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TURKEY NO GREAT POWER
Ynetnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4118699,00.html
Sept 6 2011
Israel
Op-ed: Turkey's policy replete with failures, Erdogan behaves like
short-tempered thug
Despite its 80 million citizens, its rapidly growing economy and
its large military, Turkey has failed to position itself as an
influential regional element. The Islamist government's new policy,
which is premised on Neo-Ottomanism (a return to the Ottoman Empire's
glory days,) registered a series of stinging diplomatic failures in
recent years.
The only achievement of this policy is the economy, which enabled
Erdogan and his party to reinforce their political status within
Turkey. However, Turkey's influence in the regional and international
theater is slim. Below are a few reminders:
~U Turkey's efforts to join the European Union failed. Erdogan, who
designated this issue as a top priority for Turkish diplomacy made
sweeping changes to Turkey's laws and constitutions and also granted
far-reaching concessions to the Kurds. However, France and Germany
blew him off in a rather insulting manner.
~U With the exception of Turkey, no other state in the world recognizes
the Northern Cyprus, the republic established by Ankara after invading
Cyprus in 1974. This is the case despite the efforts invested by
Ankara for almost 40 years to elicit international recognition of the
Turkish entity and the settlements established there. On the other
hand, the Greek Cyprus was accepted as a member of the European Union.
~U Under American pressure, Turkey agreed to reconciliation with
Armenia on condition that the latter would put an end to accusations
regarding the Armenian Holocaust. However, the Armenian parliament
refused to ratify the agreement. Yet another slap in the face for
Turkey.
~U Turkey was Muammar Gaddafi's most important ally in the years
before the Libyan uprising. Turkish companies invested billions in
the oil-rich Libya. Hence, when the uprising started Turkey tried to
have it both ways - on the one hand it tried to avert a NATO operation
against Gaddafi and his loyalists, yet on the other hand it condemned
the killing of civilians. Yet NATO members and the UN disregarded
Turkey's objection and embarked on an aerial assault that prompted
Gaddafi's ouster.
~U In 2009, Turkey warmed up its ties with Iran, yet recently the
relationship has cooled off considerably. The Shiite ayatollahs in
Tehran realized how much the Sunni Turkey gains from the commercial
ties with Iran. Now, they also view Ankara as a dangerous rival and
threat to the regional hegemony that Iran is trying to secure. In
the last two months, Tehran's displeasure turned into fury thanks to
Erdogan's hostile, patronizing and arrogant attitude towards the Assad
regime in Syria, Iran's most important strategic ally in the area.
Iran was also infuriated by the seizure of an arms shipment Tehran
tried to transfer to Syria via Turkish airspace.
~U On the Palestinian front, Turkish leaders failed a few weeks ago
to promote the reconciliation process between Hamas and Fatah. Abbas
and Mashaal came to Istanbul, but the Turks failed to even arrange a
meeting between them. There was no dialogue whatsoever based on the
Turkish proposals.
~U The most colossal Turkish policy failure as of late has to do with
the ties with Syria. Turkey makes threats, Assad ignores them, yet
Ankara does nothing. It did not even impose effective, painful economic
sanctions on Syria, despite the fact that Assad's Alawite-Shiite
regime is massacring Sunni Syrians, Turkey's natural allies.
There is not enough room here to make note of all of Turkey's
diplomatic failures in recent years on the regional and global front.
But why is this the case? Why is a large, powerful and economically
successful state failing to translate these attributes into becoming
an influential regional element?
No credibility
The answer to the above question can be summarized into three words:
Lack of credibility. Turkey under Erdogan's leadership is neither a
reliable ally nor a credible rival.
For example, in 2003, when the Bush Administration was about to invade
Iraq, Erdogan refused to allow the American army to pass through
Turkish territory. Washington begged and offered Ankara economic and
military perks, but the Islamist Erdogan refused to allow a Western
country in its war against a murderous Muslim tyrant.
As to credibility vis-a-vis rivals, current events in the
Syrian-Turkish arena speak for themselves. The Erdogan government's
lack of credibility is also reflected by the constant Turkish attempt
to have it both ways and the shifts from one political position to
the next based on short-term interests. The above examples highlight
this as well.
Moreover, we should make note of the style of Turkish policy led by
Erdogan. Instead of restraint and sound judgment, as one would expect
from the leader of a great power, Erdogan resorts to impassioned
zeal and makes threats as if he was the neighborhood thug. His short
fuse and violent speech are reminiscent of our own Foreign Minister,
Avigdor Lieberman. Just like him, Erdogan too makes rash, extreme
statements that he has no military or political ability to realize
or desire to implement. Erdogan also tends to realize the damage of
his steps later on and try to minimize it.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Ynetnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4118699,00.html
Sept 6 2011
Israel
Op-ed: Turkey's policy replete with failures, Erdogan behaves like
short-tempered thug
Despite its 80 million citizens, its rapidly growing economy and
its large military, Turkey has failed to position itself as an
influential regional element. The Islamist government's new policy,
which is premised on Neo-Ottomanism (a return to the Ottoman Empire's
glory days,) registered a series of stinging diplomatic failures in
recent years.
The only achievement of this policy is the economy, which enabled
Erdogan and his party to reinforce their political status within
Turkey. However, Turkey's influence in the regional and international
theater is slim. Below are a few reminders:
~U Turkey's efforts to join the European Union failed. Erdogan, who
designated this issue as a top priority for Turkish diplomacy made
sweeping changes to Turkey's laws and constitutions and also granted
far-reaching concessions to the Kurds. However, France and Germany
blew him off in a rather insulting manner.
~U With the exception of Turkey, no other state in the world recognizes
the Northern Cyprus, the republic established by Ankara after invading
Cyprus in 1974. This is the case despite the efforts invested by
Ankara for almost 40 years to elicit international recognition of the
Turkish entity and the settlements established there. On the other
hand, the Greek Cyprus was accepted as a member of the European Union.
~U Under American pressure, Turkey agreed to reconciliation with
Armenia on condition that the latter would put an end to accusations
regarding the Armenian Holocaust. However, the Armenian parliament
refused to ratify the agreement. Yet another slap in the face for
Turkey.
~U Turkey was Muammar Gaddafi's most important ally in the years
before the Libyan uprising. Turkish companies invested billions in
the oil-rich Libya. Hence, when the uprising started Turkey tried to
have it both ways - on the one hand it tried to avert a NATO operation
against Gaddafi and his loyalists, yet on the other hand it condemned
the killing of civilians. Yet NATO members and the UN disregarded
Turkey's objection and embarked on an aerial assault that prompted
Gaddafi's ouster.
~U In 2009, Turkey warmed up its ties with Iran, yet recently the
relationship has cooled off considerably. The Shiite ayatollahs in
Tehran realized how much the Sunni Turkey gains from the commercial
ties with Iran. Now, they also view Ankara as a dangerous rival and
threat to the regional hegemony that Iran is trying to secure. In
the last two months, Tehran's displeasure turned into fury thanks to
Erdogan's hostile, patronizing and arrogant attitude towards the Assad
regime in Syria, Iran's most important strategic ally in the area.
Iran was also infuriated by the seizure of an arms shipment Tehran
tried to transfer to Syria via Turkish airspace.
~U On the Palestinian front, Turkish leaders failed a few weeks ago
to promote the reconciliation process between Hamas and Fatah. Abbas
and Mashaal came to Istanbul, but the Turks failed to even arrange a
meeting between them. There was no dialogue whatsoever based on the
Turkish proposals.
~U The most colossal Turkish policy failure as of late has to do with
the ties with Syria. Turkey makes threats, Assad ignores them, yet
Ankara does nothing. It did not even impose effective, painful economic
sanctions on Syria, despite the fact that Assad's Alawite-Shiite
regime is massacring Sunni Syrians, Turkey's natural allies.
There is not enough room here to make note of all of Turkey's
diplomatic failures in recent years on the regional and global front.
But why is this the case? Why is a large, powerful and economically
successful state failing to translate these attributes into becoming
an influential regional element?
No credibility
The answer to the above question can be summarized into three words:
Lack of credibility. Turkey under Erdogan's leadership is neither a
reliable ally nor a credible rival.
For example, in 2003, when the Bush Administration was about to invade
Iraq, Erdogan refused to allow the American army to pass through
Turkish territory. Washington begged and offered Ankara economic and
military perks, but the Islamist Erdogan refused to allow a Western
country in its war against a murderous Muslim tyrant.
As to credibility vis-a-vis rivals, current events in the
Syrian-Turkish arena speak for themselves. The Erdogan government's
lack of credibility is also reflected by the constant Turkish attempt
to have it both ways and the shifts from one political position to
the next based on short-term interests. The above examples highlight
this as well.
Moreover, we should make note of the style of Turkish policy led by
Erdogan. Instead of restraint and sound judgment, as one would expect
from the leader of a great power, Erdogan resorts to impassioned
zeal and makes threats as if he was the neighborhood thug. His short
fuse and violent speech are reminiscent of our own Foreign Minister,
Avigdor Lieberman. Just like him, Erdogan too makes rash, extreme
statements that he has no military or political ability to realize
or desire to implement. Erdogan also tends to realize the damage of
his steps later on and try to minimize it.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress