Etiket arşivi: Turkish foreign policy

2017: Another Year of Turmoil

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December 20, 2017

The following is from my summing-up of the year 2016 (*):

“The Ukraine conflict has led many analysts to frequently mention President Putin’s unpredictable tactics and actions if not policies. With Mr. Trump in the White House, world’s aggregate unpredictability will probably go up… Surely, one may understand a gradual shift of emphasis, setting of new priorities and a change in public discourse, but many already speculate on major changes to US foreign policy…”

What Federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on relations with the US at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum on December 5, 2017 is particularly revealing in this Okumaya devam et →

President Trump’s Jerusalem Embassy Act

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December 7, 2017

President Trump has finally signed the Act which recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, fulfilling a campaign promise.
Was this a priority for his supporters? While the decision may enjoy broad bipartisan support in the Congress, his voters’ priorities seem to be different. A Brookings poll showed that 63 percent of all Americans oppose moving the Embassy to Jerusalem, including 44 percent of Republicans. Okumaya devam et →

Syrian Conflict: Time for Actions to Match Words

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November 27, 2017

On November 11, 2017, Presidents Putin and Trump met on the margins of the APEC conference in Vietnam. The joint-statement issued after the meeting said that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict and that the ultimate political solution must be forged through the Geneva process pursuant to UNSCR 2254. The statement further said that the two leaders also took note of President Assad’s recent commitment to the Geneva process and constitutional reform and elections as called for under UNSCR 2254.

In the absence of any capacity for conflict resolution on the part of regional countries, US-Russia cooperation has always been the key to ending the Syrian conflict.  And, the major challenge on that path has been reconciling the strategic interests of the two, narrowing differences where possible, mindful of the gaps that will inevitably remain.  Okumaya devam et →

United We Stand Against NATO

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November 20, 2017

Last Friday, the news that Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey and President Erdogan were depicted as “enemies” in NATO military exercises in Norway hit the headlines.  It was reported that an image of the “enemy” in the mock exercise was actually a photo of Ataturk.  Turkish media also reported that a fake social media account in the name of President Erdogan was used to send anti-NATO messages.

There was an uproar. In an extremely rare display of harmony, the ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP) leadership, the main opposition and the media were united not only in condemning the incident but also blasting the Alliance. Turkey withdrew its 40 soldiers participating in the drills in protest and criticized the alliance in strong language. Okumaya devam et →

State of Confusion in Riyadh

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November 13, 2017

Candidate Trump called Saudi Arabia “the world’s biggest funders of terrorism.”

President Trump made his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia.

On November 7, in the wake of the purges in the Saudi capital, he tweeted,

“I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing….”

Others tend to wait and see what exactly is being done. Okumaya devam et →

Prime Minister Yıldırım’s Visit to Washington

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November 6, 2017

On October 29, Secretary Tillerson made the following remarks on the occasion of Turkey’s National Day:

 “… Turkey has been a close American ally for more than 60 years. We are strategic partners in addressing the causes of instability throughout the world, including the Syrian civil war and our mutual fight against terrorism and violent extremism. We continue our steadfast efforts to enhance border security, increase trade and investment, and promote peace and prosperity across the globe.

“As Turkey marks this anniversary, we reaffirm the strong and resilient ties that unite us, and are confident the close relationship between the Turkish and American people will continue to grow.” Okumaya devam et →

Turkey in Low Spirits

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October 30, 2017

Turkey’s current mood is one of gloom. Much of this is unpredictability related. We Turks don’t know what tomorrow may bring not to speak of the months and years ahead. We are constantly on edge, anxious and worried. Yesterday marked the 94th anniversary of the founding of the Republic, celebrated as our National Day. In the morning, Turkey’s political leaders assembled at Ataturk’s Mausoleum as they do every year. This was supposed to be a day of joy, celebration. Yet, none of them managed to put on a smile. All one saw was a group of tense people not even talking to each other. On the other hand, those celebrating the National Day with great enthusiasm were making a political statement in support of Turkey’s Republican traditions and their increasing numbers is a ray of hope. Okumaya devam et →

The Imperative for Iraq’s Internal Peace

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October 23, 2017

Most observers agree that Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) independence referendum backfired; Massoud Barzani overplayed his hand and lost; and, his inclusion of “disputed territories” in the referendum was an overreach. The mood in Arbil is one of resentment because the referendum received no international support. One could perhaps add in this respect that Mr. Barzani’s timing was also wrong coming just one week ahead of the Catalan referendum which made use of double standards impossible.

The people of Iraq have not lived in peace since 1980, the beginning of the Iraq-Iran war. This eight-year war was followed by the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the First Gulf War. Then came the US invasion in 2003. And, the battle against ISIS has been going on for more than three years and has resulted in great human suffering and devastation.   Okumaya devam et →

Diplomacy Is Only Part of the Solution

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October 16, 2017

In earlier posts, I have often referred to President Obama’s visit to Turkey in early April, 2009. This is what I said:

“The President arrived in Turkey after attending a G20 summit in London, a NATO summit in Strasbourg and an EU summit in Prague. In other words, this was his first bilateral visit abroad. The following paragraph from the speech he delivered before the Turkish Grand National Assembly reflected the purpose of the visit:

“This morning I had the great privilege of visiting the tomb of your extraordinary founder of your republic. And I was deeply impressed by this beautiful memorial to a man who did so much to shape the course of history. But it is also clear that the greatest monument to Atatürk’s life is not something that can be cast in stone and marble. His greatest legacy is Turkey’s strong, vibrant, secular democracy, and that is the work this assembly carries on today…

“The message: Turkey, with its secular democracy has set an example for the Islamic world. Turkey should continue this path, and others should follow.” Okumaya devam et →