EDITORIAL

The Truth Revealed on the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations: China and Turkey Will Rise Together

 

The peoples of Asia have taken their place on the stage of history as the hosts of a rising civilization in the 21st century, where the values of labor, humanism, solidarity, and sharing are being rediscovered in the face of a decaying Atlantic. The rise of the peoples of Asia against imperialist aggression will play a decisive role not only in their own regions but also in the future of the entire world.

China at the eastern end and Turkey at the western end of our continent are the two leading countries of the Asian civilization. Under current conditions, the interests of Turkey and China are closely intertwined.

Both countries face similar national security threats. Moreover, the source of the threat is the same. Both countries are the target of imperialist aggression, as they were at the beginning of the 20th century. The United States (US) administration has declared China, Russia, and rising nationalisms in the developing world as national security threats. In line with this decision, the US targets Turkey as well as China, because they reject the yoke of imperialism and defend their rights and interests with an armed determination in matters concerning national interests.

Turkey is located in Western Asia, where today’s geopolitical power struggles are concentrated. It is fighting the armed threats posed by the US in Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria, and Iraq. This is reminiscent of the kind of threats that China is facing in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. In addition, eliminating US-backed separatist terrorism is among the national security priorities of both countries. The US feeds and supports terrorist organizations to divide Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey as well as China.

Certainly, the most important area of partnership for both countries is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI creates a unique opportunity for Turkey, which today wants to step out of the global financial hegemony and head towards a “production revolution”. Likewise, Turkey offers a window of opportunity for China and other BRI countries as a crucial jumping-off point for the BRI’s expansion into Europe, Southwest Asia, and North Africa.

In summary, if Turkey wins, China will win; if China loses, Turkey will lose. It follows that China and Turkey will rise together.

China and Turkey are obliged to be companions as the leading countries of a humane and nature-centered common future that will save humanity from imperialist aggression, the nature from destruction, and societies from decay. The star of the shared future, which will be formed by those whose destinies are common, has already begun to shine.

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With our last issue, BRIQ has completed its 2nd year. With its original design, qualified content, scientific depth of its articles, and authors from different countries, we have produced 8 issues that are worthy of our claims that we announced in the first issue. Our contributors include academics from leading universities in countries such as China, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Mexico, Australia, Egypt, Syria, Italy, and Germany. Our first eight issues included 59 peer-reviewed articles, essays, interviews, and book reviews. In addition, BRIQ featured photographs, paintings, and cartoons of the world's leading artists to contribute to cultural interactions between peoples. To date, the total number of citations of articles featured in BRIQ has reached 32 and since May, BRIQ has been listed on Citefactor, one of the leading international indices. In the coming months, BRIQ will be included in other international indices.

As we enter our third year, as BRIQ we reiterate our call to the academics, experts, and intellectuals of the developing world, especially those in Turkey and China:

BRIQ, which is a powerful tool in breaking the Atlanticist academic domination and enriching the content of the new international order, is your journal, too! Let's strengthen it together with your contributions!

Contents

Abstract

Since establishing the strategic cooperative relationship between China and Turkey in 2010, bilateral relations have entered a new era with more political mutual trust, economic cooperation, and cultural exchanges compared with the previous 40 years. However, in contrast to frequent official contacts, ordinary people’s views on each country have not kept pace with this new development. In the eyes of the Turks, the image of China is still linked to some negative events. Due to several historical reasons, China’s understanding of Turkey remains at a superficial level. If Chinese and Turkish people become closer emotionally and understand each other more, then the two countries’ images will significantly improve, and China-Turkish relations will inevitably strengthen. 

Keywords: China Studies, China-Turkey Relations, Image of China; Image of Turkey, Turkish Studies

Abstract

The years between 1923 and 1949 are a lost period in terms of bilateral relations between Turkey and the Republic of China (中华民国). Research conducted in this area is limited; studies examining Chinese relations of the Atatürk period or general bilateral relations are limited, too. Friendly relations between the two Republics, which had similar revolutions and reforms, were established in 1926, allowing them to influence each other ideologically. Especially in China, many books, newspaper reviews, and articles were published about Atatürk and the Turkish Revolution. Chinese delegations have made various visits to Turkey to study the Turkish Revolution. Even though bilateral relations have been been occasionally interrupted in periods as by the Second World War era, the general trend was toward continuity. This study evaluates the relations between Turkey and the Republic of China by examining the Prime Ministry archives, Presidency Archives, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archives, and newspaper archives of the period (Cumhuriyet, Ulus, Milliyet, and Akşam), and Chinese sources.

Keywords: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Republic of China, Sun Yat-Sen, Three Principles of the People, Turkey

Abstract

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Sun Yat-sen are both great men who overturned the old system to open a new era and have ideas and guidelines for governing countries. Among the six principles of Kemalism, Halkçılık and Devletçilik have similar contents to Sun Yat-sen's The Principle of Democracy and The Principle of Livelihood. Kemal Atatürk does not literally mention "civil rights" and "people’s livelihood” in six principles, but in Halkçılık asserts “people’s rule” rather than autocracy, advocates that power comes from the people, and that the responsibility of the government is to seek welfare for the people. Kemal Atatürk’s Devletçilik focuses on the state-led planned economy and protecting the private property of farmers, like in Sun Yat-sen’s Thought of Livelihood. This paper consists of three parts. The first part compares Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Sun Yat-sen’s main contributions and key thoughts, the second part Halkçılık and Devletçilik of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Sun Yat-sen’s corresponding thought, and the third part the historical background and objective conditions of their ideas.
Keywords: Comparison, devletçilik, halkçılık, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Sun Yat-sen

Abstract

This study examines the process leading to the establishment of relations between Turkey and China on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of this development. One could argue that the relationship between the two ancient countries of Asia and their people was established through a very difficult process shaped by the Cold War environment. Establishing a diplomatic relationship between the two countries, which were in different ideological camps, was an extremely challenging task in a Cold War climate. It is important to point out that opposition to communism, which used to dominate Turkish politics and society, constitutes the main obstacle to the establishment of connections between the two countries in this period. Therefore, this article focuses on ideological and political dynamics. Undoubtedly, the political climate created by the 1971 military memorandum was an important landmark in this process. On the other hand, China’s membership in the United Nations and Taiwan’s (Nationalist China) removal from the United Nations –alongside Turkey’s stance in this process– played an important role in the establishment of relations between the two countries.

Keywords: China, Cyprus, Taiwan, the USA, Turkey