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COMMENTARY: POLITICAL DIVIDENDS FROM TURKISH-ISRAELI ROW
By Edmond Y. Azadian
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2011/09/16/commentary-political-dividends-from-turkish-israeli-row/
Posted on September 16, 2011
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is intoxicated with success after his
party's third electoral victory handed him a mandate for domestic
and legislative reform, with boundless gusto to go after Ergenekon
operatives to demonstrate to the civilized world that he means business
in putting Turkey's house in order.
The brunt of that gusto targets also the restive Kurdish minority,
which is in a bloody clash with the police and the army.
Erdogan's foreign policy guru, Ahmet Davutoglu, had devised his
zero-problem-with-neighbors stance, although that zero-problem policy
thus far has yielded only zero results, as Armenia's foreign minister,
Eduard Nalbandian, has indicated. Now it is headed further south for
negative dividends. Turkey has begun to move its warships from the
Black Sea to the Mediterranean in a challenge to NATO, Israeli and
Greek naval forces, which have dominated the Eastern basin of the
seaway, in a part of the world where many conflagrations are extant.
Erdogan's mounting dispute with Israel has crossed another threshold,
reaching a point beyond the demand for an apology for the Mavi Marmara
incident and plainly declaring his intentions to break the Israeli
blockade of the Gaza strip. Erdogan's intoxication is derived from
the success of his lip service to the Palestinian case, which Turkey
has translated into an economic boom throughout the Muslim world.
Israeli policymakers who were looking for creative formulas to meet the
Turkish demand, now have scrapped those efforts for a more assertive
and aggressive posture.
Indeed, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's arrogance matches
that of Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and he has thrown down the gauntlet
and undertaken a series of punitive measures to tame Turkey's bold
initiatives.
Those measures include some reference to the Armenians and the
Armenian Genocide.
In addition to supporting and arming Kurdish rebel groups in Turkey
(including the PKK), "Another planned move is the facilitation of
cooperation with Turkey's historic rivals, the Armenians. During
Lieberman's visit to the United States this month, the foreign
minister is expected to meet with leaders of the Armenian lobby
and propose anti-Turkish cooperation in Congress. The implication
of this move could be Israeli assistance in promoting international
recognition of the Armenian Holocaust, a measure that would gravely
harm Turkey. Israel may also back Armenia in its dispute vis-a-vis
Turkey over control of Mount Ararat," writes the Israeli paper Yediot
Aharonot.
Lieberman concludes his diatribe against Turkey by adding: "We'll
exact a price from Erdogan that will prove to him that messing with
Israel doesn't pay off."
This unexpected confrontation between long-time allies throws Foggy
Bottom policymakers into a dilemma.
For a long time, when Muslim Turkey was forced into an alliance with
Israel, the US State Department was in a comfortable position. Today,
the equations have been changed.
Thus far, all lobbying activities in the US in passing the Armenian
Genocide resolution in the Congress have been hampered by the Israeli
lobby, as part of its service to Turkey. We cannot miss this window
of opportunity if it is sincere, because it may not last very long.
Though the Jews had gone through the same traumatic experience
of ethnic cleansing, Israeli official policy always opposed the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide because of political expediency.
Now the tables have been turned through the exigencies of the same
political dynamic.
We do not believe that the Holy Spirit visited Mr. Lieberman to stir
love and sugar in that country's policy towards the Armenians. The
Genocide issue is being used as a chip, which unfortunately is the
nature of politics.
But the proof of the pudding is in its eating. Mr. Lieberman's
sincerity may be proven if he takes the initiative to pass through the
Israeli Knesset the Genocide resolution before heading for Washington.
Similarly, Israeli foreign policy is involved in a double game.
Indeed, Israel is training the Azeri army and supplying it with
lethal military hardware. And Azerbaijan has only one enemy in the
world: Armenia.
On the one hand, Israel is using the Genocide issue to punish Turkey
and on the other hand, it is encouraging Baku to launch a blood bath
in the region.
Besides the interests of the energy sources in Azerbaijan, they
both share a common enemy: Iran. Since the Abulfaz Elchibey era,
Baku has had claims on Iranian Azerbaijan. On the other hand, Tel
Aviv is interested in dismantling another anti-Israeli bastion,
after Iraq and Libya, if possible, through US muscle. As we see it,
Israel has a multi-dimensional policy towards Armenia, based on its
own national interests. When we are given an opportunity for pick and
choose, we should not hesitate to take advantage of these developments,
always being mindful that our cases can win when they coincide with
the interests of other powers.
