Cultivating leaders in the Mediterranean
BODRUM, Turkey -- In this beautiful Aegean port, on a piece of land with a view across the wine-dark sea from Turkish cliffs to the Greek islands, Akin Ongor envisions establishing an international institute for emerging leaders of the Eastern Mediterranean. For Americans, ''Eastern Mediterranean'' encompasses a sweeping strategic swath from the Balkans to the Gulf, from Bosnia to Baghdad to Bethlehem -- sites of our post-Cold War wars and conflagrations.
This region's path to peace and prosperity is cluttered with ongoing obstacles. But Ongor, a former Turkish national basketball star whose leadership skills were honed at General Electric, is not afraid of challenges. As CEO of Garanti Bank from 1991 to 2000, he built it into ''the best small bank in the world'' (Euromoney magazine) and one of Europe's ''50 most respected companies'' (Financial Times) by emphasizing technology, teamwork and talent development. Ongor's leadership during Turkish monetary crises generated offers for him to become his country's Alan Greenspan after leaving the bank. He preferred to pursue his dream of training the next generation of leaders to build bridges between Islam and the West, and doing it in a strategically-positioned country.
On October 3, negotiations are scheduled to begin for Turkey's bid to join the European Union in 2015. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has expressed strong support for Turkey's EU membership -- an ''epoch-making change, a merger of Christian Europe with the major Muslim power on its doorstep,'' said the BBC's William Horsley.
Negotiations start at a delicate moment. Tension is growing in the soul of many Turks between the Westernized world and Islamic fundamentalism, as depicted in Snow, Orhan Pamuk's widely acclaimed novel. Snow symbolizes the religious veil (secular Turkey opposes head scarves in schools while fundamentalists use head-scarf-wearing girls as political weapons) and also a periodic barrier isolating Turkey from Europe. Many Turks flirt with the West but feel degraded, Pamuk's book indicates. ''Most of the time it's not the Europeans who belittle us. What happens when we look at them is that we belittle ourselves,'' a character says.
It's in America's interest that Turks feel valued and embraced by Europe, especially if Turkey then encourages the development of cosmopolitan leaders able to build bridges against warring factions within and across Muslim nations. That's why Turkey's president and prime minister endorse Ongor's vision of a leadership institute for the whole region.
A beautiful piece of land, even one over international waters, cannot by itself heal centuries of conflict. But if we keep Turkey on our mental maps, cheer on its European aspirations next month and applaud its private-sector leaders such as Ongor who offer visions for change, then there is hope for ending terrorism and finding peace.