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THE END OF THE 'ZERO PROBLEMS' POLICY?
Today's Zaman
Sept 27 2011
Turkey
"Turkey is increasingly bolstering its position in the region after
it severed its ties with Syria after jarring with the Bashar al-Assad
administration and drawn ire from Iran after agreeing to host NATO's
missile shield project and souring its relations with Iraq after
launching cross-border military operations into northern Iraq.
A statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the matter
said: 'Our previous "zero problems with neighbors" policy has proved
inefficient. We'll try this new policy for some time and see the
outcome.' It was further stressed that new diplomatic crises with
Greece, Bulgaria, Russia, Armenia and, if possible, with Georgia
were planned."
The above-mentioned paragraph comes from a lengthy fictional news story
(see http://www.zaytung.com/haberdetay.asp?newsid=136680) from Zaytung,
a website that sports intelligently designed fictional humorous news
stories. If something has been caught on the radar of black humor,
then we have to take that matter very seriously. Indeed, if a matter
that has become the subject matter of humor has a dimension of reality
that cannot be ignored, humor may become the most painful expression
of reality. Let us leave humor to humorists and ask our lingering
question directly: Has Turkey really put an end to its policy of zero
problems with neighbors?
The "yes" answer seems to stick, particularly given the entirety of
problems that have recently emerged with some of our neighbors. Until
very recently, Turkey's repressive state apparatus which was waging
war even against its own citizens through its anti-democratic
practices has been able to recruit legitimacy to its despotic
existence and its indifference to demands for democracy and freedoms
by imposing rigid security-oriented paradigms under the pretext of
external threats. Since 2002, however, this despotic character of
the state could be hindered to some extent to make democratization
less unfettered, all thanks to Turkey's new foreign policy. This new
foreign policy mentality that seeks to bring peace and stability to
the region and stresses Turkey's soft power --aptly named the "zero
problems with neighbors" policy -- made it possible to put an end to
the dominance in the system enjoyed by the anti-democratic security
elite which had in the past meddled with the Turkish democracy directly
three times and indirectly two times.
During this process, the distorted motto "Turks do not have friends
other than Turks" has been discarded by Turkey, which has now increased
mutual dependence to become a favorable and reliable partner in the
region. And, ignoring the problem-ridden areas between itself and
its neighbors, Turkey has managed to multiply potential areas for
cooperation with its neighbors. Starting to tailor its foreign policy
with the appeal of its friendship and cooperation that now rest on its
new diplomatic mindset rather than on the threatening power of its army
or its animosity, Turkey has been able to transition to a different
plane of bilateral relations with Iran, Iraq, Syria, Greece and Russia,
with which it had very problematic ties in the past. Thus, flights to
and from these countries have increased and the volume of mutual trade
with them has skyrocketed while visa requirements have been mutually
abolished with some of them, making borders insignificant. Despite
its problematic past with them, Turkey has started to hold high-level
strategic meetings in the form of joint cabinet meetings with Syria,
Iraq, Greece and even with Russia. Turkey has always been happy with
and optimistic about this new process and it has always prided itself
on being the driving force of this process.
As a matter of fact, as of today, Turkey has not had a change of
heart. There is currently nothing to justify the assumption that
Turkey will opt for an animosity-centered discourse instead of a
peace-oriented one, under favorable conditions. Yet, Turkey has had
to make a choice in light of the developments collectively known as
the Arab Spring. Should it have maintained good relations with the
regimes of the countries with which it had entertained extremely
good relations until very recently or should it have sided with the
people who were being targeted by these regimes? With an unerring
decision, Turkey chose to support the victimized people at the
expense of growing bitter with the regimes, which it believes will
not be sustainable in the medium or long term. All problems Turkey is
currently having with Iran and Syria and might be having in the near
future with other anti-democratic Arab regimes are the inevitable
outcome of the Arab Spring. At the expense of risking its short and
medium-term national interests, Turkey has made a choice in favor of
supporting the democratization and liberalization of the countries in
the region. And it has spent all the credit it has earned through its
zero problems policy to tell these countries through advice that they
should listen to their people's demands for democracy and implement
reforms. The responsibility for failing to take heed of this advice
does not belong to Turkey.
