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ANKARA: Dr. Strangelove

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  • ANKARA: Dr. Strangelove

    DR. STRANGELOVE

    Hurriyet Daily news, Turkey
    Nov 29 2013

    BURAK BEKDÄ°L

    When I read the news that quoted Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as
    promising "to bring peace and stability to the Caucasus," I shivered
    with a bizarre blend of horror and pity for our Caucasian neighbors. I
    am not sure if the Caucasus would like its foreign relations be
    "catalyzed" by Professor Davutoglu.

    That was the wording when the Woodrow Wilson Center decorated
    the minister with its Public Service award in 2010: "Davutoglu has
    catalyzed the development of Turkey's foreign relations, by elevating
    its position in international discussions." For some reason, the
    directors at the Wilson Woodrow Center reminded me of Dick Rowe,
    the Decca Records genius who in 1962 rejected The Beatles with his
    later famous line: "The Beatles have no future in show business."

    Two years later, the "Leader of the 21st Century" award came from
    a grouping of Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian intellectuals. Three
    years after the Woodrow Wilson Center acknowledged Mr. Davutoglu's
    "catalyzation effect," and one year after his Balkan fan club declared
    him the "Leader of the 21st Century," his country is the only one
    in the whole world that does not have an ambassador in all of Syria,
    Egypt and Israel, (plus Armenia and Cyprus).

    Shortly after Egypt expelled the Turkish ambassador to Cairo, Minister
    Davutoglu told Al-Jazeera that "We have deep love for Egypt." An
    unrequited love, apparently. But in Mr. Davutoglu's (and his boss's)
    mental calculus, Turkey loves the Syrian people but not the Syrian
    regime. It loves the Egyptian people but not the Egyptian government,
    because neither regime has been democratically elected. Which explains
    why Turkey has very good relations with Saudi Arabia and perfect
    relations with Sudan and Qatar, all oases of democracy.

    Israel, of course, goes out of context in this logic. "We don't have
    a problem with the people of Israel (not that we deeply love them,
    in this case) but the problem is their government." Is Israel being
    run by a coup government? Who are "the people of Israel" if not those
    who, in majority, have voted for their government?

    Sometime it is so puzzling for us journalists to decipher the mental
    codes of foreign policymakers, especially when they "catalyze the
    development of their country's foreign policy." After the Oct. 31
    Israeli aerial attack aimed at destroying the Russian-made SA-125
    missiles heading to the Lebanese Hezbollah, some reports claimed
    Turkish cooperation for the operation which Mr. Davutoglu said was
    "black propaganda." And he explained why this could not be true:
    "The Turkish government has never cooperated with Israel against
    any Muslim country, and it never will." Now, things look simple,
    but may not be so.

    The minister was proudly saying that Turkey would never cooperate
    with the Jewish state against any Muslim country. Is that the Turkish
    policy red line? That Turkey would not cooperate with the Jewish state
    against a Muslim country? Does Mr. Davutoglu's policy whitepaper say
    Jewish only? Especially since his government willingly cooperated with
    a coalition of Christian countries against Muslim Iraq; and, more
    aggressively, it is cooperating with a reluctant group of Christian
    nations against Muslim Syria.

    Is Turkey not overtly cooperating with non-Muslim nations against
    Muslim Iranian interests over Muslim Syria? All the same, it is nice
    to know that Mr. Davutoglu's principle about not cooperating against
    a Muslim country is limited to cooperation with Israel only - because
    it is Jewish. Christian states are always welcome. Now go tell this
    at public rallies, minister.

    One can always enjoy his own quarter-baked, Kodak moments of triumph
    and joy, especially with fancy award ceremonies and loud applause at
    enthusiastic party meetings. Until, of course, one hits the invisible
    walls of reality.

    One simple piece of advice to Minister Davutoglu: Those who admit
    they may not have fully understood the Middle East may know a thing
    or two about the Middle East; while those who claim they know the
    Middle East perfectly often know nothing about the Middle East.

    November/29/2013

    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/dr-strangelove.aspx?pageID=449&nID=58701&NewsCatID=39 8

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