President Obama's visit to Turkey
M. Orhan Tarhan
April 15, 2009
President Obama visited Turkey at the end of his visits to a number of European countries. His popularity among Turks was 52 % , a huge improvement over 12 % popularity of America at the period of President George W. Bush. President Obama made an important speech at the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the Turkish parliament, and wrote a note on the book of Ataturk´s Mausoleum. His purposes in coming to Turkey can be determined from an analysis of these two documents.
Such documents are revealing in two ways: Not only from what they say, but also from what they do not say. This article will be interested only in his ideas concerning Turkey. His approach to the Islamic World in general will be left outside the subject of this article
Let us start with things he chose to say.. He talked very diplomatically. He talked on things that he is interested in, and left the rest out. Before a majority of religious "deputies" (Congressmen) he defined Turkey as a "Staunchly Secular Republic" and strongly emphasized Ataturk´s principles.
He said that he came to Turkey to renew our alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people. Of course we all know that that was a must after the Bush years.
The U.S will support Turkey´s central role as an East-West corridor for oil and natural gas.
The United States supports Turkey´s bid to become a EU member. Unfortunately, this action had a negative reaction from France : They said that they will decide on that subject, not the United States..
Based on Freedom of religion, he asked that the Heybeli Ada Seminary be permitted.
He said that the U.S. was supporting the Cyprus solution of bi-zonal, bi-communal Federation that is acceptable to Northern Cyprus and to Turkey.
He said that the U.S. is appreciating what Turkey did in the Middle East to bring Israel and Syria together and in Turkey to have accepted Kurdish Culture.
He said that : "There is no excuse for terror against any nation." And "I pledge that you will have our support against the terrorist activities of the PKK or anyone else. These efforts will be strengthened by the continuing work to build ties of cooperation between Turkey, the Iraqi government, and Iraq´s Kurdish leaders, and by your continued efforts to promote education and opportunity and democracy for the Kurdish population here inside Turkey". Here, it was not very clear what U.S. supports would consist of. The ethnic Kurds always did have equal opportunity and democracy with the majority Turks. There ware many congressmen, one prime minister, many generals and one president who happened to be a Kurd.
President Obama finally said that "the United States strongly supports the full normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia." Of course, although it is very desirable that Turkey has fully normal relations with all its neighbors, this would mess up its relations with Azerbaijan, as long and Armenia continues to occupy a sizable part of that Turkic country, It will also cause difficulties in important energy transfer projects. These difficulties with Azerbaijan have already surfaced. Armenia is important for the United States, because of the sizable vote of Armenians. Azerbaijan is important for Turkey, because it is a Turkic republic and an oil and gas source.
Let us now review things he did not say: He did not mention the "Greater Middle East Project and did not call Turkey a "Moderate Islamic Republic", a name invented by the Bush Administration, a name that was absolutely against the Turkish constitution. Asli Aydintasbas writing in New York Times (4-7-2009) says that "That description (Moderate Islamic Republic) may sound like a compliment to American ears. But in Turkey, it is an outright insult." Then he adds "Paradoxically, Islamic fundamentalists also hate the term ´Moderate Islam´, assuming that it implies a watered-down version of religion". No wonder, the popularity of the U.S. was down to 12 %.
And another word that he did not pronounce was "genocide". For a man who came to Turkey for repairing relation after the Bush years, it would have been not very intelligent by starting to irritate his hosts. He would not have achieved anything. But President Obama was wise enough to prefer the interest of the United States to the Armenian vote.
Altemur Kilic, in Alanya, Turkey, tries to see President Obama´s visit in historical perspective. The West´s strategy to divide and weaken the Ottoman Empire was best expressed in the Sevres Treaty that was never implemented thanks to the National movement started by Ataturk and by the founding of the Republic of Turkey. The West always tried to stir the Kurds , and protect the Armenians. It accepted their one-sided story of events in 1915. President Obama is still continuing that policy. It is normal that he should continue basic American strategy along the lines of American interests. It is up to Turkish leaders to defend also the interests of Turkey. Kilic was not sure, the AKP government was understanding that.
