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Anatolian Times, Turkey
Feb 9 2007
Washington's Concerns About Turkey
BY TUFAN TURENC
HURRIYET- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is holding interesting
meetings in Washington this week. According to Gul's impressions,
important developments will soon occur concerning the terrorist PKK.
Are Americans again distracting Ankara, as they have done up to now,
or will they really take effective steps against the terrorist group?
Gul seems to believe the promises made by American officials.
According to the journalists accompanying him, he has a smile on his
face. If America keeps the promises it made to Gul and takes the
steps expected by Turkey, relations between the two countries, which
recently have been a `dialogue of the deaf,' can be fixed. Washington
is concerned that the anti-American and anti-European atmosphere in
Turkey could worsen, because they have already reached a dangerous
level. Washington is also concerned by the racist and nationalist
wave rising in Turkey. I think they realize that European countries
played an important role in this atmosphere. If they still haven't
understood this, we should be seriously concerned.
According to experts in Washington, jingoistic elements in Turkey are
forcing the limits of our positive nationalism which has embraced
Islam and democracy. Not only the US and Europe, but also trends
which despise the country's values played a role in this negative
development. These kinds of actions provoke illiterate people living
in areas on the outskirts of cities. Washington believes that the
basic traditions of the Turkish nation are Islam and democracy.
According to these Americans, the only party which embraces these
traditions is the Justice and Development Party (AKP). So even though
it was disappointed by the AKP after it rejected the March 1, 2003
motion on US troops in Turkey before the Iraq invasion, Washington
supports this party. Because there is no other party that Washington
can trust. Washington particularly doesn't care for the main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). It knows that the CHP was
the driving force against the March 1, 2003 motion. It doesn't
consider the other parties as strong.
So Gul's expectations that the US will take effective steps
concerning the terrorist PKK might have a basis. For example, they
could arrest and send a few PKK leaders to Turkey as a gesture to the
AKP before this year's elections. This might strengthen the AKP.
However, no matter what the US does, certain facts won't change. If
the PKK issue isn't resolved, and if Iraq falls apart, a Kurdish
state is established in northern Iraq, Kirkuk is given to the Kurds
and a so-called Armenian genocide resolution is passed, hatred of the
US in Turkey will rise. Even if it comes to power again, the AKP can
do nothing to prevent this. If the US still can't understand this, it
means that their diplomats and intelligence officials in Turkey may
as well have stayed at home.
Feb 9 2007
Washington's Concerns About Turkey
BY TUFAN TURENC
HURRIYET- Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is holding interesting
meetings in Washington this week. According to Gul's impressions,
important developments will soon occur concerning the terrorist PKK.
Are Americans again distracting Ankara, as they have done up to now,
or will they really take effective steps against the terrorist group?
Gul seems to believe the promises made by American officials.
According to the journalists accompanying him, he has a smile on his
face. If America keeps the promises it made to Gul and takes the
steps expected by Turkey, relations between the two countries, which
recently have been a `dialogue of the deaf,' can be fixed. Washington
is concerned that the anti-American and anti-European atmosphere in
Turkey could worsen, because they have already reached a dangerous
level. Washington is also concerned by the racist and nationalist
wave rising in Turkey. I think they realize that European countries
played an important role in this atmosphere. If they still haven't
understood this, we should be seriously concerned.
According to experts in Washington, jingoistic elements in Turkey are
forcing the limits of our positive nationalism which has embraced
Islam and democracy. Not only the US and Europe, but also trends
which despise the country's values played a role in this negative
development. These kinds of actions provoke illiterate people living
in areas on the outskirts of cities. Washington believes that the
basic traditions of the Turkish nation are Islam and democracy.
According to these Americans, the only party which embraces these
traditions is the Justice and Development Party (AKP). So even though
it was disappointed by the AKP after it rejected the March 1, 2003
motion on US troops in Turkey before the Iraq invasion, Washington
supports this party. Because there is no other party that Washington
can trust. Washington particularly doesn't care for the main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). It knows that the CHP was
the driving force against the March 1, 2003 motion. It doesn't
consider the other parties as strong.
So Gul's expectations that the US will take effective steps
concerning the terrorist PKK might have a basis. For example, they
could arrest and send a few PKK leaders to Turkey as a gesture to the
AKP before this year's elections. This might strengthen the AKP.
However, no matter what the US does, certain facts won't change. If
the PKK issue isn't resolved, and if Iraq falls apart, a Kurdish
state is established in northern Iraq, Kirkuk is given to the Kurds
and a so-called Armenian genocide resolution is passed, hatred of the
US in Turkey will rise. Even if it comes to power again, the AKP can
do nothing to prevent this. If the US still can't understand this, it
means that their diplomats and intelligence officials in Turkey may
as well have stayed at home.