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TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY BECOMES OF LONELY MEN
Hurriyet, Turkey
Nov 27 2013
Koray CalıÅ~_kan [email protected]
A coup d'état took place in Egypt. All right. Coups are bad. All
right to that also. In the first place, Turkey did what it had to
do in principle. However, even Hamas, the Palestinian organization
al-Ikhwan, that is the Muslim Brotherhood, is more realistic in this
subject now. Even the Egyptian al-Ikhwan is trying to understand
where it made a mistake. How did the whole society unite against them;
they are searching for the reasons. They are considering how common
ground could be found with the regime.
In such a period, instead of exploiting diplomacy to the end, Turkey
has started an uncalled for fight with Egypt, which accommodates half
of the population of the Arab world. With rude contempt, relations were
blown apart. Other than us, no other country that has a Muslim majority
population, any Arab country nor any Western country has opted for
this negative path. In the end, our ambassador was expelled from Egypt.
Thus, in the region, all together with Armenia, Egypt, Syria and Israel
we are left with no ambassadors in four countries. This unnecessary
toughness does not help al-Ikhwan, Egypt, Turkey or the region. In
order to defend the notion that a success criteria exists in diplomacy,
you need to have diplomatic relations. Period.
Meanwhile, Iran has achieved a very important success. Uranium is
good only when it is enriched. Uranium in its natural state has 0.7
percent of the U235 used in nuclear activities. Without the isotope
enrichment, uranium cannot be used in nuclear activities.
For the uranium to be used in nuclear reactors, it has to be enriched.
3 percent enrichment is adequate for a reactor. Uranium enriched over
20 percent can be used in nuclear weapons. In countries such as Israel,
China, the United States, United Kingdom and Russia, there is uranium
enriched 80 percent and above.
According to the deal struck with Iran, this country will enrich
uranium as much as it needs but to a maximum of 5 percent. In other
words, Iran's nuclear program is accepted by the international
community with the prerequisite that it is produced for energy only.
There is only one reason for this: The Western world led by the U.S.
could not prevent Iran's nuclear program; it said, "Then, let us at
least manage it."
Iran gave the green light to the West's controls. In return for that,
an embargo worth $1 billion has been lifted for each month. In the
long term, the entire embargo will be lifted. Iran will be able
to produce its own nuclear technology and if it is able to hide it
(Israel has no doubts in that) will also have nuclear weapons.
The chemical weapons agreement with Syria has also been signed. This
is also an achievement of the Iran-Russia cooperation. The Western
world does not trust the al-Qaida led al-Ikhwan and militant Islamist
politics. Moreover, they can even draw reactionary regimes such as
Saudi Arabia to their own side.
While all of these developments are taking place, the Justice and
Development Party led government is trying to become the spokesperson
of al-Ikhwan. It is making diplomacy equations with zero gains in the
Middle East. It must be because the diplomatic feet have been numbed
for not having taken a walk for such a long time that it cannot even
take a few simple steps.
Turkey, a country which is ahead of the game in the Middle East
with its huge potential, with its experience of operating democratic
institutions, with its cultural ties, economic power and development
potential, is more and more becoming "Alone." (The Turkish film
"Issız Adam" which means the lonely man.)
Turkey has the flour, the butter, the sugar and it is repeatedly asking
"What was the name of that dessert?"
Let me say it: Both in Arabic and in Turkish, it is called "halva."
Its recipe is simple. Its equivalent in diplomacy is sweet talk and
intelligence.
*Koray CalıÅ~_kan is a columnist for daily Radikal in which this
piece was published on Nov 26. It was translated into English by the
Daily News staff.
November/27/2013
Hurriyet, Turkey
Nov 27 2013
Koray CalıÅ~_kan [email protected]
A coup d'état took place in Egypt. All right. Coups are bad. All
right to that also. In the first place, Turkey did what it had to
do in principle. However, even Hamas, the Palestinian organization
al-Ikhwan, that is the Muslim Brotherhood, is more realistic in this
subject now. Even the Egyptian al-Ikhwan is trying to understand
where it made a mistake. How did the whole society unite against them;
they are searching for the reasons. They are considering how common
ground could be found with the regime.
In such a period, instead of exploiting diplomacy to the end, Turkey
has started an uncalled for fight with Egypt, which accommodates half
of the population of the Arab world. With rude contempt, relations were
blown apart. Other than us, no other country that has a Muslim majority
population, any Arab country nor any Western country has opted for
this negative path. In the end, our ambassador was expelled from Egypt.
Thus, in the region, all together with Armenia, Egypt, Syria and Israel
we are left with no ambassadors in four countries. This unnecessary
toughness does not help al-Ikhwan, Egypt, Turkey or the region. In
order to defend the notion that a success criteria exists in diplomacy,
you need to have diplomatic relations. Period.
Meanwhile, Iran has achieved a very important success. Uranium is
good only when it is enriched. Uranium in its natural state has 0.7
percent of the U235 used in nuclear activities. Without the isotope
enrichment, uranium cannot be used in nuclear activities.
For the uranium to be used in nuclear reactors, it has to be enriched.
3 percent enrichment is adequate for a reactor. Uranium enriched over
20 percent can be used in nuclear weapons. In countries such as Israel,
China, the United States, United Kingdom and Russia, there is uranium
enriched 80 percent and above.
According to the deal struck with Iran, this country will enrich
uranium as much as it needs but to a maximum of 5 percent. In other
words, Iran's nuclear program is accepted by the international
community with the prerequisite that it is produced for energy only.
There is only one reason for this: The Western world led by the U.S.
could not prevent Iran's nuclear program; it said, "Then, let us at
least manage it."
Iran gave the green light to the West's controls. In return for that,
an embargo worth $1 billion has been lifted for each month. In the
long term, the entire embargo will be lifted. Iran will be able
to produce its own nuclear technology and if it is able to hide it
(Israel has no doubts in that) will also have nuclear weapons.
The chemical weapons agreement with Syria has also been signed. This
is also an achievement of the Iran-Russia cooperation. The Western
world does not trust the al-Qaida led al-Ikhwan and militant Islamist
politics. Moreover, they can even draw reactionary regimes such as
Saudi Arabia to their own side.
While all of these developments are taking place, the Justice and
Development Party led government is trying to become the spokesperson
of al-Ikhwan. It is making diplomacy equations with zero gains in the
Middle East. It must be because the diplomatic feet have been numbed
for not having taken a walk for such a long time that it cannot even
take a few simple steps.
Turkey, a country which is ahead of the game in the Middle East
with its huge potential, with its experience of operating democratic
institutions, with its cultural ties, economic power and development
potential, is more and more becoming "Alone." (The Turkish film
"Issız Adam" which means the lonely man.)
Turkey has the flour, the butter, the sugar and it is repeatedly asking
"What was the name of that dessert?"
Let me say it: Both in Arabic and in Turkish, it is called "halva."
Its recipe is simple. Its equivalent in diplomacy is sweet talk and
intelligence.
*Koray CalıÅ~_kan is a columnist for daily Radikal in which this
piece was published on Nov 26. It was translated into English by the
Daily News staff.
November/27/2013