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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 5 2014
ErdoÄ?an's first foreign visits
BERÄ°L DEDEOÄ?LU
A president or prime minister's first international trips are always
significant as they reflect the country's foreign policy priorities.
Newly elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's visits are no
exception: Right after the swearing-in ceremony, he travelled to the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) and Azerbaijan, and then he
attended the NATO summit in Newport, Wales.
Needless to say, the Cyprus issue is of paramount importance for
Turkey's EU accession bid. Thus, President ErdoÄ?an mentioned the EU
process there and recalled that this issue will not remain unresolved
forever. That was, in fact, a warning: If nothing changes in Turkey-EU
relations and if the Greek Cypriot government keeps blocking the
unification talks, Turkey will find its own "solution" to the Cyprus
problem. No one should expect unilateral concessions from Turkey,
anyway. Not now, when the Turkish Cypriots have many options at hand,
given the precedents set by Kosovo, Crimea and Scotland.
ErdoÄ?an's second international trip was to Baku. There is no need to
mention Azerbaijan's importance for Turkey and the special
relationship between the two nations. Despite the solid friendship,
friction exists over energy transportation issues, but Ankara has
always believed these problems have been provoked due to Russia's
pressure on Baku.
It is true that the relationship between Ankara and Baku is a very
complex one. Turkey needs to promote the image of being a reliable
energy corridor in order to become more attractive in the eyes of the
EU, and it knows perfectly well it has to do something to fix
relations with Armenia without forgetting Azerbaijan's priorities. It
is also true that the progress in the energy and Armenia issues
depends largely on the positions of Russia and the Western powers.
ErdoÄ?an had declared that he would mention the Nagorno-Karabakh
question during the NATO summit. This was a way of saying that the
great powers must do their bit in order to find a solution to the
problems within the Ankara-Baku-Yerevan triangle. This is a meaningful
approach, as everybody knows the problems in the Caucasus are mainly
caused because of the rivalries between great powers. All the region's
players have been taken hostage by at least one great power.
The problem is, of course, Russia's eventual reaction when NATO starts
to be interested more closely in the problems in the Caucasus. Moscow
could even interpret Turkey's call for NATO involvement as an implicit
threat: "If you don't change your position on Ukraine, get ready for
every eventuality in the Caucasus, which you consider your backyard.'
Perhaps Ukraine will not remain the only country with which NATO
discusses membership.
Will Azerbaijan be pleased if it enters NATO's agenda? Not sure. Baku
probably knows that NATO's interest will exacerbate Russia's interest
toward Azerbaijan in response. Baku has been playing a delicate
balancing game, so it would prefer not to be asked to make a clear-cut
choice.
Turkey has no interest in putting Azerbaijan in a difficult position.
Ankara's aim is definitely not to provoke Moscow to increase pressure
on Azerbaijan. Turkey probably has the energy issue in mind when
talking about Azerbaijan at the NATO platform. The energy
transportation issue is not a bilateral problem between Azerbaijan and
Turkey; it definitely involves EU countries as well. The volatile
situation in Ukraine -- another important energy corridor for Europe
-- has made Turkey's role in energy transportation even more
important. If Azerbaijan needs Turkey to get closer to the EU, it will
have to take some risks regarding Russia; if it doesn't want to, it
will probably make a move about northern Cyprus.
Friendly visits are not free from difficulties. Fortunately, friends
can talk to each other openly, which is essential to prevent
unnecessary crises.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/beril-dedeoglu/erdogans-first-foreign-visits_357836.html
Sept 5 2014
ErdoÄ?an's first foreign visits
BERÄ°L DEDEOÄ?LU
A president or prime minister's first international trips are always
significant as they reflect the country's foreign policy priorities.
Newly elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's visits are no
exception: Right after the swearing-in ceremony, he travelled to the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) and Azerbaijan, and then he
attended the NATO summit in Newport, Wales.
Needless to say, the Cyprus issue is of paramount importance for
Turkey's EU accession bid. Thus, President ErdoÄ?an mentioned the EU
process there and recalled that this issue will not remain unresolved
forever. That was, in fact, a warning: If nothing changes in Turkey-EU
relations and if the Greek Cypriot government keeps blocking the
unification talks, Turkey will find its own "solution" to the Cyprus
problem. No one should expect unilateral concessions from Turkey,
anyway. Not now, when the Turkish Cypriots have many options at hand,
given the precedents set by Kosovo, Crimea and Scotland.
ErdoÄ?an's second international trip was to Baku. There is no need to
mention Azerbaijan's importance for Turkey and the special
relationship between the two nations. Despite the solid friendship,
friction exists over energy transportation issues, but Ankara has
always believed these problems have been provoked due to Russia's
pressure on Baku.
It is true that the relationship between Ankara and Baku is a very
complex one. Turkey needs to promote the image of being a reliable
energy corridor in order to become more attractive in the eyes of the
EU, and it knows perfectly well it has to do something to fix
relations with Armenia without forgetting Azerbaijan's priorities. It
is also true that the progress in the energy and Armenia issues
depends largely on the positions of Russia and the Western powers.
ErdoÄ?an had declared that he would mention the Nagorno-Karabakh
question during the NATO summit. This was a way of saying that the
great powers must do their bit in order to find a solution to the
problems within the Ankara-Baku-Yerevan triangle. This is a meaningful
approach, as everybody knows the problems in the Caucasus are mainly
caused because of the rivalries between great powers. All the region's
players have been taken hostage by at least one great power.
The problem is, of course, Russia's eventual reaction when NATO starts
to be interested more closely in the problems in the Caucasus. Moscow
could even interpret Turkey's call for NATO involvement as an implicit
threat: "If you don't change your position on Ukraine, get ready for
every eventuality in the Caucasus, which you consider your backyard.'
Perhaps Ukraine will not remain the only country with which NATO
discusses membership.
Will Azerbaijan be pleased if it enters NATO's agenda? Not sure. Baku
probably knows that NATO's interest will exacerbate Russia's interest
toward Azerbaijan in response. Baku has been playing a delicate
balancing game, so it would prefer not to be asked to make a clear-cut
choice.
Turkey has no interest in putting Azerbaijan in a difficult position.
Ankara's aim is definitely not to provoke Moscow to increase pressure
on Azerbaijan. Turkey probably has the energy issue in mind when
talking about Azerbaijan at the NATO platform. The energy
transportation issue is not a bilateral problem between Azerbaijan and
Turkey; it definitely involves EU countries as well. The volatile
situation in Ukraine -- another important energy corridor for Europe
-- has made Turkey's role in energy transportation even more
important. If Azerbaijan needs Turkey to get closer to the EU, it will
have to take some risks regarding Russia; if it doesn't want to, it
will probably make a move about northern Cyprus.
Friendly visits are not free from difficulties. Fortunately, friends
can talk to each other openly, which is essential to prevent
unnecessary crises.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/beril-dedeoglu/erdogans-first-foreign-visits_357836.html