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IS TURKEY SEEKING TO REVIVE PAN-TURKISM?
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-306281-is-turkey-seeking-to-revive-pan-turkism.html
06 February 2013, Wednesday
LALE KEMAL
[email protected]
Recent Turkish official statements about taking part in the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO), an Asian grouping set up early in
2000 to counter, among other things, US influence in the region,
have triggered a debate over whether Turkey is abandoning its core
policy of being part of Europe.
Even though Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952, its accession
talks with the European Union have stalled for a long period of time
and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently renewed
his dissatisfaction with this. Like many Turks, Erdogan believes that
the EU is engaged in a stalling tactic so as not to make Turkey,
a predominantly Muslim country, a full member of the bloc. Having
said that, it is also a fact that Turkey has already slowed down its
democratic reforms, falling short of meeting EU standards.
"Turkey's efforts to become an EU member have continued for 59 years,"
Erdogan said with frustration during his visit to the Czech Republic
on Feb. 4 while stating, however, that the SCO and the EU are separate
entities. This is an attempt by Erdogan to assuage European concerns
that Turkey has been looking to the East for good.
"There is no reason for anyone to be bothered [about Turkey's intention
to be part of the SCO]. EU member countries conduct trade with members
of the SCO successfully. Turkey will naturally be in all kinds of
quests [seeking trading partners, too]," he added.
A Foreign Ministry statement seeking to appease Western concerns
stated on Feb. 5 that the SCO was not an alternative to the EU. The
Foreign Ministry also clarified that Turkey seeks to gain observer
status to the SCO rather than membership. Incidentally, the US applied
for observer status in the SCO, but was rejected in 2006.
In fact, Turkey's quest to be part of various regional groupings
parallels its increasing self-confidence as its economy has been
growing while democratic reforms, although slowed down in recent years,
have been put into force.
Since the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) came to power
in 2002, the gross domestic product (GDP) has reached $1.3 trillion
in 2011 from $250 billion in 2003, making Turkey now the 15th biggest
economy in the world. It is a member of the G-20; hence, Turkey has
been seeking to be among the big powers, having a say in all policy
issues from Africa to Asia and from its close neighbors the Balkans
to the Middle East. Some call this policy neo-Ottomanism in the sense
that Turkey seeks to reassert its influence in former Ottoman lands.
Still, regardless of speculation that Turkey pursues a policy of
neo-Ottomanism, Turkey is right in its quest to have its words listened
to at various international platforms, taking into consideration
its growing economy -- although it has a lot to do in this area,
too. If Turkey completes its half-finished democratic reforms,
in particular ending the military's power in politics, as well as
bringing its human rights to a first-class level while solving its
terrorism problem via political means, Ankara will most possibly take
its place among the world's democratic powers.
It is normal for a country like Turkey that has been growing
economically while improving its democratic standards to also diversify
its energy supply routes -- a policy that Turkey has been pursuing for
a long period of time. Turkey is currently highly dependent on Russia
and Iran to meet its growing energy needs. In this sense, the SCO,
which comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan -- an Asian and a Central Asian grouping and one the
world's most energy-rich regions, is in Turkey's sphere of interest.
In addition, as world interest, in particular US interest, shifts from
the Atlantic to the Asia Pacific region, it is entirely natural that
a growing power like Turkey is seeking closer ties with this region.
Another factor that should be underlined, with Turkey seeking observer
status at the SCO, appears to be Ankara's existing goal of getting
closer to the Turkic-speaking regions in Central Asia not only because
of its interests in these gas- and oil-rich countries but also because
of its ethnic kinship with them.
It is also no coincidence that Turkey, together with Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, recently set up a gendarmerie organization to
strengthen ties among the paramilitary forces of these countries. This
does not necessarily mean that this grouping will work effectively
in achieving the purpose of strengthening law and order in these
countries, where violations of human rights -- except for Turkey, where
human rights violations are not grave -- are in an appalling state. But
it will bring Turkey even closer to this Turkic-speaking region.
