Turkey 'positive' on changes in Sudan, Algeria: Analyst

Turkey 'positive' on changes in Sudan, Algeria: Analyst

Ankara learned to ‘unambiguously side with the people during first Arab Spring’, ex-adviser to Turkish premiership says

By Mohamed Sheikh Yusuf

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ankara has adopted a “positive” stance vis-à-vis recent political developments in Sudan and Algeria, according to a prominent Turkish analyst.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Omer Korkmaz -- writer, political analyst and former adviser to the Turkish premiership -- said Turkey supports “the will of the people”.

“We learned to unambiguously side with the people during the first Arab Spring,” Korkmaz said, referring to the wave of popular uprisings that convulsed the Arab world in 2011.

According to the analyst, Turkey's position in this respect came at the expense of its relations with the ruling regimes of at least some of the affected countries.

This time around, Korkmaz said, the Turkish political leadership has been “more cautious”.

Ankara, he asserted, “is watching affairs [in Sudan and Algeria] closely”, while the Turkish Foreign Ministry is only issuing “positive” statements regarding recent developments in both countries.

On April 11, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was ousted by the army following months of popular demonstrations against his 30-year rule.

He was replaced by a Military Transitional Council, which is currently running the country’s affairs for a two-year “transitional period” during which presidential elections will eventually be held.

“We may disagree with him [i.e., al-Bashir] over his long-term military rule [from 1989 to 2019], but he didn’t want to run for another term,” Korkmaz said.

“Certain circles within the ruling regime, however, wanted him to stay on as president, so he agreed to run,” he added.

Korkmaz voiced hope for a “swift” transfer of power to a civilian authority in Sudan, saying: “The will of the people is the basis [for legitimate authority], but this must be achieved in the absence of regional intervention”.

As for Algeria, Korkmaz praised the people's insistence on having their voices heard.

On April 2, Algeria’s 82-year-old president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, stepped down after two decades in power.

As in the case of Sudan, the move followed several weeks of popular protest against the aging leader’s continued rule.

“The Algerians benefited from the events of the 1990s,” Kormaz said.

During that decade, Algeria suffered a bloody civil war pitting the army against several armed groups following the cancellation of parliamentary polls that an Islamic party had been poised to win.

“What we see in Algeria now is respectable,” Kormaz said. “They are cautious not to see the popular movement turn towards other scenarios -- such as military action, like what happened in Syria.”

“We wish success for the Algerian people and hope they don’t fall into a new trap,” he added.

As for recent events in Khartoum, Korkmaz praised the “awareness” of the Sudanese people, voicing hope that the country would steer itself safely through the current critical period.

“The will of the youth has triumphed over the political and military will,” he said. “But if their movement continues, there may be unforeseen problems later.”

Korkmaz also noted Sudan’s chronic economic woes, which -- largely the result U.S. sanctions on Khartoum -- were a major factor in the anti-Bashir demonstrations.

Despite Khartoum’s support for a Saudi-led coalition against Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, Korkmaz said, the Gulf States, “didn’t deal sufficiently” with Sudan’s weak economy.

The Gulf States, he stated, “issued harsh demands for changes in Sudan's [regional] positions”.

They “wanted more and more, which al-Bashir did not accept, while the Sudanese people suffered under the blockade” caused by the U.S. sanctions, he added.

Korkmaz does not expect any improvements to the Sudanese economy until the blockade is lifted.

“I don’t expect Washington to lift the blockade, even though Khartoum made great effort to remove Hassan al-Turabi from power [in 2000],” he said.

He added: “The international and regional parties are not satisfied. I’m not sure what they will accept, or what their demands are.”

“Do they want to control oil? Do they want the Sudanese people to repeal the Islamic laws they approved?” the analyst wondered aloud.

Regarding Algeria, Korkmaz said: “The people haven’t obtained their rights; they only want part of the country's wealth.”

“It is an oil-rich country whose people are poor,” he added. “The Algerian people want to run their country in a pluralistic and democratic way.”

If Algerians succeed in achieving their goals, Korkmaz concluded, “it will lead to regional peace, especially between Algeria and Morocco, and extend to Tunisia and Libya as well”.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat

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