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BGN News, Turkey
Jan 25 2015
>From the US, Turkey looking closer to a Gulf state
Brookings Institute Turkey Program Director Ã-mer TaÅ?pınar has his
finger on the pulse of the US perspective, when it comes to Turkey.
Serving as an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University's
School of Advanced International Studies Ã-mer TaÅ?pınar has expertise
in a number of key areas, including Turkey the EU, the Kurdish issue
as well as political Islam.
Since the summer of 2013 the image of the Turkey's governing Justice
and Development Party (AK Party) and its leader President Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an has increasingly become a hot topic for the West. Human rights
as well as foreign policy concerns are equally echoed by experts. The
image constrasts to the once `model Turkey,' which was viewed as a
blend of conservative Islamism working progressively with democracy
and on healthy relations with its neighbors.
TaÅ?pınar highlights the summer of 2013, the Gezi protests, which
kicked off in Ä°stanbul over government plans to demolish a park for a
shopping mall project. The heavy police crackdown had drawn the first
criticism. Now the AK Party has openly declared war on the Hizmet
movement, consisting of followers and sympathizers of Islamic scholar
Fethullah Gülen, blaming it for orchestrating the 2013 December 17-25
corruption probe which levied severe bribery allegations implicating
the government.
According to TaÅ?pınar, `the first fracture occurred in the Gezi Park
protest, and the subsequent events indicating how the state culture
had eroded. The corruption probe, and AK Party (Justice and
Development Party)'s fight against the Hizmet movement, revealed that
Turkey may not at the end of the day be much different than other
Middle Eastern countries.'
Syria and extremism
TaÅ?pınar highlights a second and even more concerning aspect, and that
pertains to foreign policy. More specifically its relations with
Syria, whereby seeking the removal of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad,
Turkey is believed to be turning a blind eye to Sunni Islamist
extremist groups fighting Assad.
`Turkey's foreign policy has started to look like the sectarian
policies of some of the Gulf region countries,' notes TaÅ?pınar adding
"To weaken the [Syrian] reigme it supported al-Nusra, allowed passage
and when required they treated the wounded in hospitals in Turkey. The
AK Party knew that those fighting were Jihadist elements.'
He further notes when all of these factors came together, the US
re-evaluated its relationship to Turkey.
`The US relationship with Turkey looks similar to Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan. Both countries are important for the US. Turkey is also
important. However this does not mean that there is a common ground
based on values ... The US used to emphasize common values in its
relations with Turkey; we no longer hear those messages in the
statements out of the US.'
The ErdoÄ?an persona
Matters concerning Turkey inevitably lead t Turkish President Recep
Tayyip ErdoÄ?an and the leadership of the ruling AK Party.
On this aspect TaÅ?pınar outlines that the US `sees themselves faced
with a regime that wins elections, but is heading towards dictatorship
and therefore authoritarian - only democratic in appearance.'
`The US sees ErdoÄ?an as a powerful leader, popular yet anti-American.
However they also perceive that this leader also fears the US.'
The Boorkings Institute program director adds ErdoÄ?an's recently
inaugurated a TL 1.4 billion Presidential palace has also drawn
attention in the US for its luxury and expense. `The palace shows the
collapse of Turkey's institution, echoing the Gulf countries. There is
no oil and the economic power but there is an eccentric leader.
Naturally this causes interests the US.'
1915 Armenian issue
Equally so there are reprecussions, notes TaÅ?pınar. One of the main
topics with the US leads back to 1915 where an estimated 1.5 million
Armenians were killed, under the predecessor of the modern Turkish
state, the Ottoman Empire.
Armenians commemorate the loss of lives on 24 April. Armenians in the
US regularly lobby for the US to officially recognize the incident as
a genocide and demand that Turkey recognize it accordingly; however
Ankara has viewed this history differently. TaÅ?pınar explained, `The
US may pressure Turkey to make a statement going further than the
normal near the 24 April."
