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TURKEY AND THE WEST: THE ERA OF THE SELECTED AGENDA
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
June 9 2014
ISTANBUL - 09.06.2014 09:55:26
For a considerable time, between the late 1990s and the late 2000s,
Turkey was in an integration process with the West. Undoubtedly, those
days have gone. Today, Turkey's relations with the West (including
the US) are not going well. Recently, the US secretary of state's
spokesperson said that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
accusation that a CNN reporter was a spy is "ridiculous." Similar cases
can be picked out when it comes to Turkey's relations with European
states. Those cases demonstrate how certain fault lines have opened
up to separate Turkey and the West.
So, what will happen? The deterioration of Turkey's relations with the
West is not a new phenomenon. So many similar processes have taken
place in the past. What has happened in the past will recur. So,
what did happen in those times when Turkey's relations with the West
were bad?
The political history of Turkey's relations with the West provides
a simple answer: In times of crises, a selective agenda becomes the
new norm. A "selective agenda" refers to the continuation of relations
on the basis of pure pragmatism, through certain strategic issues. In
the selective agenda mode, advanced issues such as Turkey's accession
to the European Union are pushed to the sidelines. The general level
of cordiality is toned down. At such times, Turkey's Western identity
is frequently debated.
In fact, the selective agenda is a tactical strategy for Turkey to
continue its relations with the West. Historically speaking, certain
issues -- such as energy security, the Cyprus problem, Turkey's
relations with Armenia and some legal issues between Turkey and Greece
over the Aegean Sea -- are typical samples.
The basic logic of the selective agenda strategy is to continue
Turkey's relations with the West by offering certain strategic
interests. The opposite is also partially valid. But a holistic
agenda can never exist. Instead, continuity is sustained through
certain issues that can attract the interest of the West.
Turkey's altercation with Israel is, for instance, a typical
reflection of the selective agenda. While the world is talking about
rising authoritarian tendencies in Turkey, this may postpone certain
crises. No Western state, particularly the US, would disregard a step
to restore Turkish-Israeli ties. Similarly, Turkey's sudden decision
to declare Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria a terrorist group is another
reflection of the selective agenda style. It was only a while ago that
key politicians in Ankara were criticizing academics who argued that
al-Nusra is a terrorist threat, calling them Orientalists. Ankara's
sudden discovery of the al-Nusra terrorist threat is very interesting.
Some other typical steps of the selective agenda style may yet be
heard on the political tarmac.
The selective agenda mode of diplomacy is greatly preferred by
the West. First, it is less costly. In this mode, it is Turkey
that seeks endorsement by the West. Remember how, in the 1980s,
Turkish junta leader Gen. Kenan Evren accepted the return of Greece
to the military wing of NATO. Why? That was a typical reflection of
a selective agenda. Just as Evren had thought it would, it helped the
acceptability of his military regime's status in the eyes of the West.
Turkish leaders who are scared by the cost of being isolated from
the West are poised to offer some strategic gift. No matter who rules
Turkey, this has been an unwritten rule of Turkish foreign policy since
the creation of the republic, or perhaps since the late Ottoman era.
The Erdogan government is no exception. The sum of the American and
European economies is around $30 trillion. The whole of the Turkish
economy looks like a footnote alongside this gigantic figure.
Meanwhile, things are not perfect on the eastern side, either; the
Saudi king has declared his support for Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,
the president-elect of Egypt. Can Turkey afford greater worsening
in its relations with the West? No. Can Turkey get back to that old
integration mode with the West? Again, no. So the only option is
to deploy selective agenda strategies that may look to some like
"bribing the West." Bribing? Of course, such bad habits cannot be
allowed in Anatolia!
GOKHAN BACIK (Cihan/Today's Zaman)
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
June 9 2014
ISTANBUL - 09.06.2014 09:55:26
For a considerable time, between the late 1990s and the late 2000s,
Turkey was in an integration process with the West. Undoubtedly, those
days have gone. Today, Turkey's relations with the West (including
the US) are not going well. Recently, the US secretary of state's
spokesperson said that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
accusation that a CNN reporter was a spy is "ridiculous." Similar cases
can be picked out when it comes to Turkey's relations with European
states. Those cases demonstrate how certain fault lines have opened
up to separate Turkey and the West.
So, what will happen? The deterioration of Turkey's relations with the
West is not a new phenomenon. So many similar processes have taken
place in the past. What has happened in the past will recur. So,
what did happen in those times when Turkey's relations with the West
were bad?
The political history of Turkey's relations with the West provides
a simple answer: In times of crises, a selective agenda becomes the
new norm. A "selective agenda" refers to the continuation of relations
on the basis of pure pragmatism, through certain strategic issues. In
the selective agenda mode, advanced issues such as Turkey's accession
to the European Union are pushed to the sidelines. The general level
of cordiality is toned down. At such times, Turkey's Western identity
is frequently debated.
In fact, the selective agenda is a tactical strategy for Turkey to
continue its relations with the West. Historically speaking, certain
issues -- such as energy security, the Cyprus problem, Turkey's
relations with Armenia and some legal issues between Turkey and Greece
over the Aegean Sea -- are typical samples.
The basic logic of the selective agenda strategy is to continue
Turkey's relations with the West by offering certain strategic
interests. The opposite is also partially valid. But a holistic
agenda can never exist. Instead, continuity is sustained through
certain issues that can attract the interest of the West.
Turkey's altercation with Israel is, for instance, a typical
reflection of the selective agenda. While the world is talking about
rising authoritarian tendencies in Turkey, this may postpone certain
crises. No Western state, particularly the US, would disregard a step
to restore Turkish-Israeli ties. Similarly, Turkey's sudden decision
to declare Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria a terrorist group is another
reflection of the selective agenda style. It was only a while ago that
key politicians in Ankara were criticizing academics who argued that
al-Nusra is a terrorist threat, calling them Orientalists. Ankara's
sudden discovery of the al-Nusra terrorist threat is very interesting.
Some other typical steps of the selective agenda style may yet be
heard on the political tarmac.
The selective agenda mode of diplomacy is greatly preferred by
the West. First, it is less costly. In this mode, it is Turkey
that seeks endorsement by the West. Remember how, in the 1980s,
Turkish junta leader Gen. Kenan Evren accepted the return of Greece
to the military wing of NATO. Why? That was a typical reflection of
a selective agenda. Just as Evren had thought it would, it helped the
acceptability of his military regime's status in the eyes of the West.
Turkish leaders who are scared by the cost of being isolated from
the West are poised to offer some strategic gift. No matter who rules
Turkey, this has been an unwritten rule of Turkish foreign policy since
the creation of the republic, or perhaps since the late Ottoman era.
The Erdogan government is no exception. The sum of the American and
European economies is around $30 trillion. The whole of the Turkish
economy looks like a footnote alongside this gigantic figure.
Meanwhile, things are not perfect on the eastern side, either; the
Saudi king has declared his support for Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,
the president-elect of Egypt. Can Turkey afford greater worsening
in its relations with the West? No. Can Turkey get back to that old
integration mode with the West? Again, no. So the only option is
to deploy selective agenda strategies that may look to some like
"bribing the West." Bribing? Of course, such bad habits cannot be
allowed in Anatolia!
GOKHAN BACIK (Cihan/Today's Zaman)