Lankan Ranger
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Turkey & US begin to enjoy warm ties
Despite the ups and downs in relations between the two NATO allies, both Turkey and the US have always needed to cooperate on issues related to problems occurring in Turkeys environs in particular. Turkeys location next to the Middle East, the Balkans and Russia as well as Central Asia has stood as an important factor in making Turkish-US relations indispensable.
Having close allies in those regions has been crucial in advancing US national interests since Washington is still the only world power intervening in conflicts elsewhere in the world, from Afghanistan to Turkeys neighbor, Iraq.
But a shift in Turkish foreign policy in the past several years, from a policy based on reacting to events whenever they take place to one based on proactive policies concerned with taking initiatives, at the beginning irked the US. Washingtons concern stemmed from fears that Turkey, under the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), having stronger Islamic traditions in this staunchly secular nation, would look to the East and turn its back to the West.
I myself have never believed that the AK Party, which initiated major democratic reforms and enabled the now stalled accession negotiations in 2005 for full membership in the European Union, would move away from the West. Turkeys pursuit of a more independent policy in the past decade that has sometimes contrasted with its Western allies has stemmed mostly from an increased awareness of safeguarding Turkish national interests in the region.
Turkeys policy of having closer political and economic dialogue with Iran, for example, has been based on pragmatism, rather than the fact that both nations are majorly Muslim despite belonging to different sects of Islam, i.e., Turkey being Sunni and Iran being Shiite. Nevertheless, Shiite Irans policy of influencing Shiite-dominated segments of the Middle East has always been perceived as a threat for Ankara.
The US was further frustrated in June 2010 when Turkey voted against imposing UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
But Turkeys recent decision to host US-backed NATO missile defense system radar has come as a relief for the Western alliance in general and for the US in particular. If Turkey had refused to take part in the missile shield project, relations with the US could have reached a sticking point. By agreeing to host the early warning radar system, Turkey did away with concerns that it would be NATOs weakest link.
Independent from easing the concern of its NATO allies by accepting to host the radar on its soil, Turkey has also safeguarded its own national interests. This is because neighboring Irans development of nuclear arms is not an acceptable scenario and stands as an important priority issue with regard to Turkeys major national interests.
As far as I understand, in return for Turkey agreeing to host the early warning radar, among other things, the US administration appears to have convinced congress, which is irritated by Turkeys strained ties with its once close strategic partner Israel, about selling weapons to Turkey, which it urgently needs in its fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its intensified violence.
After holding Turkeys request for the transfer of arms systems on the table for several years, the Obama administration notified the US Congress last week of the potential sale of three US Marine Corps (USMC) AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters to Turkey.
Turkey has a shortage in its SuperCobra fleet, as it is believed that it now only has six SuperCobras, following the crash of the other four during various missions.
Turkeys active engagement in the region has also made Ankara an increasingly influential US ally in the Middle East. This has been serving to safeguard US interests in this now chaotic and uncertain region where the oppressed citizens have begun either toppling their leaders, such as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was brutally killed recently by his opponents, or forcing them to leave office, such as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who refuses to leave. Turkey has been an outspoken critic of President Assads bloody crackdown on protests in neighboring Syria.
As a matter of fact, Turkey and the US have engaged in a deeper dialogue since the outbreak of protests in parts of North Africa and the Middle East that began in March of this year.
Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz stated that a new situation was emerging in Turkish-US ties and described this as both countries beginning to rediscover each other.
From now on, both countries agreed to consult and inform each other on every issue. In order to prevent a power vacuum from emerging once the US withdraws from Iraq [at the end of December], the US will consult Turkey on every step that it takes, Yılmaz told the media in Washington on Tuesday where he is attending the annual American-Turkish Council (ATC) meeting, which brought together senior Turkish and American officials.
Apparently, the USs possible transfer of SuperCobra attack helicopters after putting on hold Turkeys request for several years pleased Turkey extremely, which is understood to have prompted the Turkish defense minister to hail relations between Washington and Ankara.
According to Yılmaz, Turkish-US relations are unique.
For Turkish-US relations to become unique, however, Ankara should also mend its ties with its former strategic partner Israel. The US once again emphasized this condition in a recent remark made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Speaking at the ATC meeting on Monday, Clinton said Turkey must do more to cement democratic gains and smooth prickly ties with its neighbors such as Israel, if it is to emerge as a guarantor of Middle Eastern stability. Israels killing last year of nine Turks aboard a Gaza-bound activist ship has brought ties between Turkey and Israel to a historic low.
As Clinton reminded both Turkish and American participants of the ATC in her address, Turkeys ability to realize its full potential depends also on its resolve to strengthen democracy at home, where the state of human rights and freedom of expression requires serious improvement.
