Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Turkey Making All The Right Moves

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Turkey Making All The Right Moves

    TURKEY MAKING ALL THE RIGHT MOVES
    by Arthur I. Cyr

    Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Massachusetts)
    November 2, 2009 Monday

    What's in a name? Plenty, and the same goes for a nation's flag.

    The national flag remains a potent emotional symbol, demonstrated this
    month by intense -- and underreported -- conflict among Turkey, Armenia
    and Azerbaijan. The flag flap has important bearing on international
    relations, especially U.S. foreign policy.

    Azerbaijan flags were removed from a stadium in Bursa, Turkey, where
    a World Cup match between Armenia and Turkey was being held. They
    were found in a trashcan. In retaliation, Azerbaijani officials in
    Baku removed Turkey's flag from a war memorial commemorating Turkish
    troops who fell in fighting for Azerbaijan independence in 1918. On
    Oct. 27, the flags were raised again.

    Turkey is making strong efforts, so far reciprocated, to resolve
    fundamental conflict with Armenia, dating back to the Armenian genocide
    early in the 20th century. On Oct. 10, the two nations signed a
    protocol to open their shared border. Turkey closed the border in
    1993 as a gesture of solidarity with Azerbaijan. In mid-October,
    President Serkh Sarkisian became the first head of state of Armenia
    to travel to Turkey.

    Armenia-Turkey rapprochement in turn has antagonized Azerbaijan,
    which has been losing to Armenia in a border dispute involving the
    territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. This has occurred despite repeated
    assurances from national officials in Ankara that relations with Baku
    would remain strong.

    This interplay may be difficult to follow, involving complex politics
    as well as obscure geography, but Turkey's vital strategic importance
    provides a powerful incentive to understand developments. Despite
    current tensions between a religious government and a secular
    constitution and state, Turkey remains a strong, stable representative
    democracy. Eventually, the nation may serve as a bridge between East
    and West that brings essential economic and political modernization
    to the Arab world.

    Turkey's relative isolation within Europe is a problem. The European
    Union has turned the nation's application for membership into seemingly
    endless agony. No doubt, concern about Islamic extremism contributes
    to caution, but more general, long-standing European prejudice against
    outside populations undeniably is involved.

    Condescension is combined with inertia.

    Developments within Turkey overall have been reassuring. The people
    remain committed to representative government, an effective counter
    against al-Qaida and other extremist movements. To date, terrorist
    acts in Turkey have boomeranged.

    The government in Ankara has placed priority on good relations with
    Israel as well as with Arab states. Turkey commands vital sea lanes
    and trade routes, including the Straits of Bosporus, and potential
    oil and gas lines from the Caucasus.

    Ankara-Washington cooperation is strongly rooted. Turkey has been
    actively engaged in Afghanistan, including major military command
    responsibilities. During the first Persian Gulf War, U.S. B-52 bombers
    were deployed on Turkish soil, a potentially risky move by Ankara.

    Turkey played a vital Allied role during the Korean War; the UN
    military cemetery at Pusan contains a notably large number of Turkish
    graves.

    This background is of even greater importance given that ties between
    Turkey and the United States are currently badly strained. The Bush
    administration invasion of Iraq was bitterly opposed by Ankara.

    Attacks by anti-Ankara Kurdish terrorists based in Iraq have led to
    Turkish military strikes into the northern region of that country.

    The Obama administration is giving some priority to rebuilding frayed
    relations with Turkey, along with Israel, our most important ally in
    the region. This may reinforce positive steps in Southeast Europe.

    Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College.
Working...
X