By Faruk Tokat and Mehmet Ozturk
ISTANBUL
In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki discussed a host of issues, including the rapid changes currently convulsing the Arab world, Turkey’s recent failed coup attempt, Turkish support for Syrian refugees and the EU's failure to fulfill its commitments to Ankara.
The interview was conducted on the sidelines of the Al-Sharq Forum's conference -- entitled "Envisioning a Post-Crisis Regional Order in the Sharq Region" -- which was held in Istanbul on October 8 and 9.
The following is the full text of the interview:
Anadolu Agency: Turkey recently witnessed a failed coup attempt. What does this mean for the future of Turkey's democracy?
Marzouki: What we noticed in this failed attempt was the role of the Turkish people, who showed the whole world that they are indeed a great people. We also saw the people's support for President Erdogan.
We have also discovered that the powers that conspired to undermine the Arab Spring were the same that plotted the coup attempt against the Turkish government. We consider [the coup plotters’] defeat in Turkey as the beginning of their defeat in the Arab countries.
What drew my attention also was the ambiguous position [vis-à-vis the coup attempt] of some European countries, which probably would have preferred a military coup that led to a fascist regime instead of a democratic one in an Islamic state like Turkey.
The coup attempt revealed who Turkey’s real friends and enemies are. I believe Turkey has become more powerful in the wake of the coup attempt. Turkey is now at the height of its power; at the height of its global position -- which gives us hope as supporters of the Arab Spring, who share in the victory.
AA: Turkey hosts more than three million Syrian refugees, while the EU has failed to fulfill its obligations to them. How do you think Turkey should deal with all these guests?
Marzouki: As Arabs, we owe Turkey for having hosted so many Arab people. Six months ago, I went with a group of Arab intellectuals to Gaziantep in southern Turkey, where we launched an appeal to Arab states to host these large numbers of refugees.
But the appeal remains unanswered, because most Arab countries are governed by dictators and none of them are ready to make sacrifices for this humanitarian cause. All I hope for from our Turkish brothers is that they continue their hospitable support for these refugees.
And we ask Turkey to do its best to solve the Syrian problem so they might return home.
AA: What is your opinion regarding Operation Euphrates Shield, which was launched by Turkey in August to support the Free Syrian Army against terrorist groups in northern Syria?
Marzouki: Any move that contributes to the protection of civilians in these areas is considered positive. For years, I have wished to see a buffer zone established [in northern Syria] with a view to protecting civilians from harm. It is time for the whole world to unite to protect these civilians; Turkey serves as a role model in this regard.
AA: How do you see the lack of real action by the Arab peoples on sensitive issues like Aleppo?
Marzouki: The Arab peoples have showed solidarity with Aleppo, but the volume of tragedy in the Arab world has taken peoples' attention off such sensitive issues. Gaza, for example, remains under siege, but no one cares. In the past, we saw protests and demonstrations.
This does not mean that the people are apathetic. Real anger is mounting, which could explode at any moment.
AA: Will we have to wait years -- or decades -- before political stability is restored in the region?
Marzouki: Unfortunately, what is taking place nowadays in the Arab world is like what occurred in China in the 19th century or in Europe between the first and second world wars. It is a genuine collapse of the political and economic systems and a collapse of the entire Arab system, including the Arab League.
It's like an earthquake that destroys an entire neighborhood -- an earthquake that remains ongoing. The instability may last 10 or 20 years, after which the basis of a new Arab political system will be built.
Now, most individual states have lost their sovereignty and many are experiencing economic and social failures. All this came about due to the tyrannical and corrupt Arab political system.
We pay the price for our choices. The scenario of the Arab uprisings will be repeated. I believe that within 30 or 50 years we will become like China or Europe. We are now living amid a failing system, awaiting the day when we will be able to build a new political system.
AA: What’s your opinion regarding the success of Morocco’s Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Justice and Development Party in recent parliamentary polls?
Marzouki: I'm very pleased that my friend, Abdelilah Benkirane, secretary-general of the Justice and Development Party, was able to obtain the confidence of a majority of Moroccan voters. This shows that the majority of the Arab people are still seeking reform.
I believe this is attributable to the reformist tendency that exists in the Justice and Development's mentality and to the lack of corruption seen during their tenure.
They also want to achieve stability within the framework of the Moroccan monarchy -- this is the secret that has allowed Morocco to move in the right direction.
AA: As you know, there was recently a symbolic attempt by activists to break the decade-long blockade of the Gaza Strip. How do you view such initiatives?
Marzouki: I participated last year in one such initiative and was arrested by Israeli forces, who took us to the [Israeli] port of Ashdod. Our Turkish brothers paid a heavy price during the infamous Mavi Marmara incident, but I am totally convinced that we must keep up these initiatives, which put real pressure on Israel and show it up as an occupier state.
We therefore must encourage additional aid flotillas [to Gaza] until the blockade is lifted, because there are two million people -- who did nothing wrong -- living in an outdoor prison.
The story of Gaza is an international tragedy. The people of Gaza remain hemmed in by Israel and the authoritarian Egyptian regime -- and this is not acceptable.
AA: What do you make of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s calls to reorganize the UN Security Council?
Marzouki: I believe the Security Council should be completely reorganized. It is not fair that the fate of the world is decided by only five countries. This council includes two medium-sized states [the U.K. and France], while countries like India, Brazil, Turkey and Japan have no representation. The entire African continent and the whole Arab world, meanwhile, are also entirely unrepresented.
Reorganization of the council will be necessary in coming years, because it doesn’t represent the whole world anymore.
AA: What do you make of recent revelations regarding thousands of skulls of Algerian resisters -- killed by the French since the mid-19th century -- being held in a Paris museum?
Marzouki: French imperialist forces have always been racist and have stood against the peoples' desire for independence. Yet, at the same time, there are powerful human rights movements in France.
We therefore ask France to apologize for what it has done in Madagascar and Algeria, as it apologized previously for the Holocaust.
AA: What do you make of the new law in the U.S. that will allow the families of victims of terrorist attacks to sue the foreign governments deemed responsible?
Marzouki: This legislation is illegal and immoral. In law, there is nothing called "collective responsibility". The U.S. has committed crimes in Iraq, yet no one ever said that the 300 million citizens of the U.S. are responsible for Iraq’s destruction.
This law is an act of U.S. arrogance. I declare my solidarity with Saudi Arabia and the Saudi people against this shameful legislation.
*Ali Abo Rezeg contributed to this report from Ankara
