Tweet
OBAMA PRESIDENCY BOOSTS BOTH EXPECTATIONS AND FEARS IN TURKEY
Today's Zaman
Jan 20 2009
Turkey
As Barack Hussein Obama becomes the 44th president of the United
States today, both Turkey's expectations and fears regarding the US
capital seem to have increased.
Turkey is hoping for increased cooperation with the US in its fight
against the terrorist activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
and on regional issues where Turkey wants to have its say. Turkey
has already made clear its willingness to help or guide the Americans
in determining policies with regards to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and
Syria. Turkey wants to see a more cooperative and consultative US
capital that does not impose its policies on its allies. Turkey is
also hopeful that President-elect Obama will keep his word about
establishing a just and stable peace in Palestine.
Despite its expectations from the "president of change," Ankara is
also vigilant about the possible drawbacks the Obama administration can
pose toward Turkey. Turkey's most obvious fear is about recognition of
the Armenian claims of genocide by the administration. Obama already
pledged during his election campaign that if elected he would recognize
the Armenian claims.
Fear comes first
Obama's choices of Joe Biden as vice president and Hilary Clinton as
secretary of state have made it clear to Ankara that the US will never
be as friendly as it has been in the past when it comes to speaking
about the Armenian claims. Obama and Biden have made clear more than
once that they support Armenian claims that a genocide took place
at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. As a senator,
Clinton has, since 2002, co-sponsored successive "Armenian genocide"
resolutions. From the very moment that her name was suggested as head
of the State Department, Armenian diaspora organizations expressed
their satisfaction with the appointment as they believe Clinton is
"an individual with a strong record in support of Armenian genocide
recognition." Experts are not altogether pessimistic about Washington's
future decisions regarding genocide recognition resolutions that will
certainly come to the House and probably to the Senate. The head
of the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization
(ISRO/USAK), Sedat Laciner, recently told Today's Zaman that US
recognition of Armenian claims of genocide would harm Obama's own
policy on the Caucasus as he has lent support to the recent thaw
in relations between Armenia and Turkey, which began with President
[Abdullah] Gul's visit to Yerevan in September. Politicians would love
to believe in this optimism, but it seems that Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan is already worried. Speaking to the parliamentary Planning and
Budgetary Commission, Babacan expressed his hope that the US would
be more cooperative "despite statements by presidential candidates
during their campaigns about issues that are sensitive for" Turkey.
Cooperation against 'common enemy' PKK
Despite its fears about possible US recognition of the Armenian
genocide claims, Turkey is hopeful that the new administration will
continue the Bush administration's hard-won support for Turkey's
fight against the PKK's separatist terrorism. After a long period of
tension between Ankara and Washington about the US's unwillingness to
cooperate with Turkey against the PKK, Turkey managed to recruit the
support of then-US President George W. Bush, who in 2007 declared the
PKK a "common enemy" for Turkey, the United States and Iraq. Since
then the US military has supplied Turkey intelligence about the PKK
to facilitate Turkish cross-border raids on the terrorist group's
bases in northern Iraq. Turkey hopes that the new administration
will continue this policy of cooperation. President Gul has already
spoken with Obama on the issue and received Obama's promises "that he
believes Turkey has the right to fight against terrorism as part of its
right to self-defense." Ankara especially fears the consequences of an
unplanned, uncoordinated withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. Sources
say Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who recently visited the
United States to attend a G-20 summit on the global financial crisis,
raised Turkey's concerns when he met with Obama aides and asked
that the withdrawal be carefully planned. Obama promised during his
electoral campaign that he would withdraw US forces from Iraq in no
more than 16 months' time.
>From unilateralism to global cooperation
Ankara is hopeful about Obama's term in the White House since it
regards this as an opportunity for the world order to metamorphose from
imposing unilateralism to cooperative multilateralism. In an interview
with Today's Zaman, President Gul said he perceived the biggest
difference between Obama and the previous administration as Obama's
readiness "to avoid unilateralism in world affairs and cooperate with
other countries." Gul asserted that as far as issues where the US would
seek multilateral action are concerned, Turkey would be one of the
US's most important partners. Nonetheless, several Turkish analysts
have cautioned that Ankara shouldn't accept multilateralism as a
given and should adapt a proactive policy that would help thoroughly
explain to the new US administration that the two NATO allies have
to maintain a strategic dialogue rather than imposing unilaterally
designed policies on one another. Ankara is particularly interested
making its voice heard about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iraq,
the Iranian nuclear power plant issue and the future of Afghanistan.
