October 12, 2011

The US and Turkey: Rebuilding relations

Beril Dedeoğlu

There is a considerable difference between looking at Turkey from inside and outside the country. From which foreign country one looks towards Turkey also matters greatly. When we are in Turkey, we often view ourselves as people capable of criticizing their country and as a nation that yearns for a better political system, better democracy and more transparent institutions. However, from the outside, the image we portray is sometimes quite different.

Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival
We were in Los Angeles for the last few days as guests of the Pacifica Institute, in the context of the Turkish Cultural and Food Festival. We had contradictory feelings when we visited the city and the festival area. California is one of the richest states in the US, and its level of development has sometimes astonished us. It's instructive to observe how the agriculture, industry and service sectors can develop in harmony, how vineyards and colleges, how the movie industry and ports can coexist and even support each other's activities. It was also a reminder how much distance Turkey has yet to cover.