The deadlock in Turkey's relations with Israel is in fact nothing but
a legacy of the time when it was pursuing its zero problems policy. It
was no longer possible for Turkey, which was cementing strong ties
of friendship with its neighbors and the Arab world, to prolong its
special high-level relations with Israel, which was unreasonably
continuing to stage violent attacks against Palestinians. Moreover,
with the Israeli side leaving its friendly guise and spearheading
anti-Turkish propaganda, other problems have occurred as well. It is
no coincidence that Israel, the Greek Cypriots and Greece are acting
in unison with one another in the eastern Mediterranean. The Arab
Spring and tremors it caused have triggered a major shift of balances
across the Middle East. The bad thing, however, is that the region
stands in the middle of a risky transition process as the disrupted
balances cannot be restored. In this process, the high prospects
of the peoples' voice becoming louder for democracy represent the
greatest opportunity for Turkey, but this should be seen as a risk
for the anti-democratic trio of Israel, Iran and other Arab regimes,
which seemingly have clashing interests.
To sum up, my point is that Turkey has never jettisoned its zero
problems policy. Instead, this policy went temporarily stagnant due
to the Arab Spring and the turmoil it sparked in various parts of
the region. Turkey will resume its zero problems policy after the
people in the region start to reshape their regimes through emergent
democratic channels that will be available to their expectations and
demands. It is for this reason that Turkey has never targeted the
people in the region with its occasionally threatening rhetoric that
does not befit it but which it is sometimes compelled to use. On the
contrary, this rhetoric is aimed at the regimes that oppress their
own people, and even resort to using arms against them. The tension
in our relations with Israel is the outcome of the latter's acting
without common sense. No one should doubt that it is Turkey which
has understood it better and earlier that the policy of zero problems
with neighbors is not an option but a must for peaceful coexistence
in the region. Turkey should still do its best to minimize as soon
as possible the number of countries that may potentially grow hostile
to it. If possible, it must even bring this number down to zero.
Today's Zaman
Sept 27 2011
Turkey
"Turkey is increasingly bolstering its position in the region after
it severed its ties with Syria after jarring with the Bashar al-Assad
administration and drawn ire from Iran after agreeing to host NATO's
missile shield project and souring its relations with Iraq after
launching cross-border military operations into northern Iraq.
A statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the matter
said: 'Our previous "zero problems with neighbors" policy has proved
inefficient. We'll try this new policy for some time and see the
outcome.' It was further stressed that new diplomatic crises with
Greece, Bulgaria, Russia, Armenia and, if possible, with Georgia
were planned."
The above-mentioned paragraph comes from a lengthy fictional news story
(see http://www.zaytung.com/haberdetay.asp?newsid=136680) from Zaytung,
a website that sports intelligently designed fictional humorous news
stories. If something has been caught on the radar of black humor,
then we have to take that matter very seriously. Indeed, if a matter
that has become the subject matter of humor has a dimension of reality
that cannot be ignored, humor may become the most painful expression
of reality. Let us leave humor to humorists and ask our lingering
question directly: Has Turkey really put an end to its policy of zero
problems with neighbors?
The "yes" answer seems to stick, particularly given the entirety of
problems that have recently emerged with some of our neighbors. Until
very recently, Turkey's repressive state apparatus which was waging
war even against its own citizens through its anti-democratic
practices has been able to recruit legitimacy to its despotic
existence and its indifference to demands for democracy and freedoms
by imposing rigid security-oriented paradigms under the pretext of
external threats. Since 2002, however, this despotic character of
the state could be hindered to some extent to make democratization
less unfettered, all thanks to Turkey's new foreign policy. This new
foreign policy mentality that seeks to bring peace and stability to
the region and stresses Turkey's soft power --aptly named the "zero
problems with neighbors" policy -- made it possible to put an end to
the dominance in the system enjoyed by the anti-democratic security
elite which had in the past meddled with the Turkish democracy directly
three times and indirectly two times.