Should Mr. Lieberman carry his new policy to the end, he will offer
us some political dividends we cannot refuse.
By Edmond Y. Azadian
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2011/09/16/commentary-political-dividends-from-turkish-israeli-row/
Posted on September 16, 2011
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is intoxicated with success after his
party's third electoral victory handed him a mandate for domestic
and legislative reform, with boundless gusto to go after Ergenekon
operatives to demonstrate to the civilized world that he means business
in putting Turkey's house in order.
The brunt of that gusto targets also the restive Kurdish minority,
which is in a bloody clash with the police and the army.
Erdogan's foreign policy guru, Ahmet Davutoglu, had devised his
zero-problem-with-neighbors stance, although that zero-problem policy
thus far has yielded only zero results, as Armenia's foreign minister,
Eduard Nalbandian, has indicated. Now it is headed further south for
negative dividends. Turkey has begun to move its warships from the
Black Sea to the Mediterranean in a challenge to NATO, Israeli and
Greek naval forces, which have dominated the Eastern basin of the
seaway, in a part of the world where many conflagrations are extant.
Erdogan's mounting dispute with Israel has crossed another threshold,
reaching a point beyond the demand for an apology for the Mavi Marmara
incident and plainly declaring his intentions to break the Israeli
blockade of the Gaza strip. Erdogan's intoxication is derived from
the success of his lip service to the Palestinian case, which Turkey
has translated into an economic boom throughout the Muslim world.
Israeli policymakers who were looking for creative formulas to meet the
Turkish demand, now have scrapped those efforts for a more assertive
and aggressive posture.
Indeed, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's arrogance matches
that of Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and he has thrown down the gauntlet
and undertaken a series of punitive measures to tame Turkey's bold
initiatives.
Those measures include some reference to the Armenians and the
Armenian Genocide.
In addition to supporting and arming Kurdish rebel groups in Turkey
(including the PKK), "Another planned move is the facilitation of
cooperation with Turkey's historic rivals, the Armenians. During
Lieberman's visit to the United States this month, the foreign
minister is expected to meet with leaders of the Armenian lobby
and propose anti-Turkish cooperation in Congress. The implication
of this move could be Israeli assistance in promoting international
recognition of the Armenian Holocaust, a measure that would gravely
harm Turkey. Israel may also back Armenia in its dispute vis-a-vis
Turkey over control of Mount Ararat," writes the Israeli paper Yediot
Aharonot.
Lieberman concludes his diatribe against Turkey by adding: "We'll
exact a price from Erdogan that will prove to him that messing with
Israel doesn't pay off."
This unexpected confrontation between long-time allies throws Foggy
Bottom policymakers into a dilemma.
For a long time, when Muslim Turkey was forced into an alliance with
Israel, the US State Department was in a comfortable position. Today,
the equations have been changed.
Thus far, all lobbying activities in the US in passing the Armenian
Genocide resolution in the Congress have been hampered by the Israeli
lobby, as part of its service to Turkey. We cannot miss this window
of opportunity if it is sincere, because it may not last very long.
Though the Jews had gone through the same traumatic experience
of ethnic cleansing, Israeli official policy always opposed the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide because of political expediency.
Now the tables have been turned through the exigencies of the same
political dynamic.
We do not believe that the Holy Spirit visited Mr. Lieberman to stir
love and sugar in that country's policy towards the Armenians. The
Genocide issue is being used as a chip, which unfortunately is the
nature of politics.
But the proof of the pudding is in its eating. Mr. Lieberman's
sincerity may be proven if he takes the initiative to pass through the
Israeli Knesset the Genocide resolution before heading for Washington.
Similarly, Israeli foreign policy is involved in a double game.
Indeed, Israel is training the Azeri army and supplying it with
lethal military hardware. And Azerbaijan has only one enemy in the
world: Armenia.
On the one hand, Israel is using the Genocide issue to punish Turkey
and on the other hand, it is encouraging Baku to launch a blood bath
in the region.
Besides the interests of the energy sources in Azerbaijan, they
both share a common enemy: Iran. Since the Abulfaz Elchibey era,
Baku has had claims on Iranian Azerbaijan. On the other hand, Tel
Aviv is interested in dismantling another anti-Israeli bastion,
after Iraq and Libya, if possible, through US muscle. As we see it,
Israel has a multi-dimensional policy towards Armenia, based on its
own national interests. When we are given an opportunity for pick and
choose, we should not hesitate to take advantage of these developments,
always being mindful that our cases can win when they coincide with
the interests of other powers.
Should Mr. Lieberman carry his new policy to the end, he will offer
us some political dividends we cannot refuse.