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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
July 24 2014
Shining crescent
by Yusuf Kanli
Turkey is a country in the first league of international diplomacy.
Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu was exuberantly boasting in comments
to the media that `Turkey had become such an important and big player
that even a fly could not fly in its region without Turkey being
informed in the first place.'
Opposition deputies since then have been ridiculing that statement as
the shortest surviving joke of all ages. Can anyone imagine what great
successes the Turkish foreign policy team has achieved over the past
few years? The Armenia rapprochement was imposed by a hilarious lady
who must have been aware in the first place that it would not work.
However, protocols were signed. It could have been a great achievement
but the Turkish team, like the Armenians, had accepted it under
duress. Not only did neither of the two countries endorse it through
their parliaments, they did whatever was possible to kill it. Thus,
the Armenia front is heading to 2015 with prospects gloomier than
ever.
There were red lines in the Iraq policies. No, Turkey would never,
ever accept the Kurds carving out an independent state from Iraq. Now,
Iraqi Kurds are inching towards transforming their de facto state into
de jure, about to go to referendum for independence. Surprisingly, the
principled and foresighted Turkish foreign policy team apparently
still believes they are faced with a bluff in northern Iraq. In the
meantime, a deputy chairman of the ruling party, also a Kurd, was
rather happy, saying Turkey might be enhanced by embracing an
independent Kurdistan.
The Arab Spring was to bring democracy to the entire region. Through
zigzagging yet apparently unforeseen policy undertakings, the region's
`great country' became, in less than two years, a country advising its
nationals to move out of two neighboring countries because being a
Turk has become an added security risk in both Syria and Libya¦ Are
things better in Iraq? No, the foreign minister aspiring to become the
successor of Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an as premier and ruling Justice and
Development Party's (AKP) leader could not prevent the Islamic State
of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from taking the Turkish consul, its
entire staff and security, as well as some of their family members
hostage¦
The prime minister is crying that he was no longer a telephone pal of
American President Barrack Obama. They last talked in February. Still,
if you believe it, Turkey is a shining star ` if not a crescent `
thanks to its successful handling of foreign policy.
A bad joke, is it not!?
July/25/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/shining-crescent.aspx?pageID=449&nID=69571&NewsCatID=425
July 24 2014
Shining crescent
by Yusuf Kanli
Turkey is a country in the first league of international diplomacy.
Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu was exuberantly boasting in comments
to the media that `Turkey had become such an important and big player
that even a fly could not fly in its region without Turkey being
informed in the first place.'
Opposition deputies since then have been ridiculing that statement as
the shortest surviving joke of all ages. Can anyone imagine what great
successes the Turkish foreign policy team has achieved over the past
few years? The Armenia rapprochement was imposed by a hilarious lady
who must have been aware in the first place that it would not work.
However, protocols were signed. It could have been a great achievement
but the Turkish team, like the Armenians, had accepted it under
duress. Not only did neither of the two countries endorse it through
their parliaments, they did whatever was possible to kill it. Thus,
the Armenia front is heading to 2015 with prospects gloomier than
ever.
There were red lines in the Iraq policies. No, Turkey would never,
ever accept the Kurds carving out an independent state from Iraq. Now,
Iraqi Kurds are inching towards transforming their de facto state into
de jure, about to go to referendum for independence. Surprisingly, the
principled and foresighted Turkish foreign policy team apparently
still believes they are faced with a bluff in northern Iraq. In the
meantime, a deputy chairman of the ruling party, also a Kurd, was
rather happy, saying Turkey might be enhanced by embracing an
independent Kurdistan.
The Arab Spring was to bring democracy to the entire region. Through
zigzagging yet apparently unforeseen policy undertakings, the region's
`great country' became, in less than two years, a country advising its
nationals to move out of two neighboring countries because being a
Turk has become an added security risk in both Syria and Libya¦ Are
things better in Iraq? No, the foreign minister aspiring to become the
successor of Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an as premier and ruling Justice and
Development Party's (AKP) leader could not prevent the Islamic State
of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from taking the Turkish consul, its
entire staff and security, as well as some of their family members
hostage¦
The prime minister is crying that he was no longer a telephone pal of
American President Barrack Obama. They last talked in February. Still,
if you believe it, Turkey is a shining star ` if not a crescent `
thanks to its successful handling of foreign policy.
A bad joke, is it not!?
July/25/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/shining-crescent.aspx?pageID=449&nID=69571&NewsCatID=425