Jan 25, 2015 | Adem Yavuz Arslan | Washington
http://politics.bgnnews.com/from-the-us-turkey-looking-closer-to-a-gulf-state-haberi/3019
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Jan 25 2015
>From the US, Turkey looking closer to a Gulf state
Brookings Institute Turkey Program Director Ã-mer TaÅ?pınar has his
finger on the pulse of the US perspective, when it comes to Turkey.
Serving as an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University's
School of Advanced International Studies Ã-mer TaÅ?pınar has expertise
in a number of key areas, including Turkey the EU, the Kurdish issue
as well as political Islam.
Since the summer of 2013 the image of the Turkey's governing Justice
and Development Party (AK Party) and its leader President Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an has increasingly become a hot topic for the West. Human rights
as well as foreign policy concerns are equally echoed by experts. The
image constrasts to the once `model Turkey,' which was viewed as a
blend of conservative Islamism working progressively with democracy
and on healthy relations with its neighbors.
TaÅ?pınar highlights the summer of 2013, the Gezi protests, which
kicked off in Ä°stanbul over government plans to demolish a park for a
shopping mall project. The heavy police crackdown had drawn the first
criticism. Now the AK Party has openly declared war on the Hizmet
movement, consisting of followers and sympathizers of Islamic scholar
Fethullah Gülen, blaming it for orchestrating the 2013 December 17-25
corruption probe which levied severe bribery allegations implicating
the government.
According to TaÅ?pınar, `the first fracture occurred in the Gezi Park
protest, and the subsequent events indicating how the state culture
had eroded. The corruption probe, and AK Party (Justice and
Development Party)'s fight against the Hizmet movement, revealed that
Turkey may not at the end of the day be much different than other
Middle Eastern countries.'
Syria and extremism
TaÅ?pınar highlights a second and even more concerning aspect, and that
pertains to foreign policy. More specifically its relations with
Syria, whereby seeking the removal of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad,
Turkey is believed to be turning a blind eye to Sunni Islamist
extremist groups fighting Assad.
`Turkey's foreign policy has started to look like the sectarian
policies of some of the Gulf region countries,' notes TaÅ?pınar adding
"To weaken the [Syrian] reigme it supported al-Nusra, allowed passage
and when required they treated the wounded in hospitals in Turkey. The
AK Party knew that those fighting were Jihadist elements.'
He further notes when all of these factors came together, the US
re-evaluated its relationship to Turkey.
`The US relationship with Turkey looks similar to Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan. Both countries are important for the US. Turkey is also
important. However this does not mean that there is a common ground
based on values ... The US used to emphasize common values in its
relations with Turkey; we no longer hear those messages in the
statements out of the US.'
The ErdoÄ?an persona
Matters concerning Turkey inevitably lead t Turkish President Recep
Tayyip ErdoÄ?an and the leadership of the ruling AK Party.
On this aspect TaÅ?pınar outlines that the US `sees themselves faced
with a regime that wins elections, but is heading towards dictatorship
and therefore authoritarian - only democratic in appearance.'
`The US sees ErdoÄ?an as a powerful leader, popular yet anti-American.
However they also perceive that this leader also fears the US.'
The Boorkings Institute program director adds ErdoÄ?an's recently
inaugurated a TL 1.4 billion Presidential palace has also drawn
attention in the US for its luxury and expense. `The palace shows the
collapse of Turkey's institution, echoing the Gulf countries. There is
no oil and the economic power but there is an eccentric leader.
Naturally this causes interests the US.'
1915 Armenian issue
Equally so there are reprecussions, notes TaÅ?pınar. One of the main
topics with the US leads back to 1915 where an estimated 1.5 million
Armenians were killed, under the predecessor of the modern Turkish
state, the Ottoman Empire.
Armenians commemorate the loss of lives on 24 April. Armenians in the
US regularly lobby for the US to officially recognize the incident as
a genocide and demand that Turkey recognize it accordingly; however
Ankara has viewed this history differently. TaÅ?pınar explained, `The
US may pressure Turkey to make a statement going further than the
normal near the 24 April."
Jan 25, 2015 | Adem Yavuz Arslan | Washington
http://politics.bgnnews.com/from-the-us-turkey-looking-closer-to-a-gulf-state-haberi/3019
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress