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ANKARA WEIGHING CHALLENGES OF PROBABLE OBAMA PERIOD
by Emine Kart
Today's Zaman
June 5 2008
Turkey
As Barack Obama takes a huge stride toward becoming the first black
US president, the relative unpredictability of changes in US foreign
policy in the event of his eventual presidency has led to concern
in the Turkish capital -- particularly due to Obama's inexperience
compared to other candidates and his clear support for the official
recognition of an alleged genocide of Armenians in the final years
of the Ottoman Empire.
Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic presidential
nomination on a promise of hope and change for Americans weary from
years of war. Obama's victory sets up a November election contest
against Republican John McCain that looks to be a clash of generations
as well as a debate on Iraq, The Associated Press said yesterday --
summarizing what the contest between Obama and McCain means for the US.
As for Turkish decision makers and politicians, there are a number
of reasons to take into consideration while weighing between possible
McCain and Obama terms. Apparently, McCain's experience, including his
knowledge of Turkey's strategic importance for Washington as well as
his friendly attitude toward Turkey concerning Armenian allegations of
genocide, make him a more favorable candidate for Ankara. Nevertheless,
Turkish officials have ruled out such a choice while also playing
down any kind of uneasiness with Obama's foreign policy rhetoric.
"This is an issue for US Democrats, and Turkey does not have any
particular preference between Obama and McCain. Obama's remarks on
the Armenian issue are actually not very different from those of past
presidential candidates. It is a strong possibility that he will try
to be more balanced on this issue once elected," Suat Kınıklıoglu,
a deputy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party),
told Today's Zaman yesterday.
Obama says he would withdraw US troops within 16 months of taking
office in January 2009. Some analysts say that this is a disadvantage
for Turkey as a quick withdrawal of US forces would leave it to deal
with a neighbor in an even deeper quagmire.
Kınıklı ;oglu, who was head of the German Marshall Fund's Turkey
office before being elected to Parliament in July 2007, believes that
a quick withdrawal is not in favor of US interests and that any move
to withdraw if Obama is elected would be on a small scale in order
to satisfy domestic expectations in the US.
On the Iranian issue, another important foreign policy issue of close
interest to Ankara, Obama and McCain have very different approaches.
McCain backs much tougher financial and trade sanctions against
Tehran, while Obama's position is open to dialogue and seems closer
to Turkey. Ankara firmly favors the resolution of the Iranian nuclear
dispute via diplomatic means.
Kınıklıog lu said he believed that McCain would not ignore regional
partners' stances on the Iran issue, particularly that of Turkey. "He
would not like to repeat mistakes made ahead of the Iraqi war by
ignoring regional partners," he said.
Egemen BagıÅ~_, a top foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, sounded confident concerning probable effects of the
outcome of US presidential election over US policy toward Turkey.
"Whoever is elected in the end, we will respect the outcome of the US
citizens' will in compliance with our stance asking for respect for
democracy in Turkey. Nonetheless, sitting in the presidential chair
has always made one better understand Turkey's strategic importance to
the US and its people, no matter what the president's ideology may be,"
BagıÅ~_, in charge of the AK Party's foreign policy affairs, added.
--Boundary_(ID_ABFkiwKDvVRuLDwXVBlgWg)--
by Emine Kart
Today's Zaman
June 5 2008
Turkey
As Barack Obama takes a huge stride toward becoming the first black
US president, the relative unpredictability of changes in US foreign
policy in the event of his eventual presidency has led to concern
in the Turkish capital -- particularly due to Obama's inexperience
compared to other candidates and his clear support for the official
recognition of an alleged genocide of Armenians in the final years
of the Ottoman Empire.
Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic presidential
nomination on a promise of hope and change for Americans weary from
years of war. Obama's victory sets up a November election contest
against Republican John McCain that looks to be a clash of generations
as well as a debate on Iraq, The Associated Press said yesterday --
summarizing what the contest between Obama and McCain means for the US.
As for Turkish decision makers and politicians, there are a number
of reasons to take into consideration while weighing between possible
McCain and Obama terms. Apparently, McCain's experience, including his
knowledge of Turkey's strategic importance for Washington as well as
his friendly attitude toward Turkey concerning Armenian allegations of
genocide, make him a more favorable candidate for Ankara. Nevertheless,
Turkish officials have ruled out such a choice while also playing
down any kind of uneasiness with Obama's foreign policy rhetoric.
"This is an issue for US Democrats, and Turkey does not have any
particular preference between Obama and McCain. Obama's remarks on
the Armenian issue are actually not very different from those of past
presidential candidates. It is a strong possibility that he will try
to be more balanced on this issue once elected," Suat Kınıklıoglu,
a deputy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party),
told Today's Zaman yesterday.
Obama says he would withdraw US troops within 16 months of taking
office in January 2009. Some analysts say that this is a disadvantage
for Turkey as a quick withdrawal of US forces would leave it to deal
with a neighbor in an even deeper quagmire.
Kınıklı ;oglu, who was head of the German Marshall Fund's Turkey
office before being elected to Parliament in July 2007, believes that
a quick withdrawal is not in favor of US interests and that any move
to withdraw if Obama is elected would be on a small scale in order
to satisfy domestic expectations in the US.
On the Iranian issue, another important foreign policy issue of close
interest to Ankara, Obama and McCain have very different approaches.
McCain backs much tougher financial and trade sanctions against
Tehran, while Obama's position is open to dialogue and seems closer
to Turkey. Ankara firmly favors the resolution of the Iranian nuclear
dispute via diplomatic means.
Kınıklıog lu said he believed that McCain would not ignore regional
partners' stances on the Iran issue, particularly that of Turkey. "He
would not like to repeat mistakes made ahead of the Iraqi war by
ignoring regional partners," he said.
Egemen BagıÅ~_, a top foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, sounded confident concerning probable effects of the
outcome of US presidential election over US policy toward Turkey.
"Whoever is elected in the end, we will respect the outcome of the US
citizens' will in compliance with our stance asking for respect for
democracy in Turkey. Nonetheless, sitting in the presidential chair
has always made one better understand Turkey's strategic importance to
the US and its people, no matter what the president's ideology may be,"
BagıÅ~_, in charge of the AK Party's foreign policy affairs, added.
--Boundary_(ID_ABFkiwKDvVRuLDwXVBlgWg)--