ACMCU Opinion Pieces
Turkey's Powerplay: Bridging The West and the Middle East
Turkey's Powerplay: Bridging The West and the Middle East
Dec-1-08 11:34 am
By Ibrahim Kalin
(re-printed courtesy of OnFaith)
One of the most dramatic celebrations of Barack Obama's election as president took place neither in Obama's ancestral village Nyangoma Kogelo, Kenya nor in Chicago, Illinois but in the Turkish village of Cavustepe near the Turkish-Iranian border. The villagers sacrificed 44 sheep in honor of Mr. Obama as the 44th president of the United States. One villager said Obama represents hope not for only for Americans but for all people around the world. He was giving voice to a sentiment shared by millions outside the US.
Such an enthusiastic interest in global politics is a rare scene in any Turkish village. Compared to the global political adventures of the Ottoman Empire, the modern Turkish Republic has followed the consistent policy line of a small nation-state caught between tradition and modernity, between Europe and the Muslim world, and between an imperial past and a secular-nationalist present. The geo-political realities of Turkey's environment today, however, induce it to a new activism in the most volatile region of the world.
When the Cold War ended, Turkish policy circles were concerned that Turkey's strategic importance for the Western bloc would diminish. The international politics dynamics of the post-Cold War era proved to be the opposite. From the independence of the Turkic Republics of Central Asia to the first Gulf War, Turkey as a NATO member maintained and even increased its strategic value. With the American misadventures in the Middle East and Central Asia after 9/11, Turkey has found itself again in the middle of global power plays, regional rivalries and domestic concerns for stability. Renewing its bid to join the European Union, Turkey is willing to take risks in its region in a way that we haven't seen in a long time.
Turkey is seeking to optimize its policy options with neighboring countries on the one hand and the big power players on the other. Acting with a mix of cautious idealism and shrewd pragmatism, Turkey is diversifying its foreign policy and becoming more active in regional issues. Border security and integrity, energy dependence on Russia and Iran, the future course of events in Iraq and Afghanistan force it to invest more in the Middle East. Other immediate concerns include Iran's nuclear ambitions, Syria's gradual acceptance into the political process, the Palestine issue and relations with Israel.
Currently, Turkey is facilitating Syrian-Israeli talks, which were initially opposed fiercely by some Washingtonians, and waiting for an opportunity to take a part in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Before coming to the recent G-20 meeting, The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to facilitate talks between Iran and the US - his first open message to President-elect Barack Obama. Turkey made similar gestures towards Russia in its ill-advised adventure in the south Caucasus. There might be a breakthrough in the Turkish-Armenian relations after the visit of President Abdullah Gul to Yerevan back in September. More is coming: Turkey is opening ten new embassies in Africa to raise its profile in the continent.
Much of the current foreign policy is dictated by geo-political and economic imperatives, not by the so-called Islamic credentials or Islamist agenda of the AK Party. Turkey is capitalizing on opportunities presented by a globalized world of multiple and shifting centers of power. In all of these engagements, Turkey seems to be trying to balance its position as a traditional ally of the West with its rising profile in the Middle East, Caucasus and Africa While. Turkey's bid for full membership in the EU is partly tuned to overcoming the military-bureaucratic establishment of the Turkish state rather than charting a new foreign policy. Yet the domestic impetus provided by the EU process increases AK Party Government's capacity to take risks beyond the traditional nation-state borders of the Turkish Republic. The EU process, fully energized until a few years ago, has stalled because of the deadlock over Cyprus and the "membership fatigue" of the ruling AK Party. Nevertheless, Turkey is structurally and economically moving closer to the status of an EU country. With a young and dynamic population of 70 million and a relatively strong economy (the 17th largest in the world and the 6th in Europe), Turkey is poised to assert itself as a new player in the region. A sign of this is Turkey's recent election into the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member, a position Turkey held more than fifty years ago.
As the Obama administration takes over, this new Turkish profile is to be taken seriously. From Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East peace process to energy security and international terrorism, Turkish-American relations are only to gain further significance in the years to come. Turkey's increasing profile in its region could prove vital to diffuse tensions between the West and the Muslim world and the US-Islamic world relations in particular. But this requires one essential rule of engagement: listening attentively and giving more breathing space to the key players in the region.