Turkey and US begin to enjoy warm ties
Despite the ups and downs in relations between the two NATO allies, both Turkey and the US have always needed to cooperate on issues related to problems occurring in Turkeys environs in particular. Turkeys location next to the Middle East, the Balkans and Russia as well as Central Asia has stood as an important factor in making Turkish-US relations indispensable.
Having close allies in those regions has been crucial in advancing US national interests since Washington is still the only world power intervening in conflicts elsewhere in the world, from Afghanistan to Turkeys neighbor, Iraq.
But a shift in Turkish foreign policy in the past several years, from a policy based on reacting to events whenever they take place to one based on proactive policies concerned with taking initiatives, at the beginning irked the US. Washingtons concern stemmed from fears that Turkey, under the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), having stronger Islamic traditions in this staunchly secular nation, would look to the East and turn its back to the West.
I myself have never believed that the AK Party, which initiated major democratic reforms and enabled the now stalled accession negotiations in 2005 for full membership in the European Union, would move away from the West. Turkeys pursuit of a more independent policy in the past decade that has sometimes contrasted with its Western allies has stemmed mostly from an increased awareness of safeguarding Turkish national interests in the region.
Turkeys policy of having closer political and economic dialogue with Iran, for example, has been based on pragmatism, rather than the fact that both nations are majorly Muslim despite belonging to different sects of Islam, i.e., Turkey being Sunni and Iran being Shiite. Nevertheless, Shiite Irans policy of influencing Shiite-dominated segments of the Middle East has always been perceived as a threat for Ankara.
The US was further frustrated in June 2010 when Turkey voted against imposing UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.
But Turkeys recent decision to host US-backed NATO missile defense system radar has come as a relief for the Western alliance in general and for the US in particular. If Turkey had refused to take part in the missile shield project, relations with the US could have reached a sticking point. By agreeing to host the early warning radar system, Turkey did away with concerns that it would be NATOs weakest link.
Independent from easing the concern of its NATO allies by accepting to host the radar on its soil, Turkey has also safeguarded its own national interests. This is because neighboring Irans development of nuclear arms is not an acceptable scenario and stands as an important priority issue with regard to Turkeys major national interests.
As far as I understand, in return for Turkey agreeing to host the early warning radar, among other things, the US administration appears to have convinced congress, which is irritated by Turkeys strained ties with its once close strategic partner Israel, about selling weapons to Turkey, which it urgently needs in its fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and its intensified violence.
After holding Turkeys request for the transfer of arms systems on the table for several years, the Obama administration notified the US Congress last week of the potential sale of three US Marine Corps (USMC) AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters to Turkey.
Turkey has a shortage in its SuperCobra fleet, as it is believed that it now only has six SuperCobras, following the crash of the other four during various missions.
Turkeys active engagement in the region has also made Ankara an increasingly influential US ally in the Middle East. This has been serving to safeguard US interests in this now chaotic and uncertain region where the oppressed citizens have begun either toppling their leaders, such as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was brutally killed recently by his opponents, or forcing them to leave office, such as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who refuses to leave. Turkey has been an outspoken critic of President Assads bloody crackdown on protests in neighboring Syria.
As a matter of fact, Turkey and the US have engaged in a deeper dialogue since the outbreak of protests in parts of North Africa and the Middle East that began in March of this year.
Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz stated that a new situation was emerging in Turkish-US ties and described this as both countries beginning to rediscover each other.
From now on, both countries agreed to consult and inform each other on every issue. In order to prevent a power vacuum from emerging once the US withdraws from Iraq [at the end of December], the US will consult Turkey on every step that it takes, Yılmaz told the media in Washington on Tuesday where he is attending the annual American-Turkish Council (ATC) meeting, which brought together senior Turkish and American officials.
Apparently, the USs possible transfer of SuperCobra attack helicopters after putting on hold Turkeys request for several years pleased Turkey extremely, which is understood to have prompted the Turkish defense minister to hail relations between Washington and Ankara.
According to Yılmaz, Turkish-US relations are unique.
For Turkish-US relations to become unique, however, Ankara should also mend its ties with its former strategic partner Israel. The US once again emphasized this condition in a recent remark made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Speaking at the ATC meeting on Monday, Clinton said Turkey must do more to cement democratic gains and smooth prickly ties with its neighbors such as Israel, if it is to emerge as a guarantor of Middle Eastern stability. Israels killing last year of nine Turks aboard a Gaza-bound activist ship has brought ties between Turkey and Israel to a historic low.
As Clinton reminded both Turkish and American participants of the ATC in her address, Turkeys ability to realize its full potential depends also on its resolve to strengthen democracy at home, where the state of human rights and freedom of expression requires serious improvement.
Turkey and US begin to enjoy warm ties