During this process, the distorted motto "Turks do not have friends
other than Turks" has been discarded by Turkey, which has now increased
mutual dependence to become a favorable and reliable partner in the
region. And, ignoring the problem-ridden areas between itself and
its neighbors, Turkey has managed to multiply potential areas for
cooperation with its neighbors. Starting to tailor its foreign policy
with the appeal of its friendship and cooperation that now rest on its
new diplomatic mindset rather than on the threatening power of its army
or its animosity, Turkey has been able to transition to a different
plane of bilateral relations with Iran, Iraq, Syria, Greece and Russia,
with which it had very problematic ties in the past. Thus, flights to
and from these countries have increased and the volume of mutual trade
with them has skyrocketed while visa requirements have been mutually
abolished with some of them, making borders insignificant. Despite
its problematic past with them, Turkey has started to hold high-level
strategic meetings in the form of joint cabinet meetings with Syria,
Iraq, Greece and even with Russia. Turkey has always been happy with
and optimistic about this new process and it has always prided itself
on being the driving force of this process.
As a matter of fact, as of today, Turkey has not had a change of
heart. There is currently nothing to justify the assumption that
Turkey will opt for an animosity-centered discourse instead of a
peace-oriented one, under favorable conditions. Yet, Turkey has had
to make a choice in light of the developments collectively known as
the Arab Spring. Should it have maintained good relations with the
regimes of the countries with which it had entertained extremely
good relations until very recently or should it have sided with the
people who were being targeted by these regimes? With an unerring
decision, Turkey chose to support the victimized people at the
expense of growing bitter with the regimes, which it believes will
not be sustainable in the medium or long term. All problems Turkey is
currently having with Iran and Syria and might be having in the near
future with other anti-democratic Arab regimes are the inevitable
outcome of the Arab Spring. At the expense of risking its short and
medium-term national interests, Turkey has made a choice in favor of
supporting the democratization and liberalization of the countries in
the region. And it has spent all the credit it has earned through its
zero problems policy to tell these countries through advice that they
should listen to their people's demands for democracy and implement
reforms. The responsibility for failing to take heed of this advice
does not belong to Turkey.
The deadlock in Turkey's relations with Israel is in fact nothing but
a legacy of the time when it was pursuing its zero problems policy. It
was no longer possible for Turkey, which was cementing strong ties
of friendship with its neighbors and the Arab world, to prolong its
special high-level relations with Israel, which was unreasonably
continuing to stage violent attacks against Palestinians. Moreover,
with the Israeli side leaving its friendly guise and spearheading
anti-Turkish propaganda, other problems have occurred as well. It is
no coincidence that Israel, the Greek Cypriots and Greece are acting
in unison with one another in the eastern Mediterranean. The Arab
Spring and tremors it caused have triggered a major shift of balances
across the Middle East. The bad thing, however, is that the region
stands in the middle of a risky transition process as the disrupted
balances cannot be restored. In this process, the high prospects
of the peoples' voice becoming louder for democracy represent the
greatest opportunity for Turkey, but this should be seen as a risk
for the anti-democratic trio of Israel, Iran and other Arab regimes,
which seemingly have clashing interests.
To sum up, my point is that Turkey has never jettisoned its zero
problems policy. Instead, this policy went temporarily stagnant due
to the Arab Spring and the turmoil it sparked in various parts of
the region. Turkey will resume its zero problems policy after the
people in the region start to reshape their regimes through emergent
democratic channels that will be available to their expectations and
demands. It is for this reason that Turkey has never targeted the
people in the region with its occasionally threatening rhetoric that
does not befit it but which it is sometimes compelled to use. On the
contrary, this rhetoric is aimed at the regimes that oppress their
own people, and even resort to using arms against them. The tension
in our relations with Israel is the outcome of the latter's acting
without common sense. No one should doubt that it is Turkey which
has understood it better and earlier that the policy of zero problems
with neighbors is not an option but a must for peaceful coexistence
in the region. Turkey should still do its best to minimize as soon
as possible the number of countries that may potentially grow hostile
to it. If possible, it must even bring this number down to zero.