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| The Grand Turk |
| Turkey acts to ease fears over Islamic ties |
| 2010-07-04 |
| TURKEY has hit back at accusations it is turning its back on the West in favour of closer ties with the Islamic world. The country insists that membership of the EU is its key foreign policy goal. "There is no reason to have any doubts about Turkey," President Abdullah Gul declared in a forceful interview designed to allay alarm in Europe and the US about its increasingly close relations with radical Middle East regimes. Turkey was not "lost", he said, denouncing such claims as "unacceptable" and stressing that Turkey was also forging ties far beyond the Arab world. "I consider it very wrong to interpret Turkey's interests with other geographic regions as it breaking from the West, turning its back on the West or seeking alternatives to the West. Turkey is part of Europe," he said. Mr Gul argued that the US and Europe should welcome its growing engagement in the Middle East because it was promoting Western values in a region largely governed by authoritarian regimes. Rebuking some Western politicians for their outdated views of Turkey, he insisted the country had undergone a "silent revolution". It was now a big economic power that had embraced democracy, human rights and the free market. It had become a "source of inspiration" in the region. "If this is not acknowledged, it's a pity," Mr Gul lamented. Turkey is a strategically vital country of 72 million people that straddles the border of Europe and Asia, has NATO's second-largest army and is a supply hub for US war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has also caused consternation in Western capitals in recent months. Not only has it welcomed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and congratulated him on his stolen election victory, it also voted against UN sanctions to try to halt the Iranian nuclear program. The nation has lent support to Hamas, which is on the US and EU lists of terrorist organisations. "We are respecting the choice of the Palestinian people in Gaza," Mr Gul said. Turkey was preparing to host President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, who is wanted for crimes against humanity, at an Islamic conference until the EU objected. It has assiduously courted Syria, with whom it nearly went to war in 1998. At the same time, Turkey has condemned Israel, formerly its closest regional ally and supplier of much of its military hardware, over its invasion of Gaza and the recent killing by Israeli commandos of nine Turkish civilians on a Gaza-bound flotilla. Apart from one secret ministerial meeting this week, relations are frozen, with Turkey demanding an apology and compensation. Mr Gul insisted Turkey had always been Israel's friend but asked: "If an army of a state kills your people in international waters, how would you react?" From the US, particularly, there have been clear signs of displeasure and mutterings about how the ruling AK Party is returning to its Islamic roots. US President Barack Obama had a frosty meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at last weekend's G20 summit. "We think Turkey remains committed to NATO, Europe and the US, but that needs to be demonstrated," said Philip Gordon, the administration's top European diplomat. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 The Erdogan Regime let the mask slip a bit too early which might spell trouble trouble for the future of Turkish-American relations. However the Gaza mission managed to successfully intimidate the entire German political class. See this and this. The first link's headline is actually somewhat incorrect. The resolution is omni-partisan not bi-partisan. There were no explicit votes for abstention or nay votes. This resolution represents the consensus among all parties in parliament, Merkel's CDU, the Liberals, Social Democrats, Greens, and the Communist Party of East Germany. Merkel sided with Israel during "Cast Lead" but that was an Israeli-Arab conflict. When the choice is between Israel and the Erdogan Regime Germany will submit to the Erdogan Regime, not necessarily because of an anti-Israel bias, but because the political class fears a diplomatic conflict with Erdogan. Turkish riots in Germany, instigated by Ankara, over the issue of Israel would indeed be a political and security nightmare. To avert this our politicians are content to see Israel fed to the crocodile. |
| Posted by: Jaique Brown3988 2010-07-04 17:26 |
| #5 Turkey thought that being anti Joooooo would make them more palatable to the cool kids in the EU. Not an unlikely conclusion, is it? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-07-04 10:06 |
| #4 Well, I for one, feel assured now. [/sarc] I am sure that the EU is gonna welcome Turkey with open arms. Good fiscal policy and all. Camel's nose: meet tent. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul in NW Iceland 2010-07-04 06:24 |
| #3 What can be more Western than "anti-Zionism"? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-07-04 04:40 |
| #2 "If an army of a state kills your people in international waters, how would you react?" My proactive effort would have been not to send my people on a boat to invade Israel. If they went there against my advice, I would ignore their pleas for help. If they returned, I would jail them. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-07-04 02:39 |
| #1 "Mr Gul insisted Turkey had always been Israel's friend but asked: "If an army of a state kills your people in international waters, how would you react?" Intent to border IS allowable investigation. Check maritime laws. That vessel was doing improper ingress. Thats actually a crime in itself. And Turkey, proof is in the pudding. Act like a partner or forgiddaboudit. NATO is pathetic enough without you in it. |
| Posted by: newc 2010-07-04 00:51 |