Americas

Home page

Americas

American expert: â€œThe Jewish lobby cannot easily blot out Turkeyâ€ â€“ EXCLUSIVE

American expert: â€œThe Jewish lobby cannot easily blot out Turkeyâ€ â€“ <font color=red>EXCLUSIVE </font>

09 February 2009 09:19 (UTC +04:00)

- Mr. Uslu, what are the main motives of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoganâ€™s demarche in Davos?

-There are two principal issues behind Prime Minister Erdoganâ€™s behavior and statements. From the aspect of domestic policy, when Israeli President Shimon Peres said to Erdogan: â€œWhat would you do if Istanbul underwent air strikes?â€, Prime Minister presumably thought it would not suit his image as a leader in Turkey. After AKP came to power in Turkey opposition began to accuse Prime Minister of behaving as US and Israel say. Opposition often spoke about AKPâ€™s close relations with Washington and Tel Aviv in the rallies and on television. These accusations worried Prime Minister. Shimon Peresâ€™ speech in Davos would give extra grounds to the opposition in Turkey. Thatâ€™s why Prime Minister reacted so vigorously. The second reason that made Erdogan angry was David Ignatiusâ€™ attempts to cut him off. It made him angry.

- Up to then Turkey had been known as a U.S. ally pro-western country and a state established basing on the principles of market economy. But after AKP came to power nonstandard directions were observed in Turkeyâ€™s foreign policy: Turkey began to establish good relations with HAMAS, Iran, Sudan and other countries. Is Turkey changing its foreign policy?

-Turkey is in the transition phase now â€“ it is realizing the concept of its role in the region. Why was Turkey considered as a strategic country in the period of Soviet Union? It was so, because Turkey was playing an important role in the anti-communist struggle as a border country with USSR. Turkey has lost its significance from this perspective since the collapse of USSR. Therefore a new concept was elaborated. According to this, Turkey must play an active role, as possible, in the Middle East, Balkans and the Caucasus to increase its significance as an irreplaceable mediator in Europe, the East and the Caucasus as well. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has started to realize this concept aggressively since taking power. The main question now is how the Turkish-Israeli relations will develop. Recently Arab countries stated at the meeting of the Arab League foreign ministers that non-Arab countries couldnâ€™t interfere in the domestic affairs of the Arab countries. It was a message to Turkey. Davos statement of the Turkish Prime Minister made him popular among the Arab peoples like Gamal Abdel Nasser. It makes the Arab leaders anxious, because most of them, in the eyes of their peoples, are incapable and corrupted leaders, who are under the US influence and incompetent in the Palestinian problem. Therefore Prime Minister Erdoganâ€™s demarche in Davos cooled his relations with both Israel and Arab leaders. The question is that can Turkey turn its image of leader among the Ararb peoples into the political capital or not, which is very difficult issue. As distinct from Turkey, there is no need to contend with the public opinion in the Arabic world, because there are not a democracy, free elections and press there.

- How will cooling of the Turkey-Israel relations impact on the Turkeyâ€™s position in the United States?

-Turkish-US relations have a strategic character. Turkey supports US-led operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a role of its military base in Injirlik. However there is an Armenian issue in the United States. The local Jewish lobby supported Turkey in this issue. US Congress has more information about this issue as against the previous years. Last discussions in the Congress showed that Americans are dissatisfied with the attempts of congressmen to re-write the history. The New York Times, The Washington Post and other newspapers also published articles about it. Probably Turkey will need in the Jewish lobby this year too. The Jewish lobby, which is a network led by the wise and intelligent people, cannot blot out Turkey.