OPINION - Quo Vadis Western order?

By Burak Elmalı

-The author is a researcher at TRT World Research Center

"In 1945, there was a dream of three old men: Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt. That dream included a promise to work together as a team for that newly developing organization called the United Nations. 75 years later, this United Nations is no longer reflective of a dream. It has become a nightmare."

Recently, Hans von Sponeck, a former UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, uttered these words at the 2023 TRT World Forum. This statement paints a vivid picture of the current credibility crisis facing the liberal, rules-based international order, a system steadily losing ground amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.

In this onslaught, where war crimes are routinely committed, trust and faith in Western-backed normative principles—such as rationality, freedom, equality and justice—are diminishing at an alarming rate. The essence of these values is universally accepted, and no one has a problem with them in principle. Yet the real concern arises when Western nations still position themselves as noble defenders of these principles in a war-torn environment where these values are systematically trampled upon. The agonies of this ongoing genocide, where Western capitals are actively supporting Israel, compel us to reflect on a post-Western world order. What kind of world are we talking about? What type of order will emerge? And how can Türkiye, a vocal opponent of Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity, contribute to this new configuration?

-An order of failures

After World War II, the international system was built upon a set of norms reflecting the interests of the victorious powers of that era. Examining the functioning of its institutions and regimes such as the UN Security Council reveals the challenges faced in meeting these demands as the conditions under which it originated evolved, resulting in an increasingly archaic appearance over time. The United States (and other Western nations), which once positioned themselves as both architects and sole guardians of that order, have failed to exhibit a fair stance against the oppression and violence in Palestine since 1948. This failure has been multiplied, making colonization and apartheid the pillars of a degenerate and racist society which normally has no place in the civilized world.

For almost three months now, Western governments have granted a blank cheque to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has frequently resorted to biblical references in attempts to justify Israel's actions within a framework of good versus evil or civilization versus barbarism. Meanwhile, reporters who are reporting from the field to a global audience are systematically targeted, while Israel's campaign of disinformation persists unabated. Users supporting Palestine face restrictions on social media due to algorithmic censorship.[1]

In this environment, rife with bias and double standards, the only truth allowed to appear in Western mainstream media is the one emanating from Israel. If a journalist or a political figure contemplates otherwise, "cancel culture" and various retributions are in place to prevent any deviation from the pro-Israel hegemonic discourse.

The result is a totalitarian dystopia where truth is replaced by fake news and disinformation, rendering the institutions of this order paralyzed, incapable even of pleading for a cease-fire. The inability to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the massacred Palestinians, even in necessities like food and shelter, underscores the failure of this existing order. Structures holding veto power, which is inherently antidemocratic, resemble a dysfunctional pendulum pulled equally by five strings, thus unable to budge an inch.

-What is next?

The West's indifferent stance towards the massacre in Gaza has created a significant gap between its professed values and reality, leading to a crisis of trust and belief in the eyes of the global public, especially in the Global South. The blatant hypocrisy[2] is encapsulated in Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby's contrasting attitudes, almost shedding tears for Ukraine on camera while discussing Palestine with a disturbing nonchalance.

Frequent systemic failures have led to questioning the rationale behind sustaining this order, which has exhausted its tenure. Are we, therefore, entering a "post-Western" era? The sheer indiscriminate and inhumane destruction of Gaza and the demonstrated inability of the Western-led international order to stop this barbarity amid blatant hypocrisy prove this is the end of an era.

However, a "post-Western" order does not suggest a sudden and complete withdrawal of the West from the world stage, being replaced by entirely new power centers. Instead, it suggests a relative rebalancing of power within the system, opening vast spaces for other world powers and regional forces.

The vision of a multi-centric and multilateral order is becoming increasingly apparent, diverging from Western-centric values and institutions. While Western countries selectively interpret principles like human rights, freedoms, democracy and freedom of expression, emerging powers reinterpret and present these values according to their understanding. For instance, China criticizes the shortcomings of the US-centered order through the Global Security Initiative,[3] proposing its version of a peaceful international order. Interestingly, China takes a rectificatory approach, emphasizing deficiencies in the implementation rather than outright criticizing the principles of the existing system. In essence, being post-Western is a quality that challenges those who hide behind values for their interests.

Moreover, this new configuration suggests increased multilateralism and a more prominent role for regional powers. Looking at Türkiye in this equation, we see an actor with a well-defined stance. Türkiye offers[4] structural critiques with a reformist approach, calling for more democratic, transparent and participatory reforms in every ailing body of the system, starting with the UN Security Council. Türkiye knows that if the system's main actors don't reform, future generations will view the UN and its various entities as worthless relics of the past.

The current system is grappling with a crisis, with the Gaza genocide being its latest manifestation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's mottos "The world is bigger than five" and "A fairer world is possible" have become rallying cries for change, emphasizing that change is not only possible but necessary and urgent. Türkiye's calls underscore the emergence of a new power configuration, a post-Western one which can enhance fairness, democracy, diversity and inclusiveness.

[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/10/24/shadowbanning-are-social-media-giants-censoring-pro-palestine-voices

[2] https://www.aa.com.tr/en/analysis/opinion-israels-war-on-gaza-and-the-liberal-order-at-crossroads/3041497

[3] https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjbxw/202302/t20230221_11028348.html

[4] https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjbxw/202302/t20230221_11028348.html

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu