 |
| Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attends a joint ministerial meeting on strategic dialogue and free-trade cooperation between Turkey and the six energey-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in Kuwait City on October 17, 2010. |
"Does Turkey really plan to move beyond the orbits of the West?. The answer to this question is not clear yet, so it worries Turkey’s long standing allies in the West. Turkey’s closeness to Iran and Iran’s close relations with China are other reasons irritating the U.S. Considering that China is becoming closer to Iran because of energy imports, the first joint military exercise between China and Turkey is alarming."
(October 18, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian)‘The Anatolian Eagle’, Turkish Military Maneuvers done jointly with USA, NATO and Israel on yearly basis in Konya, has been performed since 2001. This joint action had different dimensions. First and foremost, it was a demonstration of Turkey’s pro-western allegiance and commitments. It was an affirmation of Turkey’s assurances to the West that through moments of turbulence, Ankara continues to remain a reliable, pragmatic partner and ally of the United States, the European Union and even Israel. Although Turkey’s major partners in the annual “Anatolian Eagle” exercises were the USA and Israel, from 2001 until 2008, Israel’s participation was blocked by Turkey for the past two years. The United States has been refusing to allow its Air Force to participate in the annual Anatolian Eagle military drill without Israel. It was reported that the U.S. informed Ankara that it would skip this year’s exercises if the Israeli Air Force is not invited. Turkey was the first Muslim majority country in the world which recognized Israel in 1949. Turkey signed a military alliance with Israel in 1996 and a free-trade agreement in 1997. Now the scenario is changing.
The initiative by Turkey to include China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in the Anatolian Eagle held between September 20 and October 4, 2010 was a signal of demonstrating its determination to move beyond Ankara’s existing partnership with the West. When Turkish F-16s and Chinese Su-27s staged a mock dogfight, Ankara gave the signal that another shift in its geopolitical orientation was imminent. It also echoed the message of the emergence of a new strategic partner Beijing, besides Washington and other NATO allies. In addition, it conveys messages to NATO and the EU that Ankara has other options ahead. The Turkish air force is NATO-integrated and equipped. The backbones of the Turkish air force are F-16s. China uses Russian- and Chinese-built planes, including Sukhois. Prior to the joint exercises, the Chinese Sukhoi fighters flew to Turkey via Iran and Pakistan, where they refueled. Knowing that Iran is not in the good books of the U.S, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly made gestures of friendship toward Iran and its strong allies Syria, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Palestinian movement HAMAS. The new initiative of developing the China-Turkey military partnership is not palatable to the U.S and other NATO member states.
Following the end of the Cold War, Turkey started strengthening its ties within the Western alliance NATO. The NATO member states also considered the role of Turkey in the changing political contexts all the more valuable. While the ethnic conflicts in the Balkans and the Caucasus were on the rise and the call of Islamist mujahedeen to support Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina the NATO members praised the role of Turkey. The NATO allies considered it as significant in the new geopolitical contexts in the post Soviet era. The same Western allies have now started raising eyebrows on Turkey’s change of mind and plan to move to another political orbit which is located in the opposite direction. The recent decision of Turkey to become closer to China is a major reason for this distress and unhappiness. When the air forces of China and Turkey were involved in a joint air exercise first time, it troubles Turkey’s NATO partners, especially the United States. Similarly, Turkey’s growing friendship with Iran also worries the U.S and other NATO allies of Turkey.
For some time, Turkey has been engaged in a rethinking of its role and allegiance between its pro-west obligations and its ties to the Arab world. The fact of the matter is that Turkey cannot easily turn to the Arab world or become fully an Islamic country with all its characteristics of other Middle Eastern Islamic states. However, in recent times Turkey has been gaining credibility in the Arab world. The internal policies and changing attitudes of Turkey, especially the discourses within the country gives the signal that Turkey’s attitudes, are drifting slowly towards the policies of the Arab Muslim world. During the Israeli military operations in Lebanon in 2006 and in Gaza in 2008, Turkey became unusually vocal against it. The Turkish government had condemned Israel’s military offensives which caused heavy Palestinian civilian casualties and targeted killings of Hamas members. Turkish-Israeli relations were severely estranged this year when Israeli operation against Gaza-bound aid convoy from Turkey resulted in civilian deaths. When the news that several Turks who were heading to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid died, thousands of Turkish people converged in Istanbul to voice anger at Israel’s use of force and pray for the dead. The distrust between Turkey and Israel and also the United States has been intensified due to these events.
Relations between Turkey and Iran started blossoming in recent years. 2009 saw continued high-level visits on both sides as well as mutual expression of political willingness to boost "friendship and brotherhood" between the two nations. Mahmoud Ahmedinejad’s election victory in June 2009 was welcomed by Turkish President. Mutual visits by State and government officials from both sides were frequently arranged. During the visits, they made statements on the importance and the influence of Turkey and Iran in the region and in the international arena and their common history, cultural values and their deep-rooted civilizations as well as geopolitical and strategic positions.