Today's Zaman
Jan 20 2009
Turkey
As Barack Hussein Obama becomes the 44th president of the United
States today, both Turkey's expectations and fears regarding the US
capital seem to have increased.
Turkey is hoping for increased cooperation with the US in its fight
against the terrorist activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
and on regional issues where Turkey wants to have its say. Turkey
has already made clear its willingness to help or guide the Americans
in determining policies with regards to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and
Syria. Turkey wants to see a more cooperative and consultative US
capital that does not impose its policies on its allies. Turkey is
also hopeful that President-elect Obama will keep his word about
establishing a just and stable peace in Palestine.
Despite its expectations from the "president of change," Ankara is
also vigilant about the possible drawbacks the Obama administration can
pose toward Turkey. Turkey's most obvious fear is about recognition of
the Armenian claims of genocide by the administration. Obama already
pledged during his election campaign that if elected he would recognize
the Armenian claims.
Fear comes first
Obama's choices of Joe Biden as vice president and Hilary Clinton as
secretary of state have made it clear to Ankara that the US will never
be as friendly as it has been in the past when it comes to speaking
about the Armenian claims. Obama and Biden have made clear more than
once that they support Armenian claims that a genocide took place
at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. As a senator,
Clinton has, since 2002, co-sponsored successive "Armenian genocide"
resolutions. From the very moment that her name was suggested as head
of the State Department, Armenian diaspora organizations expressed
their satisfaction with the appointment as they believe Clinton is
"an individual with a strong record in support of Armenian genocide
recognition." Experts are not altogether pessimistic about Washington's
future decisions regarding genocide recognition resolutions that will
certainly come to the House and probably to the Senate. The head
of the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization
(ISRO/USAK), Sedat Laciner, recently told Today's Zaman that US
recognition of Armenian claims of genocide would harm Obama's own
policy on the Caucasus as he has lent support to the recent thaw
in relations between Armenia and Turkey, which began with President
[Abdullah] Gul's visit to Yerevan in September. Politicians would love
to believe in this optimism, but it seems that Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan is already worried. Speaking to the parliamentary Planning and
Budgetary Commission, Babacan expressed his hope that the US would
be more cooperative "despite statements by presidential candidates
during their campaigns about issues that are sensitive for" Turkey.
Cooperation against 'common enemy' PKK
Despite its fears about possible US recognition of the Armenian
genocide claims, Turkey is hopeful that the new administration will
continue the Bush administration's hard-won support for Turkey's
fight against the PKK's separatist terrorism. After a long period of
tension between Ankara and Washington about the US's unwillingness to
cooperate with Turkey against the PKK, Turkey managed to recruit the
support of then-US President George W. Bush, who in 2007 declared the
PKK a "common enemy" for Turkey, the United States and Iraq. Since
then the US military has supplied Turkey intelligence about the PKK
to facilitate Turkish cross-border raids on the terrorist group's
bases in northern Iraq. Turkey hopes that the new administration
will continue this policy of cooperation. President Gul has already
spoken with Obama on the issue and received Obama's promises "that he
believes Turkey has the right to fight against terrorism as part of its
right to self-defense." Ankara especially fears the consequences of an
unplanned, uncoordinated withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. Sources
say Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who recently visited the
United States to attend a G-20 summit on the global financial crisis,
raised Turkey's concerns when he met with Obama aides and asked
that the withdrawal be carefully planned. Obama promised during his
electoral campaign that he would withdraw US forces from Iraq in no
more than 16 months' time.
>From unilateralism to global cooperation
Ankara is hopeful about Obama's term in the White House since it
regards this as an opportunity for the world order to metamorphose from
imposing unilateralism to cooperative multilateralism. In an interview
with Today's Zaman, President Gul said he perceived the biggest
difference between Obama and the previous administration as Obama's
readiness "to avoid unilateralism in world affairs and cooperate with
other countries." Gul asserted that as far as issues where the US would
seek multilateral action are concerned, Turkey would be one of the
US's most important partners. Nonetheless, several Turkish analysts
have cautioned that Ankara shouldn't accept multilateralism as a
given and should adapt a proactive policy that would help thoroughly
explain to the new US administration that the two NATO allies have
to maintain a strategic dialogue rather than imposing unilaterally
designed policies on one another. Ankara is particularly interested
making its voice heard about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iraq,
the Iranian nuclear power plant issue and the future of Afghanistan.