Posted on 06/09/2005 2:55:03 PM PDT by Pokey78
HOURS AFTER Tony Blair left Washington, after a surprisingly productive family visit in which indigent Africans pocketed almost as much American cash as did Cherie, President Bush entertained another visitor at the White House.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan lacks Mr Blair’s star quality. The Turkish Prime Minister is the kind of man who can empty a room simply by entering it. His wife commands no fees on the Destitute Housewives circuit. The weight of his country’s past sits uncomfortably on Mr Erdogan’s sloping shoulders. He is to Suleiman the Magnificent what John Major was to Henry V. His visit went duly unremarked in the Blairs’ vapour trail.
But the leadership shortcomings of this rather vapid prime minister should not obscure the importance of his country. For centuries Turkey has been the pivotal nation in the Eurasian landmass. In the Cold War it was a vital block on Soviet ambitions towards the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
Post-9/11 it became even more central to American and Western aims. As the one real example of a functioning democracy whose inhabitants happened to be Muslim, it was, if not a model, then, in the words of its own leaders, an “ inspiration” for the rest of the Islamic world. If we could get the likes of Iraq, Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia to construct political systems that were half as democratic and pluralist as Turkey’s, we would be well on the way to snuffing out the hate-filled ideologies of Middle Eastern tyranny.
This inspirational vision for Turkey was what has helped to drive the EU towards extending, albeit reluctantly, the prospect of membership to the Turks. The US too, has worked hard to persuade Turkey to stay in the modern camp; it has been a happy recipient of US assistance, and an unusually generous IMF programme in 2001.
But the terrible truth is that we are steadily losing Turkey. The Turkey rejectionists in France and the rest of Europe are rising just as American irritation with Turkey is reaching dangerous new heights. And all of this is taking place as developments at home in this great teeming country of 70 million people are pushing Turkey away from a Western embrace.
Joining the EU and continuing Nato membership remain the avowed policies of the Erdogan Government, but the fire is steadily going out. Instead, feeling unloved in Brussels and Washington, and under growing pressure at home from those who favour Islamic solidarity over Western alliances, the leadership is looking elsewhere.
In some ways you can’t blame the Turks. For years they have been told to get their house in order if they want to belong to a rich Western club: entrench their fledgling democracy with civilising laws and legal codes; withdraw the military from public life; be nice to the Greek Cypriots; promote economic liberalisation.
They have met these demands more than halfway. They have abolished the death penalty and subjected themselves to the post-modern interventions of the European Court. The military has been escorted politely to the sidelines of political activity. The Government has made hitherto unthinkable concessions on Cyprus. Their economy has, since the last crisis of 2001, been among the zippiest in Europe, with growth of about 9 per cent annually. In short, the Sick Man of Europe is up and about, and performing acrobatic feats to demonstrate its fitness to be a true European.
But the rewards do not seem forthcoming. French voters last month extended a Gallic middle finger to the prospect of Turkish EU membership. In Germany, a new government likely to take office this autumn will add the index finger to make it a full European V sign. Though accession negotiations will presumably start on October 3, no one seems to think they are likely to proceed quickly to EU membership.
Relations with the US are no better. The Bush Administration still blames the Erdogan Government for failing to get Turkish parliamentary support to help in the invasion of Iraq two years ago. The Turks are deeply unhappy that the PKK, the Kurdish terrorist group, is intensifying its campaign against the Turkish military with apparent impunity, or (in a conspiracy-theory-rich country) even with American connivance, from inside US-patrolled Iraq.
Ugly strains are developing in domestic politics. Mr Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, elected three years ago, is a conservative religious party, dedicated to easing the tight controls that separate religion and the state. There is no immediate threat to Turkey’s longstanding secularist constitutional approach, but there are ominous developments Anti-Semitism is spreading; Mein Kampf and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion both sell well. The country’s religious leaders have taken to excoriating Christian missionaries for their supposedly political campaign to undermine Turkey by proselytising, even though, by the Government’s own estimate, this missionary campaign has succeeded in converting precisely 368 Turks in the past five years.
Increasingly, Turkey is looking east and south. The country has for neighbours some of the nastiest regimes on earth. But Mr Erdogan has recently visited Bashar Assad, of Syria, and his country is maintaining warm relations with Iran. Turkish officials talk about a foreign policy built on “strategic depth”, code for a reorientation of policy from the West towards the Muslim world, the Caucasus and even Russia.
Turkey is not lost. Not yet. But the needle on the country’s geopolitical compass has shifted sharply in the past few years. Its foreign-policy thinkers are aware that their country’s geostrategic significance is no less than it was in the post-Second World War world. They are starting to explore some of the opportunities it represents. For Europe and America, who strove hard to keep Turkey in the right camp throughout the Cold War, that ought to be worrisome news.
The bad news for Turkey is that it can't seek for relations with China nor Russia. China occupies East Turkistan and Russia occupies Chechenya, which will not favor Turkey. The only thing Turkey can do is continue to search for chance to join EU or join the axis of evil, which Turkey has been doin in the recent months shaking hands with Syria. Unless Turkey will gove back Armenians (west Armenia) and Kurds (north Kurdistan) their territory, there will be no such improvements with relations between US and Turkey.
Turkey can kiss my ass. They made their bed, now lay in it like a big boy.
Turkey betrayed us, and they did it in the worst possible way. I have always thought that Chirac put them up to it, promising them EU membership in return. Then Chirac betrayed Turkey, and now Chirac lacks the power to do Turkey any favors even if he changed his mind.
