In the last few weeks, the international media have given wide coverage to Turkey's foreign policy in the wake of a crisis with Israel over Gaza and increasing cooperation with neighboring Iran, accused by the West of harboring aspirations to develop nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Tehran last week has been interpreted as an additional factor strengthening the idea that Ankara may be slowly turning its back on its Western allies and seeking to regain its status as a regional power in the Middle East.
The fact that Erdoğan's visit to Iran came two weeks after Turkey barred Israel from a NATO exercise -- a decision that angered Israel -- has further prompted such analysis.
Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel have suffered since Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter, in which Erdoğan accused Israel of committing crimes against humanity, killing more than 1,300 Palestinians.
Gül : Turkey’s bid a matter of ‘credibility’ for EU Turkey’s status concerning its relations with the European Union is currently further than a so-called “privileged partnership” status, particularly due to a customs union agreement between Ankara and Brussels which has been in force since 1995, President Abdullah Gül said on Monday during an official visit to Bratislava. Speaking at a joint press conference following his talks with Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic, Gül was asked to what extent a privileged partnership idea was acceptable for Turkey with regards to its relationship with the EU. “There is no such thing as limited membership within the EU. Turkey started full membership negotiations with a unanimous decision [by the European Council] and is determined to conclude the negotiation process,” Gül said, noting that Turkey expected all EU member states to act in line with the principle of pacta sunt servanda -- a principle of international law which means in Latin that agreements must be kept. This is a matter of credibility both for the EU and the member states, he added. Turkey has been a “limited” member of the EU since the 1995 customs union agreement, Gül said, adding: “We have been in the negotiating process to become a full member. I want to remind those countries which explicitly or implicitly express discourses such as limited membership of the fact that Turkey is at a much further point than that status.” |
President Gül, speaking to reporters on Sunday night aboard a flight to Bratislava, where he paid an official visit Monday, first of all noted that he has been closely following the international media. Some of those articles which claim the presence of a shift in Turkey’s foreign policy orientation have been impaired by ignorance, while the reason behind some of the other articles is solely jealousy towards Turkey, Gül said, noting, however, that he believed that some of the articles were penned with sincere concerns.
“Those who are sincere are pointing out the lack of vision by the EU side. They are saying that an EU which doesn’t have a strategic view is not able to consider Turkey’s value. Those sincere critics are actually meaning to warn the EU,” Gül said, in an apparent reference to articles suggesting that the EU’s inconstant approach towards Turkey has been pushing the candidate country towards the East.
For those articles which he said were written out of jealousy, Gül said: “They have so far manipulated Turkey very comfortably. But now, in a way which they are not used to, Turkey has been conducting a careful and influential foreign policy. They also see that this [policy] has been responded to with respect by everybody. They see that Turkey is a shining star and that the zones of influence have been shifting towards Turkey. That’s why they are annoyed.”
Speaking of articles which he said were based on ignorance and lack of information, Gül accused authors of such articles of not appropriately following issues in Turkey.
“There is a constantly rising trend of democracy, human rights and economic growth in Turkey. What matters are these values, no matter where that country is, either in the East or in the West. They are proceeding with their habits and writing ‘easy articles’ without any follow-up. None of them are valid.”
‘Playing with nuclear energy dangerous’
According to Gül, Turkey’s policy regarding the possession of nuclear energy is clear as it is against all nuclear weapons. Yet, the president also highlighted the need for handling the issue of Iran’s controversial nuclear program through diplomacy.
 Abdullah Gül and his wife signed the memorial book at the presidential palace in Slovakia after being formally greeted by his counterpart, Ivan Gasparovich. |
“Playing with nukes is dangerous,” Gül said, in an apparent message to neighboring Iran, as he cited the situation of Iraq ruled by Saddam Hussein as an example.
“Iran is a member of the atomic energy agency [the International Atomic Energy Authority, IAEA] and is taking advantage of the agency. It should be open to inspections from the agency with full transparency. There are doubts about this, and Iran should remove these doubts. Iraq had neither nuclear weapons nor chemical weapons. But Saddam pretended to have nuclear weapons. Didn’t those who bombed Iraq know this fact? They knew, but they also played by using it as an excuse for themselves. That’s why playing with nukes is dangerous.”
Gül also touched upon bilateral relations between Israel and Turkey, the substance of which he said is “strong.”
“Relations should be strong so that their contribution to the peace process can go on. This doesn’t mean that we will ignore unfairness and wrongdoing,” he added.
‘Turkey’s EU accession a gift to global peace’
Reiterating that the EU lacks vision, Gül said: “If it continues in the same way, 10 years from now, nobody will heed the EU. The EU is gradually moving away from being a global player.”
On the other hand, if Turkey maintains its current trend, in 10 years it will reach a strength that could not have been imagined by anybody, Gül said, underlining the significance of Turkey’s “soft power.”
“Turkey’s EU membership is the biggest gift to global peace,” Gül said. “I told [French President Nicolas] Sarkozy, ‘You’re not aware of the EU’s power,’” he continued, explaining how he told EU leaders: “If the negotiation process is successfully finalized, then the French and the Austrians will cast their votes in referenda, and whether you like the Turkey of that time or not, you may either say ‘yes,’ or ‘no’ on that day. Maybe on that day Turkey will say, ‘No, I will proceed down my own path’ or ‘I will be like Norway’,” Gül said, referring to the fact that the Norwegians refused to join the EU in a 1994 referendum.
“We shouldn’t lose our concentration, and we should continue with determination to raise all of our standards,” he said.
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