---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Turkey has its own interests and…"
description: "\"Turkey has its own interests and historically, Turkey conquered most of the Arab world, and the Arabs had to fight wars of liberation to free themselve..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/samuel-p-huntington-4547_arab-world_turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-histori_2957691.png"
---

#  Turkey has its own interests and historically, Turkey…

![“Turkey has its own interests and historically, Turkey conquered most of the Arab world, and the Arabs had to fight wars of liberation to free themselves from the Turks. That's in the past and that doesn't necessarily shape what is going on but it's there and it's there in people's memories.” quote by Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/samuel-p-huntington-4547_arab-world_turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-histori_2957691.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/samuel-p-huntington-4547_arab-world_turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-histori_2957691.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/samuel-p-huntington-4547_arab-world_turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-histori_2957691.png)

> “Turkey has its own interests and historically, Turkey conquered most of the Arab world, and the Arabs had to fight wars of liberation to free themselves from the Turks. That's in the past and that doesn't necessarily shape what is going on but it's there and it's there in people's memories.”

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Historical Turkish conquests shape Arab memories, influencing current politics.

**In simple terms:** Past wars linger in collective memory.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge history in diplomacy.

Themes

history politics memory

Mood

analytical cautious

Type

academic reflective

When to use this quote

- foreign policy
- regional negotiations
- media analysis

Key Concepts

civilizational clash national identity

Questions to Reflect On

- How does history affect current alliances?
- Can reconciliation be achieved?

A Different Perspective

Memory can be reshaped over time.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Arab world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab-world/) [Arabs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arabs/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Historically Turkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historically-turkey-4488814/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Liberation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberation/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Turkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turkey/) [Turkey Interests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turkey-interests-4488815/) [Turkeys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turkeys/) [Turks Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turks-past-4488816/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [We all want at renewal of our dialogue and restoration of our relations with Turkey in the interests of Russian and Turkish peoples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-all-want-at-renewal-of-our-dialogue-and-restoration-of-our/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [Al Jazeera is one entity that everyone across the Arab world watches. Arabs are proud of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jehane-noujaim/al-jazeera-is-one-entity-that-everyone-across-the-arab-world-watches/)

[Jehane Noujaim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jehane-noujaim/)

> [Ever since our country came into existence, we have always assumed that we are better than the Arabs. But we are noticing that these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/ever-since-our-country-came-into-existence-we-have-always-assumed/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [“The Jews are a peculiar people: Things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-jews-are-a-peculiar-people-things-permitted-to-other-nations-are/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [“Let’s stand against the killing of innocent civilians. It is time to make the future better than today. Together we can bring peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/widad-akreyi/let-s-stand-against-the-killing-of-innocent-civilians-it-is-time-to/)

[Widad Akreyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/widad-akreyi/)

> [“It is time to recognize the past and ongoing genocides to prevent new ones. Together we can build a better world!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/widad-akreyi/it-is-time-to-recognize-the-past-and-ongoing-genocides-to-prevent-new/)

[Widad Akreyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/widad-akreyi/)

> [“Actually—and this was where I began to feel seriously uncomfortable—some such divine claim underlay not just 'the occupation' but the whole idea of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/actually-and-this-was-where-i-began-to-feel-seriously-uncomfortable/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [I think in theory, the United States finds it much easier to deal with situations where there is a leading country. You can go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/i-think-in-theory-the-united-states-finds-it-much-easier-to-deal-with/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [“Arabs and other Muslims generally agreed that Saddam Hussein might be a bloody tyrant, but, paralleling FDR's thinking, "he is our bloody tyrant." In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/arabs-and-other-muslims-generally-agreed-that-saddam-hussein-might-be/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Iran of course is Shiite, while the bulk of the Arabs are Sunni, that is a problem or could be a problem. Also, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/iran-of-course-is-shiite-while-the-bulk-of-the-arabs-are-sunni-that/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [I firmly believed we should not march into Baghdad ...To occupy Iraq would instantly shatter our coalition, turning the whole Arab world against us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/i-firmly-believed-we-should-not-march-into-baghdad-to-occupy-iraq/)

[George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/)

> [More attention should be given to the Arab world and the human rights abuse that is taking place every day in many countries in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-khashoggi/more-attention-should-be-given-to-the-arab-world-and-the-human-rights/)

[Jamal Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-khashoggi/)

> [“The routine expression of hatred for others is so common in the Arab world that it barely draws comment other than from the region’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-marshall/the-routine-expression-of-hatred-for-others-is-so-common-in-the-arab/)

[Tim Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-marshall/)

> [I think this is really a defining moment for the Arab world. The problem is, it is all going to be about blood, sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-this-is-really-a-defining-moment-for-the-arab-world-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/)

[Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/)