Dr. Ibrahim Kalin is an Assistant Professor at the Prince Alwaleed Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Dr. Kalin has published widely on Islamic philosophy and the relations between Islam and the West.
(re-printed courtesy of OnFaith)
One of the most dramatic celebrations of Barack Obama's election as president took place neither in Obama's ancestral village Nyangoma Kogelo, Kenya nor in Chicago, Illinois but in the Turkish village of Cavustepe near the Turkish-Iranian border. The villagers sacrificed 44 sheep in honor of Mr. Obama as the 44th president of the United States. One villager said Obama represents hope not for only for Americans but for all people around the world. He was giving voice to a sentiment shared by millions outside the US.
Such an enthusiastic interest in global politics is a rare scene in any Turkish village. Compared to the global political adventures of the Ottoman Empire, the modern Turkish Republic has followed the consistent policy line of a small nation-state caught between tradition and modernity, between Europe and the Muslim world, and between an imperial past and a secular-nationalist present. The geo-political realities of Turkey's environment today, however, induce it to a new activism in the most volatile region of the world.
When the Cold War ended, Turkish policy circles were concerned that Turkey's strategic importance for the Western bloc would diminish. The international politics dynamics of the post-Cold War era proved to be the opposite. From the independence of the Turkic Republics of Central Asia to the first Gulf War, Turkey as a NATO member maintained and even increased its strategic value. With the American misadventures in the Middle East and Central Asia after 9/11, Turkey has found itself again in the middle of global power plays, regional rivalries and domestic concerns for stability. Renewing its bid to join the European Union, Turkey is willing to take risks in its region in a way that we haven't seen in a long time.
Turkey is seeking to optimize its policy options with neighboring countries on the one hand and the big power players on the other. Acting with a mix of cautious idealism and shrewd pragmatism, Turkey is diversifying its foreign policy and becoming more active in regional issues. Border security and integrity, energy dependence on Russia and Iran, the future course of events in Iraq and Afghanistan force it to invest more in the Middle East. Other immediate concerns include Iran's nuclear ambitions, Syria's gradual acceptance into the political process, the Palestine issue and relations with Israel.
Currently, Turkey is facilitating Syrian-Israeli talks, which were initially opposed fiercely by some Washingtonians, and waiting for an opportunity to take a part in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Before coming to the recent G-20 meeting, The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to facilitate talks between Iran and the US - his first open message to President-elect Barack Obama. Turkey made similar gestures towards Russia in its ill-advised adventure in the south Caucasus. There might be a breakthrough in the Turkish-Armenian relations after the visit of President Abdullah Gul to Yerevan back in September. More is coming: Turkey is opening ten new embassies in Africa to raise its profile in the continent.
Much of the current foreign policy is dictated by geo-political and economic imperatives, not by the so-called Islamic credentials or Islamist agenda of the AK Party. Turkey is capitalizing on opportunities presented by a globalized world of multiple and shifting centers of power. In all of these engagements, Turkey seems to be trying to balance its position as a traditional ally of the West with its rising profile in the Middle East, Caucasus and Africa While. Turkey's bid for full membership in the EU is partly tuned to overcoming the military-bureaucratic establishment of the Turkish state rather than charting a new foreign policy. Yet the domestic impetus provided by the EU process increases AK Party Government's capacity to take risks beyond the traditional nation-state borders of the Turkish Republic. The EU process, fully energized until a few years ago, has stalled because of the deadlock over Cyprus and the "membership fatigue" of the ruling AK Party. Nevertheless, Turkey is structurally and economically moving closer to the status of an EU country. With a young and dynamic population of 70 million and a relatively strong economy (the 17th largest in the world and the 6th in Europe), Turkey is poised to assert itself as a new player in the region. A sign of this is Turkey's recent election into the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member, a position Turkey held more than fifty years ago.
As the Obama administration takes over, this new Turkish profile is to be taken seriously. From Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East peace process to energy security and international terrorism, Turkish-American relations are only to gain further significance in the years to come. Turkey's increasing profile in its region could prove vital to diffuse tensions between the West and the Muslim world and the US-Islamic world relations in particular. But this requires one essential rule of engagement: listening attentively and giving more breathing space to the key players in the region.
Dr. Ibrahim Kalin is an Assistant Professor at the Prince Alwaleed Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Dr. Kalin has published widely on Islamic philosophy and the relations between Islam and the West.