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  • ANKARA: Prime Minister's foreign trips

    Hürriyet, Turkey
    Nov 21 2008


    Prime Minister's foreign trips

    Mr. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's visits abroad are
    quite useful. We are learning about national political targets and
    policies that we have never heard of. His latest journey to the United
    States and Switzerland set a good example

    Speaking abroad, ErdoÄ?an says Turkey proceeds on its way to
    become a European Union member and will not deviate from it. I think
    the audience cannot help themselves but to laugh. There are other
    subjects that are voiced as well.

    This time, ErdoÄ?an made an inapt remark that Iran should have
    nuclear military power. It seems that he is not briefed by the Foreign
    Ministry and is consulting with his close circles only. The essence of
    his statement was not wrong but how he put that into word was
    important. Former French President Jacques Chirac had adopted a
    similar attitude too but no one showed him the reaction ErdoÄ?an
    was shown.

    For in the end, what is most rational is to acknowledge that Iran
    could possess nuclear power and yet to normalize the country by
    dragging it into the international arena from which it has been
    excluded since 1979.

    I think while the prime minister was supporting Iranian nuclear power
    his close aides said, "Let's mediate between Iran and the U.S." As a
    matter of fact, news stories like "Turkey is a mediator between the
    U.S. and Iran" have suddenly started to spread around. It is beyond
    ridiculous that Turkey, incapable of bringing peace to itself, now
    becomes eager to settle every dispute around. The founder of modern
    Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, hadn't said, "Peace at home,
    peace in the world"?

    Let's take the Nagorno Karabakh issue as we speak of Turkey's
    assertiveness for being a mediator. The only trump card Turkey has in
    hand here is positive dialogue to be developed with Armenia after
    establishing diplomatic ties and opening the border. The issue is a
    long-term pedagogical process. Perhaps in the future Karabakh will
    have its turn.

    But for today, is there a will for a common solution voiced by
    Azerbaijan and Armenia except the insignificant declaration they
    signed earlier this month in the Russian capital Moscow? No! During
    his lifetime late Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev's had a total of
    22 meetings with different Armenian presidents. Delegations of the
    sides met more than 60 times since 1995. And the Karabakh issue was
    certainly not the only agenda item in these meetings.

    Turkey's tough relation with the global economic crisis

    The main objective of ErdoÄ?an's visit to the U.S. was the G-20
    meeting. The prime minister must have been listening to the remarks
    that the crisis is serious this time, as he read something close to
    reality from a sheet in front of him at the press briefing he held
    upon his return.

    ErdoÄ?an, who despite all warnings for months has insisted that
    the crisis wouldn't strike Turkey, finally announced that Turkey will
    face the crisis for the next six month beginning from Jan.1, 2009. As
    though the crisis is paying a visit to Turkey. It was in fact enough
    for him to go in the Turkish Main Street to see how real it is.

    The government is not in a hurry for crisis management, nor for taking
    preventive measures. The unwillingness to accept the crisis and the
    concerns about it that have turned into a phobia, are of course
    something to do with the March 2009 local elections. The 48 percent
    election victory in July 22, 2007 polls was based on economic
    interests rather than ideological preferences of the people. This is
    very well known by ErdoÄ?an. This time in fact, the governing
    party may not have the expected results.

    This is the reason why Mr. Prime Minister and his party are adopting a
    nationalist hawkish attitude rather than taking economic
    measures. Obviously, we are being pushed into an environment where
    fuel is added to the fire.

    The crisis this time is quite different than the one we went through
    in 2001. We desperately need foreign capital and export. In economic
    dire straits full of uncertainties it is extremely dangerous to create
    tension because a huge group of idle and unemployed is about to come
    out to lend an ear to nationalist remarks of the government.
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