## More by Samuel P. Huntington

> [Countries will cooperate with each other, and are more likely to cooperate with each other when they share a common culture, as is most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/countries-will-cooperate-with-each-other-and-are-more-likely-to/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Also, of course, for most of this time most Americans thought of America as a white country with, at best, only a very segregated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/also-of-course-for-most-of-this-time-most-americans-thought-of/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [These transnationalists have little need for national loyalty, view national boundaries as obstacles that thankfully are vanishing, and see national governments as residues from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/these-transnationalists-have-little-need-for-national-loyalty-view/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Civilizations evolve over time, and most scholars of civilization, including people like Carol Quigley, argue that they go through periods of warring states, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/civilizations-evolve-over-time-and-most-scholars-of-civilization/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [First of all, we haven't always welcomed immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/first-of-all-we-haven-t-always-welcomed-immigrants/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Hispanics speak Spanish or Portuguese, which are languages we Americans are familiar with, so it doesn't seem to pose the same types of problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/hispanics-speak-spanish-or-portuguese-which-are-languages-we/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Israel has military capabilities including nuclear weapons, far surpassing any other power in the Middle East, but it's a small country. The rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/israel-has-military-capabilities-including-nuclear-weapons-far/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [America doesn't border on Muslim countries. European countries do and that seems to be a fundamental difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/america-doesn-t-border-on-muslim-countries-european-countries-do-and/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Except under rare circumstances, I don't write responses to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/except-under-rare-circumstances-i-don-t-write-responses-to-criticism/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Religiosity distinguishes America from most other Western societies. Americans are also overwhelmingly Christian, which distinguishes them from many non-Western peoples. Their religiosity leads Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/religiosity-distinguishes-america-from-most-other-western-societies/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Both sides are divided and Western countries collaborate with Muslim countries and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/both-sides-are-divided-and-western-countries-collaborate-with-muslim/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [ Some Westerners \[…\] have argued that the West does not have problems with Islam but only with violent Islamist extremists. Fourteen hundred years of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/some-westerners-have-argued-that-the-west-does-not-have-problems-with/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [What are the prospects for an Arab state serving a leading role comparable to the role that other states place in other regions? There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/what-are-the-prospects-for-an-arab-state-serving-a-leading-role/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Obviously there are divisions within the West and divisions within Islam - there are different sects, different communities, different countries. So neither one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/obviously-there-are-divisions-within-the-west-and-divisions-within/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

[Explore all 109 Samuel P. Huntington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

## More Arab world quotes

> [Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/)

[Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/)

> [I think this is really a defining moment for the Arab world. The problem is, it is all going to be about blood, sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-this-is-really-a-defining-moment-for-the-arab-world-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The routine expression of hatred for others is so common in the Arab world that it barely draws comment other than from the region’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-marshall/the-routine-expression-of-hatred-for-others-is-so-common-in-the-arab/)

[Tim Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-marshall/)

> [More attention should be given to the Arab world and the human rights abuse that is taking place every day in many countries in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-khashoggi/more-attention-should-be-given-to-the-arab-world-and-the-human-rights/)

[Jamal Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-khashoggi/)

> [I firmly believed we should not march into Baghdad ...To occupy Iraq would instantly shatter our coalition, turning the whole Arab world against us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/i-firmly-believed-we-should-not-march-into-baghdad-to-occupy-iraq/)

[George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/)

> [The Arab world also won the Nobel with me. I believe that international doors have opened, and that from now on, literate people will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naguib-mahfouz/the-arab-world-also-won-the-nobel-with-me-i-believe-that/)

[Naguib Mahfouz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naguib-mahfouz/)

> [Women in the Arab world have a rich history in their active participation in political change from the Algeria revolution against the French occupation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zainab-salbi/women-in-the-arab-world-have-a-rich-history-in-their-active/)

[Zainab Salbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zainab-salbi/)

> [The unimaginable brutality of this latest manifestation of Political Islam in the Arab world is too much to bear for many Muslim Arab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-melhem/the-unimaginable-brutality-of-this-latest-manifestation-of-political/)

[Hisham Melhem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-melhem/)

> [“The Arab world has no peer when it comes to hatred - of the Western world generally, and especially of Israel. Israel-hatred and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-arab-world-has-no-peer-when-it-comes-to-hatred-of-the-western/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [I think all of the attention of the world, to include the attention of the Arab world, should be on Saddam Hussein and whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-think-all-of-the-attention-of-the-world-to-include-the-attention-of/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [I've been many times to Dubai and the U.A.E., and I have friends that live there. It would be exciting to stage world heavyweight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wladimir-klitschko/i-ve-been-many-times-to-dubai-and-the-u-a-e-and-i-have-friends-that/)

[Wladimir Klitschko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wladimir-klitschko/)

> [Biden's support for Mubarak in the face of his falling regime sends a powerful and unfortunate message to the Arab world that their freedoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/biden-s-support-for-mubarak-in-the-face-of-his-falling-regime-sends-a/)

[Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/)

> [On the flip side, I enjoy covering the Arab world, I've spent my entire career here in the Middle East, but I would never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-shadid/on-the-flip-side-i-enjoy-covering-the-arab-world-i-ve-spent-my-entire/)

[Anthony Shadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-shadid/)

> [I'm not much interested in prizes, whether from the Arab world or from the Western world. Writing is a very difficult process and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-blasim/i-m-not-much-interested-in-prizes-whether-from-the-arab-world-or-from/)

[Hassan Blasim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-blasim/)

> [Love in the Arab world is like a prisoner, and I want to set (it) free. I want to free the Arab soul, sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nizar-qabbani/love-in-the-arab-world-is-like-a-prisoner-and-i-want-to-set-it-free-i/)

[Nizar Qabbani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nizar-qabbani/)

[Browse all 165 Arab world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab-world/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Turkey has its own interests and historically, Turkey conquered most of the Arab world, and the Arabs had to fight wars of liberation to free themselves from the Turks. That's in the past and that doesn't necessarily shape what is going on but it's there and it's there in people's memories.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Samuel P. Huntington"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-historically-turkey-conquered-most/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Arab world"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-historically-turkey-conquered-most/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/samuel-p-huntington-4547_arab-world_turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-histori_2957691.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/samuel-p-huntington-4547_arab-world_turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-histori_2957691.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9d/samuel-p-huntington-4547_arab-world_turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-histori_2957691.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Turkey has its own interests and historically, Turkey conquered most of the Arab world, and the Arabs had to…” — Samuel P. Huntington",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Samuel P. Huntington",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Turkey has its own interests and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-historically-turkey-conquered-most/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/turkey-has-its-own-interests-and-historically-turkey-conquered-most/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```