Tweet
TURKEY IS PREPARING FOR A REGIONAL LEAP
Karine Ter-Sahakyan
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.11.2008 GMT+04:00
For the past eight years Ankara has got used to speaking to the USA in
a language of blackmail and ultimatums, using as a basic instrument
of pressure the security of American forces in Iraq and the pipeline
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceihan.
Turkey is following in Russia's footsteps. Medvedev invited the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign in Moscow a declaration on
peaceful regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; Ankara is trying
to take the key position in the struggle for regional supremacy. Both
Moscow and Ankara are in a hurry - there is little time left till
shift of Administration in the White House.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It is especially Turkey that is in a rush. No
matter how resolutely Barack Obama states that economy is of primary
importance to him, he cannot ignore foreign policy of the country. And
in its foreign policy America, first of all, has to look into relations
with the Middle East, where at the will of George Bush and his team
Turkey has been playing first fiddle. The US foreign policy will
hardly undergo radical changes, but Turkey will definitely try to
make use of them in the frames of its interests.
For the past 8 years Ankara has got used to speaking to the USA in
a language of blackmail and ultimatums, using as a basic instrument
of pressure the security of American forces in Iraq and the pipeline
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceihan. Supposedly if Presidential Elections in the
USA were to be held in a few years' time, Turkey would be able to
advance to a membership in the EU much sooner. However, out of the 33
terms of Turkey's integration into the EU only 1 was approved at the
beginning of the week. The plan of Broader Middle East (BME) failed
too. According to Daniel Flaherty, US State Department analyst of
Russian Foreign Affairs, the BME project is presently in crisis and its
future under the new Administration will be rather dark. "The project
as such failed and it raised great protests in the Region. Generally,
in the East and particularly in Africa we observe a growing tendency
of deconstruction of the traditional and habitual for the West format
of national government. This theory has already expired, but a new one
is not worked out yet. We do not know so far how the problem of the
so-called 'failed states' should be solved," the American expert says.
Meanwhile, representatives of the ruling Justice and Development Party
of Turkey (AKP) and oppositionists consider that little will change for
Turkey with the democrats coming to power. And, it should be noted,
that their statements are well-grounded. "The victory of Democrat
Barack Obama is the most desirable outcome of the U.S. presidential
elections. Whether his presidency is successful or not will be clear in
due course," declared representative of the Republican Party of Turkey
Deniz Baykal. In his words, withdrawal of the U.S. troops will help
to boost Turkey's regional significance. "Now, we are hiding behind
America's back, but when its forces are withdrawn, our country's
influence will strengthen throughout the region," Baykal emphasized.
"If Barack Obama's pro-Armenian position he demonstrated during
election campaign and his sympathy for Kurds affect his political
decisions during his presidency, it can seriously harm the U.S.-Turkey
relations. During Obama's presidency, serious contradictions may
occur in foreign policy of the United States and that of Turkey," said
Turkish expert Husnu Mahalli. In his words, Turkey is concerned over
some statements voiced by Obama during the pre-election campaign. His
country is especially concerned over Obama's pledges to recognize
the Armenian Genocide and raise the issue in Congress. According to
Mahalli it gives Turkey enough bases to alarm. The expert also notes
that there are some alarming signals in Obama's stand on the Kurdish
problem too. "Vice President Joseph Biden holds good relations with
Armenian lobby and a great sympathy for Kurds. His position can cause
problems in U.S.-Turkey relations in future," Mehelli added.
Exactly on this ground has Ankara been seeking a more intimate
cooperation with Moscow for the past year. The upcoming visit
of Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Moscow might clear up some
problems concerning both Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Russian
relations. Hastily refuted by Turkey's Foreign Ministry, planning a
new meeting between the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey
proves that stakes in the Region are considerably high.
Karine Ter-Sahakyan
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.11.2008 GMT+04:00
For the past eight years Ankara has got used to speaking to the USA in
a language of blackmail and ultimatums, using as a basic instrument
of pressure the security of American forces in Iraq and the pipeline
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceihan.
Turkey is following in Russia's footsteps. Medvedev invited the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign in Moscow a declaration on
peaceful regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; Ankara is trying
to take the key position in the struggle for regional supremacy. Both
Moscow and Ankara are in a hurry - there is little time left till
shift of Administration in the White House.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It is especially Turkey that is in a rush. No
matter how resolutely Barack Obama states that economy is of primary
importance to him, he cannot ignore foreign policy of the country. And
in its foreign policy America, first of all, has to look into relations
with the Middle East, where at the will of George Bush and his team
Turkey has been playing first fiddle. The US foreign policy will
hardly undergo radical changes, but Turkey will definitely try to
make use of them in the frames of its interests.
For the past 8 years Ankara has got used to speaking to the USA in
a language of blackmail and ultimatums, using as a basic instrument
of pressure the security of American forces in Iraq and the pipeline
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceihan. Supposedly if Presidential Elections in the
USA were to be held in a few years' time, Turkey would be able to
advance to a membership in the EU much sooner. However, out of the 33
terms of Turkey's integration into the EU only 1 was approved at the
beginning of the week. The plan of Broader Middle East (BME) failed
too. According to Daniel Flaherty, US State Department analyst of
Russian Foreign Affairs, the BME project is presently in crisis and its
future under the new Administration will be rather dark. "The project
as such failed and it raised great protests in the Region. Generally,
in the East and particularly in Africa we observe a growing tendency
of deconstruction of the traditional and habitual for the West format
of national government. This theory has already expired, but a new one
is not worked out yet. We do not know so far how the problem of the
so-called 'failed states' should be solved," the American expert says.
Meanwhile, representatives of the ruling Justice and Development Party
of Turkey (AKP) and oppositionists consider that little will change for
Turkey with the democrats coming to power. And, it should be noted,
that their statements are well-grounded. "The victory of Democrat
Barack Obama is the most desirable outcome of the U.S. presidential
elections. Whether his presidency is successful or not will be clear in
due course," declared representative of the Republican Party of Turkey
Deniz Baykal. In his words, withdrawal of the U.S. troops will help
to boost Turkey's regional significance. "Now, we are hiding behind
America's back, but when its forces are withdrawn, our country's
influence will strengthen throughout the region," Baykal emphasized.
"If Barack Obama's pro-Armenian position he demonstrated during
election campaign and his sympathy for Kurds affect his political
decisions during his presidency, it can seriously harm the U.S.-Turkey
relations. During Obama's presidency, serious contradictions may
occur in foreign policy of the United States and that of Turkey," said
Turkish expert Husnu Mahalli. In his words, Turkey is concerned over
some statements voiced by Obama during the pre-election campaign. His
country is especially concerned over Obama's pledges to recognize
the Armenian Genocide and raise the issue in Congress. According to
Mahalli it gives Turkey enough bases to alarm. The expert also notes
that there are some alarming signals in Obama's stand on the Kurdish
problem too. "Vice President Joseph Biden holds good relations with
Armenian lobby and a great sympathy for Kurds. His position can cause
problems in U.S.-Turkey relations in future," Mehelli added.
Exactly on this ground has Ankara been seeking a more intimate
cooperation with Moscow for the past year. The upcoming visit
of Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Moscow might clear up some
problems concerning both Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Russian
relations. Hastily refuted by Turkey's Foreign Ministry, planning a
new meeting between the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey
proves that stakes in the Region are considerably high.