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Across the Aisle, DC
Oct 19 2007
Support the AKP, Don't Trip Them Up
by Jonathan Wallace | October 19th, 2007
Last week, the House Foreign Affairs committee voted 27 to 21 to
bring a resolution to the floor condemning as genocide the mass
killings of Armenians in 1915. The genocide of Armenians has been
widely accepted as historical fact. Despite this, the timing of the
House resolution is damaging to American foreign policy. Not only
does this resolution hurt American policy in the Middle East, but it
also is harmful to the current ruling party in Turkey, led by Prime
Minister Erdogan and President Adbullah Gul. This is a time when we
need to support the current Turkish civilian leadership. We do not
need to be adding to its challenges.
The Justice and Development party (AKP), with their mildly Islamist
government, should be held up as a model for a moderate Islamic party
in a well-functioning democracy. Their current electoral success
shows that an Islamic party can appeal to a large cross-section of
the populace in a maturing democracy. The Erdogan administration has
been a valuable ally to the United States both in a bilateral sense
and as an invaluable NATO member. Perhaps most importantly, they
provide an important check against the militarism that always lurks
underneath the surface of Turkish politics. As we saw during the
spring and summer, the Turkish military is always willing to rise to
the intense nationalism of the Turkish people and will attempt to
distort the hard-won democratic gains of the Turkish polity. The AKP
responded admirably to the `cyber-coup' attempted by the generals,
stood their ground, and finally got Adbullah Gul elected President
(with the popular support of the Turkish people).
The vote by the House Foreign Affairs committee gives the Turkish
military another opportunity to burnish their nationalistic
credentials against the AKP. Turkey has always been particularly
sensitive to the charges of Armenian genocide and this vote could
create a situation where the Army feels that it needs to defend the
Turkish honor. In this way, the military may feel that the AKP is
insufficiently nationalist and could try to exert more political
influence. Additionally, the vote by the House Foreign Affairs
committee may tie the hands of the AKP. Turkish domestic politics may
dictate that the AKP act in some way to show how they will defend
Turkey. We may already be seeing this as the parliament recently
voted to authorize Turkish incursions into Northern Iraq. The United
States and Turkey do not need to open another front in Iraqi
Kurdistan. The US does not want two of its allies fighting each other
and certainly would prefer to avoid another front in the war in Iraq.
The Armenian genocide vote, which does not help United States policy
in any way, may cause more violence in Iraq and will create further
problems for the AKP.
Armenians deserve to have the genocide recognized by the Turkish
government. Turkey's repeated denials do nothing to help heal the
wounds that are almost a hundred years old. However, I'm not sure
that this resolution is the best way to get the Turkish government to
recognize the genocide. These sorts of issues need to be worked out
by Turkey at a time when a mature, frank discussion can take place.
The United States can speak out against the censorship that
accompanies this issue in Turkey and it is obvious that Turks have a
ways to go in addressing this portion of their history. However, this
resolution will only add to the perception of American foreign policy
arrogance and will only prove to be a hindrance in United States
Middle East policy.
http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/10/19/support-the -akp-dont-trip-them-up/
Oct 19 2007
Support the AKP, Don't Trip Them Up
by Jonathan Wallace | October 19th, 2007
Last week, the House Foreign Affairs committee voted 27 to 21 to
bring a resolution to the floor condemning as genocide the mass
killings of Armenians in 1915. The genocide of Armenians has been
widely accepted as historical fact. Despite this, the timing of the
House resolution is damaging to American foreign policy. Not only
does this resolution hurt American policy in the Middle East, but it
also is harmful to the current ruling party in Turkey, led by Prime
Minister Erdogan and President Adbullah Gul. This is a time when we
need to support the current Turkish civilian leadership. We do not
need to be adding to its challenges.
The Justice and Development party (AKP), with their mildly Islamist
government, should be held up as a model for a moderate Islamic party
in a well-functioning democracy. Their current electoral success
shows that an Islamic party can appeal to a large cross-section of
the populace in a maturing democracy. The Erdogan administration has
been a valuable ally to the United States both in a bilateral sense
and as an invaluable NATO member. Perhaps most importantly, they
provide an important check against the militarism that always lurks
underneath the surface of Turkish politics. As we saw during the
spring and summer, the Turkish military is always willing to rise to
the intense nationalism of the Turkish people and will attempt to
distort the hard-won democratic gains of the Turkish polity. The AKP
responded admirably to the `cyber-coup' attempted by the generals,
stood their ground, and finally got Adbullah Gul elected President
(with the popular support of the Turkish people).
The vote by the House Foreign Affairs committee gives the Turkish
military another opportunity to burnish their nationalistic
credentials against the AKP. Turkey has always been particularly
sensitive to the charges of Armenian genocide and this vote could
create a situation where the Army feels that it needs to defend the
Turkish honor. In this way, the military may feel that the AKP is
insufficiently nationalist and could try to exert more political
influence. Additionally, the vote by the House Foreign Affairs
committee may tie the hands of the AKP. Turkish domestic politics may
dictate that the AKP act in some way to show how they will defend
Turkey. We may already be seeing this as the parliament recently
voted to authorize Turkish incursions into Northern Iraq. The United
States and Turkey do not need to open another front in Iraqi
Kurdistan. The US does not want two of its allies fighting each other
and certainly would prefer to avoid another front in the war in Iraq.
The Armenian genocide vote, which does not help United States policy
in any way, may cause more violence in Iraq and will create further
problems for the AKP.
Armenians deserve to have the genocide recognized by the Turkish
government. Turkey's repeated denials do nothing to help heal the
wounds that are almost a hundred years old. However, I'm not sure
that this resolution is the best way to get the Turkish government to
recognize the genocide. These sorts of issues need to be worked out
by Turkey at a time when a mature, frank discussion can take place.
The United States can speak out against the censorship that
accompanies this issue in Turkey and it is obvious that Turks have a
ways to go in addressing this portion of their history. However, this
resolution will only add to the perception of American foreign policy
arrogance and will only prove to be a hindrance in United States
Middle East policy.
http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/10/19/support-the -akp-dont-trip-them-up/