An unprecedented military maneuver involving ground forces of Turkey and Syria in 2009 along their mutual border boosted their relations and cooperation. When Turkey was persuaded to fall in line with President Bush’s policy to isolate Syria and punish it with economic sanctions, Turkey’s independent policy earned it great admiration and gratitude in Syria. Earlier this year, Turkey and Syria lifted travel visas to boost trade, and the Turkish military staged a joint drill with Syrian soldiers on their shared border. Turkey, which aspires to be a regional mediator in the Middle East, also worked to ease tensions between Iraq and Syria. In June this year, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan laid the groundwork for a “Free Trade Zone”. When Syria hopes that Iraq and ultimately Iran will be brought into this agreement, Turkey hopes that it will be in a better position to demonstrate its leadership and boost its image in the Arab world.
While the policies of Turkey towards the Arab world are changing now, many questions are being raised on the unexpected move of joint military cooperation between China and Turkey. There are number of reasons for developing such a closeness through military cooperation between Turkey and China. The joint Sino-Turkish aerial exercise might be considered as an indication that Turkey is pursuing a multi-polar foreign policy designed by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey’s initiative to rapprochement with Syria and Iran is part of such a plan. The most recent development in Turkey - China relations happened when two countries located on the opposite edges of Asia, took a landmark step in developing their bilateral relationship, which they have begun to define as a “strategic partnership”. During the visit of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao to Ankara last week, he announced that, “we decided bilaterally to establish a strategic partnership in our relations and this will be an important milestone”. China has economic ambitions in Turkey. Chinese companies are already engaged in the construction of railroads. Both countries are now negotiating the plan for the joint construction of 4,500kms of railway in Turkey and for the construction of an oil pipeline to Turkey from Iran. Ankara and Beijing have both increased their commercial ties with Iran, signing deals on oil and gas fields. Turkey wants to intensify cooperation within the G-20, which includes both Turkey and China. The two countries have also decided to work together in the fight against terrorism and extremism by establishing bilateral mechanisms. All these moves by Turkey in recent times add more frustration to Turkey’s Western allies.
Does Turkey really plan to move beyond the orbits of the West?. The answer to this question is not clear yet, so it worries Turkey’s long standing allies in the West. Turkey’s closeness to Iran and Iran’s close relations with China are other reasons irritating the U.S. Considering that China is becoming closer to Iran because of energy imports, the first joint military exercise between China and Turkey is alarming. When Turkey joined with Brazil and attempted to knock out the latest round of anti-Iranian sanctions at the U.N. Security Council, China reluctantly backed the UN sanctions on Iran along with other NATO members. Both China and Turkey have been defending their trade with Iran as legitimate. There are several common interests linking Tehran, Beijing, and Ankara. Turkey is expanding a pipeline to import gas from Iran and is selling gasoline. China is preparing to invest in dozens of energy projects in Iran worth tens of billions of dollars. China has plans for future to extend oil and gas pipelines via central Asia to supply the Chinese market, possibly with Turkish participation. Beijing has developed closer links with Iran and is also supplying missiles and missile technology to Iran. The anti-ship C-802, which Hezbollah used in the 2006 Second Lebanon War for the attack on the Israeli missile-carrying frigate HANIT, was manufactured in Iran using Chinese technology. It is a known factor that Turkey and China have developed a surface-to-surface missile. The U.S and other NATO allies think that in the future, China, a U.N. Security Council’s permanent member, may block the imposition of more severe sanctions against Iran, if China becomes closer to Turkey.
Turkey, in recent times, has increasingly moved closer towards its Muslim neighbours in the region in recent times. It is evident that Turkey is aspiring to be a dominant player in the Middle East and the Muslim world. When Turkey’s heart is turning south and east, it is also trying to balance its role among a host of interlocutors: the European Union, the United States, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, the Caucasus, and China. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government of Turkey also tried to make great efforts on the judicial and political levels to convince European leaders of their pro-European sincerity and secular characteristics. European Union membership for Turkey is a pending matter. There is a growing concern among the EU members. Some EU members argue that NATO allies and the U.S. should not allow Turkey’s current strategic drift. British Prime Minister David Cameron and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for boosting trade with Turkey and to ensure Turkey’s wider role in NATO. They are of the opinion that the West should re-engage Turkey, instead of simply lambasting it. The U.S. Secretary of Defence, Robert Gates thinks that the EU’s refusal to provide Ankara with a clear path to accession is partially the reason for Turkey’s drift in other directions. There are clear indications that Turkey’s military games with China, as well as diplomatic ties and support for either Iran’s nuclear program or Syria and Hezbollah will further delay Turkey’s entry into the EU and also weaken NATO-Turkey ties.
Post a Comment