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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Feb 20 2008
Turkey in same boat with unlikely allies over Kosovo
Ankara has swiftly recognized an independent Kosovo, but diplomats
are readying to tackle the impact that the emergence of the world's
youngest state will have on Turkey's policies in its immediate
neighborhood.
A declaration of independence by Kosovar Albanians has already caused
a global rift and bitterly divided the European Union. As for Turkey,
its decision to follow the Western line and support an independent
Kosovo has placed it in the same group with unlikely allies, such as
Armenia, and pit it against its traditional partner, Azerbaijan.
Many Armenians see clear analogies between Kosovo and
Nagorno-Karabakh -- a mountainous region in Azerbaijan that has been
under the control of Armenian and ethnic-Armenian forces since a 1994
cease-fire ended a bloody six-year conflict. The dispute over the
region is one of four so-called "frozen conflicts" in the former
Soviet Union following separatist wars. Many fear Kosovo's example
may encourage the rebellious regions and spark new fighting.
While the Armenian government says Nagorno-Karabakh should be
recognized as a sovereign state, Azerbaijan says it will never cede
its territory.
The foreign minister of ethnic Armenian separatists, who threw off
Azeri rule in a war in the 1990s that killed about 35,000 people, was
quick to state on Sunday that Kosovo's independence would help
Nagorno-Karabakh's drive for international recognition. Nonetheless,
Azerbaijan said on Monday it did not recognize Kosovo's declaration
of independence, calling it an "illegal act in contravention to
international law."
Ankara's support for Baku's stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is
very clear when keeping in mind that in 1993 Turkey shut its border
with Armenia in a show of solidarity with its close ally, Azerbaijan,
which was at war with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave,
dealing a heavy economic blow to the impoverished nation.
Arguing that Kosovo may set a precedent for northern Iraq, ruled by
an autonomous Kurdish administration, or Nagorno-Karabakh -- with
Ankara being strongly opposed to secession in both cases -- some
analysts have long argued that support for an independent Kosovo may
present some foreign policy predicaments for Ankara.
Yet, Ankara seems confident about clinging to its well-known policies
concerning these issues, saying that Kosovo's case does not fully
resemble Nagorno-Karabakh or northern Iraq, as, contrary to the
former Yugoslavia of which Kosovo was a part, Azerbaijan remains a
fully sovereign state with no change in its internationally
recognized borders. Turkish diplomats also underline the fact that
Iraq's Kurdish-run north also does not have the same legal status in
Iraq as Kosovo had in the former Yugoslavia and then in Serbia.
Both Sedat Laçiner, head of the Ankara-based International Strategic
Research Organization (ISRO/ USAK), and Özdem Sanberk, a former
Foreign Ministry undersecretary and an esteemed foreign policy
analyst, have maintained that Ankara's confidence is not gratuitous
in the least.
"There are some who assert that 'life will change after Kosovo.' But
there is no such thing and there is nothing contradictory in Ankara's
recognition of Kosovo's independence with its own principles as well.
Turkey has constantly been against change of borders by use of force.
There is a clear occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh while in Kosovo there
was an occupation of the central administration. Even Armenians have
had to admit that Nagorno-Karabakh is Azeri soil whereas in Kosovo, a
de facto situation has eventually found a legal ground," Laçiner told
Today's Zaman on Tuesday.
Sanberk, for his part, first of all noted that diplomacy is basically
"management of contradictions," and that there is nothing surprising
in Ankara's recognition of Kosovo's independence, which he said was
"an appropriate and righteous" move.
The differences between the stances of Ankara and Moscow -- two
capitals which have generally assumed a similar approach concerning
regional issues, including Iran, Iraq and the Black Sea -- regarding
Kosovo's independence was another striking element along this recent
period. Russia, a traditional supporter of Serbia, has denounced the
unilateral recognition of Kosovo and claims it is illegal.
"I don't want to say anything that would offend anyone, but for 40
years northern Cyprus has practically had independence," Putin said
days before the declaration of independence. "Why aren't you
recognizing that? Aren't you ashamed, Europeans, for having these
double standards?"
Ruling out that differing stances on the Kosovo issue would lead to
any negative impact on bilateral relations between Ankara and Moscow,
Laçiner said that what Putin said concerning European double
standards on Cyprus were displayed "under legal coverage."
"Nevertheless, Russia has its own double standards which are
displayed effectively via military means," said Laçiner, suggesting
that Russia's claims were not strong enough to put Turkey into a
difficult position on the issue.