In Conclusion, we are thankful to President Obama for strongly supporting Ataturk´s Laic (Secular) Republic and to have tried to mend relations with Turkey in general.
Such documents are revealing in two ways: Not only from what they say, but also from what they do not say. This article will be interested only in his ideas concerning Turkey. His approach to the Islamic World in general will be left outside the subject of this article
Let us start with things he chose to say.. He talked very diplomatically. He talked on things that he is interested in, and left the rest out. Before a majority of religious "deputies" (Congressmen) he defined Turkey as a "Staunchly Secular Republic" and strongly emphasized Ataturk´s principles.
He said that he came to Turkey to renew our alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people. Of course we all know that that was a must after the Bush years.
The U.S will support Turkey´s central role as an East-West corridor for oil and natural gas.
The United States supports Turkey´s bid to become a EU member. Unfortunately, this action had a negative reaction from France : They said that they will decide on that subject, not the United States..
Based on Freedom of religion, he asked that the Heybeli Ada Seminary be permitted.
He said that the U.S. was supporting the Cyprus solution of bi-zonal, bi-communal Federation that is acceptable to Northern Cyprus and to Turkey.
He said that the U.S. is appreciating what Turkey did in the Middle East to bring Israel and Syria together and in Turkey to have accepted Kurdish Culture.
He said that : "There is no excuse for terror against any nation." And "I pledge that you will have our support against the terrorist activities of the PKK or anyone else. These efforts will be strengthened by the continuing work to build ties of cooperation between Turkey, the Iraqi government, and Iraq´s Kurdish leaders, and by your continued efforts to promote education and opportunity and democracy for the Kurdish population here inside Turkey". Here, it was not very clear what U.S. supports would consist of. The ethnic Kurds always did have equal opportunity and democracy with the majority Turks. There ware many congressmen, one prime minister, many generals and one president who happened to be a Kurd.
President Obama finally said that "the United States strongly supports the full normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia." Of course, although it is very desirable that Turkey has fully normal relations with all its neighbors, this would mess up its relations with Azerbaijan, as long and Armenia continues to occupy a sizable part of that Turkic country, It will also cause difficulties in important energy transfer projects. These difficulties with Azerbaijan have already surfaced. Armenia is important for the United States, because of the sizable vote of Armenians. Azerbaijan is important for Turkey, because it is a Turkic republic and an oil and gas source.
Let us now review things he did not say: He did not mention the "Greater Middle East Project and did not call Turkey a "Moderate Islamic Republic", a name invented by the Bush Administration, a name that was absolutely against the Turkish constitution. Asli Aydintasbas writing in New York Times (4-7-2009) says that "That description (Moderate Islamic Republic) may sound like a compliment to American ears. But in Turkey, it is an outright insult." Then he adds "Paradoxically, Islamic fundamentalists also hate the term ´Moderate Islam´, assuming that it implies a watered-down version of religion". No wonder, the popularity of the U.S. was down to 12 %.
And another word that he did not pronounce was "genocide". For a man who came to Turkey for repairing relation after the Bush years, it would have been not very intelligent by starting to irritate his hosts. He would not have achieved anything. But President Obama was wise enough to prefer the interest of the United States to the Armenian vote.
Altemur Kilic, in Alanya, Turkey, tries to see President Obama´s visit in historical perspective. The West´s strategy to divide and weaken the Ottoman Empire was best expressed in the Sevres Treaty that was never implemented thanks to the National movement started by Ataturk and by the founding of the Republic of Turkey. The West always tried to stir the Kurds , and protect the Armenians. It accepted their one-sided story of events in 1915. President Obama is still continuing that policy. It is normal that he should continue basic American strategy along the lines of American interests. It is up to Turkish leaders to defend also the interests of Turkey. Kilic was not sure, the AKP government was understanding that.
In Conclusion, we are thankful to President Obama for strongly supporting Ataturk´s Laic (Secular) Republic and to have tried to mend relations with Turkey in general.
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