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Erdogan Prioritizes Foreign Policy In State Of The Union Address

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  • Erdogan Prioritizes Foreign Policy In State Of The Union Address

    ERDOGAN PRIORITIZES FOREIGN POLICY IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
    Saban Kardas

    Jamestown Foundation
    June 1 2009

    Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a naval exercise
    On May 30 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered his
    State of the Union address, focusing on Turkey's enhanced profile in
    regional diplomacy. Erdogan provided details relating to his trips
    to Azerbaijan, Russia and Poland, and discussed recent foreign policy
    initiatives, most importantly Turkey's role in energy security. Erdogan
    attempted to boost public confidence in the foreign policy agenda,
    which he described as "very active, dynamic and intensive," essentially
    offering a restatement of the Justice and Development Party (AKP)
    government's position on these issues (www.bbm.gov.tr, May 30).

    Erdogan highlighted Ankara's role in energy policies, which he
    described as one of the most important issues on the global political
    agenda. He illustrated how his government had "turned Turkey's
    geographic position into an effective foreign policy instrument,'
    while arguing that the country's location enables it to act as an
    "energy corridor and terminal" between Western markets and the Middle
    Eastern or Caspian energy producers. However, he noted that if Turkey
    fails to develop longer term planning, it will be unable to fully
    capitalize on these opportunities or meet its domestic needs.

    Erdogan's views on energy geopolitics reflect the growing energy
    demands of an emerging economy. Although Turkey has initiated various
    projects to increase its domestic production and invest in alternative
    energy sources, its domestic energy output accounts for only one third
    of the country's needs. Recent Turkish foreign policy initiatives
    have endeavored to turn this ongoing dependence on imports from a
    liability into an asset, by capitalizing on Turkey's position between
    the suppliers and Western consumers.

    Erdogan maintained that the AKP government had taken important
    steps toward diversifying suppliers and energy transportation
    routes. After summarizing several existing and planned oil and gas
    pipeline projects across Turkish territory, Erdogan added that Turkey
    had become an integral part of the discussions on ensuring European
    energy security. He claimed that once these projects are completed,
    "Turkey will emerge as the fourth largest hub after Norway, Russia
    and Algeria, in supplying gas to Europe." He also suggested that the
    Turkish port of Ceyhan will become an "important energy distribution
    center and the largest oil sale terminal in the eastern Mediterranean."

    In that context, Erdogan prioritized the Nabucco project, since it
    will consolidate Turkey's role within European energy security. He
    hoped the construction of the pipeline will begin soon and become
    operational by 2010: "we will sign the [intergovernmental] agreement
    in June," he added. Erdogan's statements also reflect recent changes
    in Turkey's position over the stalled Nabucco project, which raised
    expectations that the intergovernmental agreement might be concluded
    in June (EDM, May 15).

    Turkey's diplomatic initiatives in the South Caucasus were another
    key feature of Erdogan's agenda. After noting Turkey's cooperative
    policies within the region, he highlighted his trip to Azerbaijan. He
    underlined the close ties between the two nations by referring to the
    growing bilateral trade volume, and Turkish investment in Azerbaijan's
    economic development.

    Erdogan also stressed Turkey's continued support for international
    initiatives to resolve regional issues, most importantly the
    Karabakh question. He repeated his government's recent stance on the
    Azeri-Armenian dispute by maintaining that "Turkey and Azerbaijan
    will continue to share a common destiny, and walk on the same path"
    and that Turkey "will protect Azerbaijan's interests as much as our
    own interests." He warned the Turkish and Azeri peoples against those
    "who work to undermine the friendship and brotherhood between the
    two countries through false claims" (www.bbm.gov.tr, May 30).

    He was clearly seeking to alleviate domestic concern over the
    normalization process between Turkey and Armenia. Nationalist
    forces within Turkey had successfully mobilized public opinion
    against the AKP government's overtures toward Armenia. They argued
    that it had betrayed the interests of Azerbaijan, by separating the
    Turkish-Armenian normalization from Azeri-Armenian negotiations. The
    mounting domestic pressure and criticism from Baku forced the
    government to reduce the pace of Turkish-Armenian rapprochement
    (EDM, April 29, May 6). Erdogan's trip to Azerbaijan as well as
    other recent high level contacts between the countries, has served
    to reassure Baku (EDM, May 14). Nonetheless, these moves toward Baku
    added to uncertainty surrounding the future of the Turkish-Armenian
    rapprochement, and Turkish politicians have recently proven reluctant
    to comment on the issue.

    He also referred to the recent naval exercises carried out by the
    Turkish military in the Aegean and Mediterranean. Erdogan stressed the
    use of high-technology weaponry and said the successful conclusion
    of the exercises was proof of the country's power of deterrence in
    the region. Moreover, he emphasized that the Turkish army not only
    ensures national defense, but it also makes significant contributions
    to global security.

    Erdogan's address provided significant clues concerning Ankara's
    strategic vision, which underpins the thinking of the Turkish political
    elite on foreign affairs. Erdogan repeated the geopolitical argument
    that Turkey is uniquely located in a strategic position at the
    intersection of several regions. He maintained that Turkish foreign
    policy strategies are devised with the aim of turning this position
    into an asset. Moreover, he reflected on how a constant search for
    markets and energy supplies to sustain Turkey's economic development
    now drives many of the country's foreign policy initiatives. Equally,
    he revealed that military power remains an essential component of
    Turkish foreign policy, despite the government priding itself on its
    effective use of soft power.

    Erdogan's use of geopolitical rhetoric also highlighted the shifting
    priorities of Turkish foreign policy under the AKP government. He said
    that since a large part of Turkey's territory is in Asia, that part of
    the world naturally occupies a vital place in Ankara's foreign policy
    agenda. This admission is important, since some analysts describe
    the reorientation of Turkish foreign policy toward the Middle East
    and the South Caucasus as an indication of an ideological shift and
    the emergence of neo-Ottomanism - whereas Erdogan rightly explains
    it as a geopolitical necessity.
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