A man walks past images of the national flags of Turkey, Italy,
Holland and the United States, thanking countries for support for
independence of Kosovo, on a wall in Gnjilane, Kosovo.
Cyprus: Kosovo model and reunification model
Speaking of Cyprus, some analysts linked the surprising elimination
of nationalist incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos, who pioneered the
rejection of a comprehensive UN settlement plan on the Cyprus issue,
>From the Greek Cypriot presidential elections on Sunday with
assumptions that Kosovo may set a precedent for the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), currently recognized only by Ankara.
Both of the two candidates who knocked Papadopoulos out of the race
in the first round of voting are seen as more conciliatory than the
hard-line Papadopoulos over attempts to reach an agreement with
Turkish Cypriots to try to reunite the divided island. The two men
have said they want speedy negotiations with Turkish Cypriots, who
have been split from the Greek Cypriot south since 1974.
"If Papadopoulos was re-elected, then there would be more talks of
this [Kosovo] precedent and the Turkish side would more strongly
argue this on an international platform. However, the election result
changes the picture. Now, a model based on reunification of the
island and Turks and Greeks living as equal partners under the same
roof is coming on the agenda," leading foreign policy analyst Sami
Kohen wrote in his column, which appeared in yesterday's Milliyet
daily. If a probable new drive of reunification talks fail to
succeed, then the Kosovo precedent for Cyprus may yet come on the
agenda, Kohen said.
Despite dismissing any complications of the Kosovo issue on Ankara's
foreign policy fundamentals, both Laçiner and Sanberk, however,
pointed out a need for more concentration by Turkey on regional
issues along a new period opening in international relations,
particularly in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Europe
following Kosovo's independence, which Sanberk defined as "the end of
disintegration of the so-called Empire of Yugoslavia."
"There are many frozen conflicts with which Turkey has to deal with
as an active player. Without losing its focus in the regions
surrounding Turkey with, let's say, a certain interest in, for
example, Africa, it should be a main player in the consolidation of
Central and Eastern Europe following Kosovo's independence," Sanberk
said.
20.02.2008
Emine Kart TODAY'S ZAMAN
Feb 20 2008
Turkey in same boat with unlikely allies over Kosovo
Ankara has swiftly recognized an independent Kosovo, but diplomats
are readying to tackle the impact that the emergence of the world's
youngest state will have on Turkey's policies in its immediate
neighborhood.
A declaration of independence by Kosovar Albanians has already caused
a global rift and bitterly divided the European Union. As for Turkey,
its decision to follow the Western line and support an independent
Kosovo has placed it in the same group with unlikely allies, such as
Armenia, and pit it against its traditional partner, Azerbaijan.
Many Armenians see clear analogies between Kosovo and
Nagorno-Karabakh -- a mountainous region in Azerbaijan that has been
under the control of Armenian and ethnic-Armenian forces since a 1994
cease-fire ended a bloody six-year conflict. The dispute over the
region is one of four so-called "frozen conflicts" in the former
Soviet Union following separatist wars. Many fear Kosovo's example
may encourage the rebellious regions and spark new fighting.
While the Armenian government says Nagorno-Karabakh should be
recognized as a sovereign state, Azerbaijan says it will never cede
its territory.
The foreign minister of ethnic Armenian separatists, who threw off
Azeri rule in a war in the 1990s that killed about 35,000 people, was
quick to state on Sunday that Kosovo's independence would help
Nagorno-Karabakh's drive for international recognition. Nonetheless,
Azerbaijan said on Monday it did not recognize Kosovo's declaration
of independence, calling it an "illegal act in contravention to
international law."
Ankara's support for Baku's stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is
very clear when keeping in mind that in 1993 Turkey shut its border
with Armenia in a show of solidarity with its close ally, Azerbaijan,
which was at war with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave,
dealing a heavy economic blow to the impoverished nation.
Arguing that Kosovo may set a precedent for northern Iraq, ruled by
an autonomous Kurdish administration, or Nagorno-Karabakh -- with
Ankara being strongly opposed to secession in both cases -- some
analysts have long argued that support for an independent Kosovo may
present some foreign policy predicaments for Ankara.
