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DR. STRANGELOVE
Hurriyet Daily news, Turkey
Nov 29 2013
BURAK BEKDİL
When I read the news that quoted Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as
promising "to bring peace and stability to the Caucasus," I shivered
with a bizarre blend of horror and pity for our Caucasian neighbors. I
am not sure if the Caucasus would like its foreign relations be
"catalyzed" by Professor Davutoglu.
That was the wording when the Woodrow Wilson Center decorated
the minister with its Public Service award in 2010: "Davutoglu has
catalyzed the development of Turkey's foreign relations, by elevating
its position in international discussions." For some reason, the
directors at the Wilson Woodrow Center reminded me of Dick Rowe,
the Decca Records genius who in 1962 rejected The Beatles with his
later famous line: "The Beatles have no future in show business."
Two years later, the "Leader of the 21st Century" award came from
a grouping of Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian intellectuals. Three
years after the Woodrow Wilson Center acknowledged Mr. Davutoglu's
"catalyzation effect," and one year after his Balkan fan club declared
him the "Leader of the 21st Century," his country is the only one
in the whole world that does not have an ambassador in all of Syria,
Egypt and Israel, (plus Armenia and Cyprus).
Shortly after Egypt expelled the Turkish ambassador to Cairo, Minister
Davutoglu told Al-Jazeera that "We have deep love for Egypt." An
unrequited love, apparently. But in Mr. Davutoglu's (and his boss's)
mental calculus, Turkey loves the Syrian people but not the Syrian
regime. It loves the Egyptian people but not the Egyptian government,
because neither regime has been democratically elected. Which explains
why Turkey has very good relations with Saudi Arabia and perfect
relations with Sudan and Qatar, all oases of democracy.
Israel, of course, goes out of context in this logic. "We don't have
a problem with the people of Israel (not that we deeply love them,
in this case) but the problem is their government." Is Israel being
run by a coup government? Who are "the people of Israel" if not those
who, in majority, have voted for their government?
Sometime it is so puzzling for us journalists to decipher the mental
codes of foreign policymakers, especially when they "catalyze the
development of their country's foreign policy." After the Oct. 31
Israeli aerial attack aimed at destroying the Russian-made SA-125
missiles heading to the Lebanese Hezbollah, some reports claimed
Turkish cooperation for the operation which Mr. Davutoglu said was
"black propaganda." And he explained why this could not be true:
"The Turkish government has never cooperated with Israel against
any Muslim country, and it never will." Now, things look simple,
but may not be so.
The minister was proudly saying that Turkey would never cooperate
with the Jewish state against any Muslim country. Is that the Turkish
policy red line? That Turkey would not cooperate with the Jewish state
against a Muslim country? Does Mr. Davutoglu's policy whitepaper say
Jewish only? Especially since his government willingly cooperated with
a coalition of Christian countries against Muslim Iraq; and, more
aggressively, it is cooperating with a reluctant group of Christian
nations against Muslim Syria.
Is Turkey not overtly cooperating with non-Muslim nations against
Muslim Iranian interests over Muslim Syria? All the same, it is nice
to know that Mr. Davutoglu's principle about not cooperating against
a Muslim country is limited to cooperation with Israel only - because
it is Jewish. Christian states are always welcome. Now go tell this
at public rallies, minister.
One can always enjoy his own quarter-baked, Kodak moments of triumph
and joy, especially with fancy award ceremonies and loud applause at
enthusiastic party meetings. Until, of course, one hits the invisible
walls of reality.
One simple piece of advice to Minister Davutoglu: Those who admit
they may not have fully understood the Middle East may know a thing
or two about the Middle East; while those who claim they know the
Middle East perfectly often know nothing about the Middle East.
November/29/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/dr-strangelove.aspx?pageID=449&nID=58701&NewsCatID=39 8
Hurriyet Daily news, Turkey
Nov 29 2013
BURAK BEKDİL
When I read the news that quoted Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as
promising "to bring peace and stability to the Caucasus," I shivered
with a bizarre blend of horror and pity for our Caucasian neighbors. I
am not sure if the Caucasus would like its foreign relations be
"catalyzed" by Professor Davutoglu.
That was the wording when the Woodrow Wilson Center decorated
the minister with its Public Service award in 2010: "Davutoglu has
catalyzed the development of Turkey's foreign relations, by elevating
its position in international discussions." For some reason, the
directors at the Wilson Woodrow Center reminded me of Dick Rowe,
the Decca Records genius who in 1962 rejected The Beatles with his
later famous line: "The Beatles have no future in show business."
Two years later, the "Leader of the 21st Century" award came from
a grouping of Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian intellectuals. Three
years after the Woodrow Wilson Center acknowledged Mr. Davutoglu's
"catalyzation effect," and one year after his Balkan fan club declared
him the "Leader of the 21st Century," his country is the only one
in the whole world that does not have an ambassador in all of Syria,
Egypt and Israel, (plus Armenia and Cyprus).
Shortly after Egypt expelled the Turkish ambassador to Cairo, Minister
Davutoglu told Al-Jazeera that "We have deep love for Egypt." An
unrequited love, apparently. But in Mr. Davutoglu's (and his boss's)
mental calculus, Turkey loves the Syrian people but not the Syrian
regime. It loves the Egyptian people but not the Egyptian government,
because neither regime has been democratically elected. Which explains
why Turkey has very good relations with Saudi Arabia and perfect
relations with Sudan and Qatar, all oases of democracy.
Israel, of course, goes out of context in this logic. "We don't have
a problem with the people of Israel (not that we deeply love them,
in this case) but the problem is their government." Is Israel being
run by a coup government? Who are "the people of Israel" if not those
who, in majority, have voted for their government?
Sometime it is so puzzling for us journalists to decipher the mental
codes of foreign policymakers, especially when they "catalyze the
development of their country's foreign policy." After the Oct. 31
Israeli aerial attack aimed at destroying the Russian-made SA-125
missiles heading to the Lebanese Hezbollah, some reports claimed
Turkish cooperation for the operation which Mr. Davutoglu said was
"black propaganda." And he explained why this could not be true:
"The Turkish government has never cooperated with Israel against
any Muslim country, and it never will." Now, things look simple,
but may not be so.
The minister was proudly saying that Turkey would never cooperate
with the Jewish state against any Muslim country. Is that the Turkish
policy red line? That Turkey would not cooperate with the Jewish state
against a Muslim country? Does Mr. Davutoglu's policy whitepaper say
Jewish only? Especially since his government willingly cooperated with
a coalition of Christian countries against Muslim Iraq; and, more
aggressively, it is cooperating with a reluctant group of Christian
nations against Muslim Syria.
Is Turkey not overtly cooperating with non-Muslim nations against
Muslim Iranian interests over Muslim Syria? All the same, it is nice
to know that Mr. Davutoglu's principle about not cooperating against
a Muslim country is limited to cooperation with Israel only - because
it is Jewish. Christian states are always welcome. Now go tell this
at public rallies, minister.
One can always enjoy his own quarter-baked, Kodak moments of triumph
and joy, especially with fancy award ceremonies and loud applause at
enthusiastic party meetings. Until, of course, one hits the invisible
walls of reality.
One simple piece of advice to Minister Davutoglu: Those who admit
they may not have fully understood the Middle East may know a thing
or two about the Middle East; while those who claim they know the
Middle East perfectly often know nothing about the Middle East.
November/29/2013
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/dr-strangelove.aspx?pageID=449&nID=58701&NewsCatID=39 8