Alexander Dugin: "I support neo-Eurasianism, not Ergenekon" | "Today's Zaman" | 13.11.2008

‘I support neo-Eurasianism, not Ergenekon’

"Today's Zaman", 29 October 2008

The leader of Russia's Eurasia party, Alexander Dugin, believed to be a supporter of the Ergenekon terror organization, has dismissed all such allegations, saying that he has no affiliation whatsoever with the group.

In his dismissal of the claims, Dugin responded to the contention that through his work with the Eurasia movement he had inspired or provided support to Ergenekon, an illegal crime network in Turkey with links to that nation's deep state. He explained away his meetings with key Ergenekon figures by saying that they merely met to discuss the Eurasia movement.

"These meetings did not go beyond intellectual inquiries. I have never heard of this organization. I have never advocated Ergenekon. It is completely untrue that I have served as a mediator with the Russian intelligence establishment for these people. I said I could appear in the hearings to say that I had no connection with Ergenekon. I never said I would support the members of Ergenekon organization. I am saying this again; I am ready to present myself to the court to deny the allegations against me," he emphasized.

Moscow occupied a central place in the media coverage of Turkey's investigation into Ergenekon because Levent Ersöz, the former head of the gendarmerie intelligence department who was also the alleged sales director of Rosoboronexport, a Russian arms exporter, fled to Russia when he was indicted as a suspect in the Ergenekon case. News reports alleging that Dugin expressed support for Ergenekon followed Ersöz's escape. Dugin, a professor at Moscow State University who argues that the unipolar international system created by the US at the end of the Cold War is no longer economically or geopolitically significant, spoke to Today's Zaman and stressed that he had only learned of the Ergenekon from the press.

‘I have no business with criminal enterprises’

Noting that he would in no way support a criminal organization, Dugin emphasized that he only supported the Eurasia movement, which he emphasizes as a "legal, transparent, and democratic entity." He said he supported rapprochement between Turkey and Russia and for that reason met with some of the Ergenekon suspects, Workers' Party (İP) leader Doğu Perinçek and other Turkish nationalists included -- because they supported the Eurasia idea and platform. "They had an anti-American stance. I would describe myself as a conservative in ideological terms. However, Perinçek holds Bolshevik thoughts and views. I also met with Kemal Alemdaroğlu, [also detained as part of Ergenekon] and some other leading names," Dugin said.

Recalling that those with whom he met with because of their nationalist and Atatürkist political leanings were in search of new strategic options in the region, Dugin went on to say that his discussions with the now-suspects did not extend beyond the scope of general discussion regarding regional strategic options, and certainly did not include discussion of internal Turkish affairs. "In our meetings, the people I talked with … wanted Turkey to preserve its Kemalist heritage and for new strategic options in the region. They never discussed a radical revolution or the creation of a terrorist organization with me in those meetings. Rather, we were planning to make advances within a democratic and legal framework. I attended a number of meetings in Turkey. I also held a few in Moscow. However, if those people developed different strategies in their countries, I would know nothing about that."

The Russian scholar and politician argues that as a NATO member Turkey is under heavy influence from the US, in contrast to Russia, which has no ambitions for NATO membership. He says that unlike the US, Russia does not want to manipulate Turkey. He noted that there were groups in Turkey that opposed its relationship with the US, and that he agreed with these groups on many points. "Anti-Americans want to ensure rapprochement between Turkey and Russia. In our meetings, they constantly mentioned their efforts to change the pro-Atlantic view prevalent in Turkey. Despite that, they did not have much information or knowledge about Russia. They simply wanted to secure support from countries other than the US. However, I have a broader vision of the Eurasian movement," he noted.

'Russia does not support the PKK'

Dugin said that he has changed his views suggesting that the map of the eastern part of Turkey should be redrawn and that a pan-Turkish policy was being pursued in Russia's hinterland, Dugin said: "Neither country has a hidden agenda against each other. I think that Turkey should be the most important strategic partner of Russia in the Middle East. Each country respects the territorial integrity of the other. Unlike the 1980s and 1990s, this mutual respect is grounded upon greater trust. Turkey does not pursue an anti-Russia policy in predominantly Turkic areas. Likewise, Moscow does not support the Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK] or pursue a Kurdish policy that will upset Turkey. Even though it has not officially declared the PKK a terrorist organization, I can say that Russia extends no support for the terrorist organization."

Dugin further said Russian support for the PKK in the 1980s and 1990s was part of a previous approach but that this policy substantially changed during the process when PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan was refused entry into Russia. Recalling that Russia was eager to use the PKK against a pan-Turkic ideology in the past, Dugin said: "We can firmly say that Russia extends no support for the PKK currently. Russia cannot be a sponsor of the PKK. Yes, the PKK is not on Russia's terrorism list, but it is impossible to deny that the PKK commits acts of terrorism."

Noting that he had met with a number of figures with different political identities including former President Süleyman Demirel, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, the former president of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), Rauf Denktaş, and many others, Dugin underlined that the vast majority in Turkey supports the idea of having their own national state. Dugin said that Turkey has no pan-Turkic ideology: "The pan-Turkic ideology has its origins in the US. It is wrong to examine relations with Turkey from this perspective. I have also changed my views. I noticed through my contact with Turkey that Turkey is our ally."

Russian scholar Dugin, who has specialized in the fields of political science, sociology and philosophy, has more than 30 published works. The leader of the Eurasian movement, Dugin describes himself as a conservative intellectual. Dugin also adds that rumors asserting that he is a neo-Bolshevik were not true, speculating that this might be an error in translation.