Yet, Ankara seems confident about clinging to its well-known policies
concerning these issues, saying that Kosovo's case does not fully
resemble Nagorno-Karabakh or northern Iraq, as, contrary to the
former Yugoslavia of which Kosovo was a part, Azerbaijan remains a
fully sovereign state with no change in its internationally
recognized borders. Turkish diplomats also underline the fact that
Iraq's Kurdish-run north also does not have the same legal status in
Iraq as Kosovo had in the former Yugoslavia and then in Serbia.
Both Sedat Laçiner, head of the Ankara-based International Strategic
Research Organization (ISRO/ USAK), and Özdem Sanberk, a former
Foreign Ministry undersecretary and an esteemed foreign policy
analyst, have maintained that Ankara's confidence is not gratuitous
in the least.
"There are some who assert that 'life will change after Kosovo.' But
there is no such thing and there is nothing contradictory in Ankara's
recognition of Kosovo's independence with its own principles as well.
Turkey has constantly been against change of borders by use of force.
There is a clear occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh while in Kosovo there
was an occupation of the central administration. Even Armenians have
had to admit that Nagorno-Karabakh is Azeri soil whereas in Kosovo, a
de facto situation has eventually found a legal ground," Laçiner told
Today's Zaman on Tuesday.
Sanberk, for his part, first of all noted that diplomacy is basically
"management of contradictions," and that there is nothing surprising
in Ankara's recognition of Kosovo's independence, which he said was
"an appropriate and righteous" move.
The differences between the stances of Ankara and Moscow -- two
capitals which have generally assumed a similar approach concerning
regional issues, including Iran, Iraq and the Black Sea -- regarding
Kosovo's independence was another striking element along this recent
period. Russia, a traditional supporter of Serbia, has denounced the
unilateral recognition of Kosovo and claims it is illegal.
"I don't want to say anything that would offend anyone, but for 40
years northern Cyprus has practically had independence," Putin said
days before the declaration of independence. "Why aren't you
recognizing that? Aren't you ashamed, Europeans, for having these
double standards?"
Ruling out that differing stances on the Kosovo issue would lead to
any negative impact on bilateral relations between Ankara and Moscow,
Laçiner said that what Putin said concerning European double
standards on Cyprus were displayed "under legal coverage."
"Nevertheless, Russia has its own double standards which are
displayed effectively via military means," said Laçiner, suggesting
that Russia's claims were not strong enough to put Turkey into a
difficult position on the issue.
A man walks past images of the national flags of Turkey, Italy,
Holland and the United States, thanking countries for support for
independence of Kosovo, on a wall in Gnjilane, Kosovo.
Cyprus: Kosovo model and reunification model
Speaking of Cyprus, some analysts linked the surprising elimination
of nationalist incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos, who pioneered the
rejection of a comprehensive UN settlement plan on the Cyprus issue,
>From the Greek Cypriot presidential elections on Sunday with
assumptions that Kosovo may set a precedent for the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), currently recognized only by Ankara.
Both of the two candidates who knocked Papadopoulos out of the race
in the first round of voting are seen as more conciliatory than the
hard-line Papadopoulos over attempts to reach an agreement with
Turkish Cypriots to try to reunite the divided island. The two men
have said they want speedy negotiations with Turkish Cypriots, who
have been split from the Greek Cypriot south since 1974.
"If Papadopoulos was re-elected, then there would be more talks of
this [Kosovo] precedent and the Turkish side would more strongly
argue this on an international platform. However, the election result
changes the picture. Now, a model based on reunification of the
island and Turks and Greeks living as equal partners under the same
roof is coming on the agenda," leading foreign policy analyst Sami
Kohen wrote in his column, which appeared in yesterday's Milliyet
daily. If a probable new drive of reunification talks fail to
succeed, then the Kosovo precedent for Cyprus may yet come on the
agenda, Kohen said.
Despite dismissing any complications of the Kosovo issue on Ankara's
foreign policy fundamentals, both Laçiner and Sanberk, however,
pointed out a need for more concentration by Turkey on regional
issues along a new period opening in international relations,
particularly in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Europe
following Kosovo's independence, which Sanberk defined as "the end of
disintegration of the so-called Empire of Yugoslavia."
"There are many frozen conflicts with which Turkey has to deal with
as an active player. Without losing its focus in the regions
surrounding Turkey with, let's say, a certain interest in, for
example, Africa, it should be a main player in the consolidation of
Central and Eastern Europe following Kosovo's independence," Sanberk
said.
20.02.2008
Emine Kart TODAY'S ZAMAN