Turkey was our loyal ally for as long as I can remember. An old friend of mine who fought in Korea told me that the Turks were very reassuring friends to have guarding your flank. If the generals had any sense, they would apologize and make up to the U.S. But regretably it doesn't seem to be in the cards.
"The Government has made hitherto unthinkable concessions on Cyprus."
Like what?
If what you say is true it's one of the more brutal back stabbings in modern times. No more than oil-for-food though. By God, unless I were to see the criminal Chiraq standing in the dock at the Hague I'm not sure I could ever agree with our relations with the EU and the UN thawing.
"An old friend of mine who fought in Korea told me that the Turks were very reassuring friends to have guarding your flank. If the generals had any sense, they would apologize and make up to the U.S."
Reassuring when the generals were in charge, but thats just the problem, the generals are no longer in charge. An Islamicist party is now running things. It's pointless to think of Turkey as an ally as long as Muslims run the country.
Turkey is no longer a secular nation that can be counted on. They have voted to be our enemy. People need to realize this and forget the good old days. Time to move on.
European Fear of Muslim Turkey Responsible for the E. U. Constitutional Referendum Defeat in France and the Netherlands?
Critics Suggest That Turkey Act as a "Buffer" Between Europe and Syria, Iraq, Iran and Multiculturalism, Not as a Full E. U. Member
http://youngnationalist.com/european-fear.htm
Japan was enemy long ago and now they are one of the best allies. We fought our Independence War against Great Britain, but they are one of our best allies today. The opposite can happen too, which is the case for Turkey. Do you also still want to credit France for being allies in Afghanistan and WWII while opposing Iraq War with Turkey?
That's pretty convoluted. The truth is even simpler. Something like 90% of Turks opposed assisting the US in the war. No government is ever going to ignore numbers like that.
Where does this Chirac-Turkey deal come from? Never heard of it. It would be quite astonishing, if true...
Do you have any proof of this?
Here's an interesting interview:
"Founder and Chairman of Leading Turkish Think Tank: The U.S.-Turkish Strategic Partnership is Long Gone
In an interview in the Turkish business daily Referans on May 30, 2005, [1] Kemal Koprulu, Founder and Chairman of the ARI movement, a leading Turkish think tank, reviewed U.S.-Turkish relations. In the interview, Koprulu discusses the activity of the delegation of ARI representatives who visited the U.S. in April 25-30, 2005, and conducted a series of meetings in Washington with the White House, State Department, members of Congress, and the National Security Council, as well as many American NGOs and think tanks. According to Koprulu, the strategic partnership between Turkey and the U.S. is over, despite the Turkish government's claims to the contrary."
'snip'
"The Pentagon no longer plays a role in the relations with Turkey; it has transferred all matter of relations to the State Department. […] This means that whereas before there were five people in the Pentagon, five in the National Security Council, and five in the State Department who considered the relations with Turkey, now there are no more than five people [altogether]. That is because the U.S. has no strategic partnership with Turkey. This is the first fracture [in our relations].
"The second fracture took place in the attitude of various U.S. government institutions towards Turkey. Previously, the U.S. government – the Cabinet, Treasury, Pentagon, National Security Council, etc. – looked warmly to Turkey. Now there's a negative atmosphere in these institutions, especially in the Pentagon.
http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD91905
Bad news for Muslim Turkey and not a moment too soon...Turkey is wallowing in the hellhole they created on the bones of the millions of innocents they have butchered. Time to disintegrate coming soon.
Just my guess. Chirac was desperately working behind the scenes to keep Saddam in power, because of all his corrupt connections, and it was also about this time that he started talking up the idea of letting Turkey into the EU. Naturally I'm not privy to conversations between Chirac and the Generals, and they are not the type to leak easily.
Thanks for the answer Cicero. You know...You are one of the FReepers I really have appreciated gaining insights from. This site is in my mind unparalelled in gaining knowledge about current events.
Du, however, is full of all the crazy conspiracy theories that fit these enemy's of western civilication worldview.
Bush is in cahoots with the royal family in Saudi in a secrect plot with the Italian mobsters bla bla bla....
I think we should be careful before we approach FReerepublic, which is a truly inspirational website for conservatives everywhere, in the same way. Personally I don't buy your theory. Chirac is a typical French conceited vain idiot, but a secret deal about EU membership... Well, if you have any indications or proof....I guess what I am trying to say is that I have no problems with people stating their hunches. I believe that the "gut feeling" is more often right than wrong. But, when stating a charge a serious as you did, you should make sure to indicate that it is just a hunch....
Anyways, I just came home from a round at the bars, so I appologize beforehand if I said anything inappropriate.
Have a great weekend Cicero.
Thanks again for answering,
Euro.
I thought I had indicated that it was a hunch, but maybe I should have been clearer. Chirac's corrupt interests have been fairly thoroughly documented--his long-term relationship with Saddam, his visit to give Saddam the nuclear reactor, his connections with UN Oil-for-food, and his connections with Total-Fina-Elf.
It's obvious, too, that he was (at least until a couple of weeks ago) the key player when it came to admitting new countries to the EU.
What hasn't been shown is that he offered the Generals EU membership in return for their stringing us along on the Iraqi northern front. It's a logical deduction, and quite in character with the way he operates, but I haven't seen any direct evidence.
No offense. I agree that such things should be stated clearly.
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