of 4.4%, while the manufacturing sector has grown at an average annual rate of 4.5%.
The country has become a major producer and exporter of home appliances and textiles, among other products.
In 2022, Türkiye announced the launch of the first domestically produced automobile, TOGG, which has the latest eco-efficient technology.
The nature of Türkiye’s progress in these many areas may be complex and even subject to debate, with differing political perspectives on the impact of President Erdogan’s leadership.
Nonetheless, Türkiye’s growth, development and increased international relevance cannot be denied.
Today, Türkiye is a significant bulwark against western hegemonic powers, now losing face in a 21st century Cold War – and becoming decidedly edgy in the region.
Thirty years ago, Türkiye was not in this position. It is essential to acknowledge the country’s development while remaining positively neutral and respectful of elected leadership. Türkiye’s profile through its various humanitarian agencies has been hugely significant. The increase of South African tourism has gone a long way in projecting a positive image of the country.
During Ottoman times, Türkiye showed an interest in Africa, and today, things have come full circle. It is significant that Türkiye has observer status in the AU.
Türkiye’s entry into BRICS as a pivotal player would have been unthinkable in the past. Over the past three decades, it seems that the fragility of political life has once again changed and that the roles have reversed.
South Africans are once again fleeing to safer havens due to endemic corruption, crime, and violence.
On the other hand, Türkiye has become a sanctuary of stability and a shelter for a multitude of people who have been displaced as a result of political turmoil. Significantly, in Türkiye industrial infrastructure and advancement in many spheres have now surpassed the growth and development of many European countries.
Sadly, for us in South Africa we are currently crippled by 12 hours of daily electricity shortages, euphemistically called “load shedding”.
The utopian dream of a democratic South Africa with the finest Constitution has tragically shattered into a million pieces, with the country battling to provide water and municipal services to the very people who were meant to be liberated through the anti-apartheid revolution.
In comparison to South Africa, Türkiye’s progress over the past 30 years is remarkable. The Türkiye of 30 years ago expelled a woman from the government for wearing the hijab.
Today, the government boasts an almost 50% ratio of women to men, and a noticeably significant number of female foreign diplomats serving as ambassadors and consuls general worldwide.
Though challenges do persist, the country has undoubtably emerged as a regional power of consequence.
Türkiye remains a democratic bulwark with an impressive 90% plus voter turnout in the 2018 presidential elections.
My first impressions back in Istanbul earlier this year on a family holiday with my now teenage kids reminded me a little of the Istanbul of the 1990s.
This was where things were not working efficiently, where the streets were not clean and where the flowers dotted along the highways were not maintained. Is there something in the air? Is it a coincidence?
Or is it all due to the recent change in municipal leadership and the new mayorship in Istanbul? Who knows?
But one thing we cannot afford to forget, both as South Africans and Turks, is where we have come from, and the advancements we have made through the painful sacrifices of previous generations versus the selective amnesia and indifference to what life was like before the freedoms.
I would say we forget this at our own peril.
Collier is a South African born, Cape Town-based political analyst and serves as the Deputy CEO of Awqaf South Africa, a charity based in SA.
Cape Times