Time will tell whether Turkey is also seeking to revitalize
pan-Turkism, a political movement that started more than 100 years
ago with the aim of uniting the various Turkic peoples into a modern
polity, in its endeavor to become part of the various groupings in
the Asian region.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-306281-is-turkey-seeking-to-revive-pan-turkism.html
06 February 2013, Wednesday
LALE KEMAL
[email protected]
Recent Turkish official statements about taking part in the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO), an Asian grouping set up early in
2000 to counter, among other things, US influence in the region,
have triggered a debate over whether Turkey is abandoning its core
policy of being part of Europe.
Even though Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952, its accession
talks with the European Union have stalled for a long period of time
and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently renewed
his dissatisfaction with this. Like many Turks, Erdogan believes that
the EU is engaged in a stalling tactic so as not to make Turkey,
a predominantly Muslim country, a full member of the bloc. Having
said that, it is also a fact that Turkey has already slowed down its
democratic reforms, falling short of meeting EU standards.
"Turkey's efforts to become an EU member have continued for 59 years,"
Erdogan said with frustration during his visit to the Czech Republic
on Feb. 4 while stating, however, that the SCO and the EU are separate
entities. This is an attempt by Erdogan to assuage European concerns
that Turkey has been looking to the East for good.
"There is no reason for anyone to be bothered [about Turkey's intention
to be part of the SCO]. EU member countries conduct trade with members
of the SCO successfully. Turkey will naturally be in all kinds of
quests [seeking trading partners, too]," he added.
A Foreign Ministry statement seeking to appease Western concerns
stated on Feb. 5 that the SCO was not an alternative to the EU. The
Foreign Ministry also clarified that Turkey seeks to gain observer
status to the SCO rather than membership. Incidentally, the US applied
for observer status in the SCO, but was rejected in 2006.
In fact, Turkey's quest to be part of various regional groupings
parallels its increasing self-confidence as its economy has been
growing while democratic reforms, although slowed down in recent years,
have been put into force.
Since the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) came to power
in 2002, the gross domestic product (GDP) has reached $1.3 trillion
in 2011 from $250 billion in 2003, making Turkey now the 15th biggest
economy in the world. It is a member of the G-20; hence, Turkey has
been seeking to be among the big powers, having a say in all policy
issues from Africa to Asia and from its close neighbors the Balkans
to the Middle East. Some call this policy neo-Ottomanism in the sense
that Turkey seeks to reassert its influence in former Ottoman lands.
Still, regardless of speculation that Turkey pursues a policy of
neo-Ottomanism, Turkey is right in its quest to have its words listened
to at various international platforms, taking into consideration
its growing economy -- although it has a lot to do in this area,
too. If Turkey completes its half-finished democratic reforms,
in particular ending the military's power in politics, as well as
bringing its human rights to a first-class level while solving its
terrorism problem via political means, Ankara will most possibly take
its place among the world's democratic powers.
It is normal for a country like Turkey that has been growing
economically while improving its democratic standards to also diversify
its energy supply routes -- a policy that Turkey has been pursuing for
a long period of time. Turkey is currently highly dependent on Russia
and Iran to meet its growing energy needs. In this sense, the SCO,
which comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan -- an Asian and a Central Asian grouping and one the
world's most energy-rich regions, is in Turkey's sphere of interest.
In addition, as world interest, in particular US interest, shifts from
the Atlantic to the Asia Pacific region, it is entirely natural that
a growing power like Turkey is seeking closer ties with this region.
Another factor that should be underlined, with Turkey seeking observer
status at the SCO, appears to be Ankara's existing goal of getting
closer to the Turkic-speaking regions in Central Asia not only because
of its interests in these gas- and oil-rich countries but also because
of its ethnic kinship with them.
It is also no coincidence that Turkey, together with Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, recently set up a gendarmerie organization to
strengthen ties among the paramilitary forces of these countries. This
does not necessarily mean that this grouping will work effectively
in achieving the purpose of strengthening law and order in these
countries, where violations of human rights -- except for Turkey, where
human rights violations are not grave -- are in an appalling state. But
it will bring Turkey even closer to this Turkic-speaking region.
Time will tell whether Turkey is also seeking to revitalize
pan-Turkism, a political movement that started more than 100 years
ago with the aim of uniting the various Turkic peoples into a modern
polity, in its endeavor to become part of the various groupings in
the Asian region.