Turkey’s Gain Is Iran’s Loss

Turkey’s Gain Is Iran’s Loss

By ELLIOT HEN-TOV and BERNARD HAYKEL
Published: June 18, 2010

Princeton, N.J.

SINCE Israel’s deadly raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara last month, it’s been assumed that Iran would be the major beneficiary of the wave of global anti-Israeli sentiment. But things seem to be playing out much differently: Iran paradoxically stands to lose much influence as Turkey assumes a surprising new role as the modern, democratic and internationally respected nation willing to take on Israel and oppose America.

While many Americans may feel betrayed by the behavior of their longtime allies in Ankara, Washington actually stands to gain indirectly if a newly muscular Turkey can adopt a leadership role in the Sunni Arab world, which has been eagerly looking for a better advocate of its causes than Shiite, authoritarian Iran or the inept and flaccid Arab regimes of the Persian Gulf.

Turkey’s Islamist government has distilled every last bit of political benefit from the flotilla crisis, domestically and internationally. And if the Gaza blockade is abandoned or loosened, it will be easily portrayed as a victory for Turkish engagement on behalf of the Palestinians. Thus the fiery rhetoric of Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeals not only to his domestic constituency, but also to the broader Islamic world. It is also an attempt to redress what many in the Arab and Muslim worlds see as a historic imbalance in Turkey’s foreign policy in favor of Israel. Without having to match his words with action, Mr. Erdogan has amassed credentials to be the leading supporter of the Palestinian cause.

While most in the West seem to have overlooked this dynamic, Tehran has not. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used a regional summit meeting in Istanbul this month to deliver an inflammatory anti-Israel speech, yet it went virtually unnoticed among the chorus of international condemnations of Israel’s act. On June 12 Iran dispatched its own aid flotilla bound for Gaza, and offered to provide an escort by its Revolutionary Guards for other ships breaking the blockade.

Yet Hamas publicly rejected Iran’s escort proposal, and a new poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 43 percent of Palestinians ranked Turkey as their No. 1 foreign supporter, as opposed to just 6 percent for Iran.

Turkey has a strong hand here. Many leading Arab intellectuals have fretted over being caught between Iran’s revolutionary Shiism and Saudi Arabia’s austere and politically ineffectual Wahhabism. They now hope that a more liberal and enlightened Turkish Sunni Islam — reminiscent of past Ottoman glory — can lead the Arab world out of its mire.

You can get a sense of just how attractive Turkey’s leadership is among the Arab masses by reading the flood of recent negative articles about Ankara in the government-owned newspapers of the Arab states. This coverage impugns Mr. Erdogan’s motives, claiming he is latching on to the Palestinian issue because he is weak domestically, and dismisses Turkey’s ability to bring leadership to this quintessential “Arab cause.” They reek of panic over a new rival.

Turkey also gained from its failed effort, alongside Brazil, to hammer out a new deal on Iran’s nuclear program. The Muslim world appreciated Turkey’s standing up to the United States, and in the end Iran ended up with nothing but more United Nations sanctions.

In taking hold of the Palestinian card, Prime Minister Erdogan has potentially positioned Turkey as the central interlocutor between the Islamic/Arab world and Israel and the West, and been rewarded with tumultuous demonstrations lauding him in Ankara and Istanbul. Meanwhile, the streets of Tehran have been notably silent, with Mr. Ahmadinejad’s regime worried about public unrest during the one-year anniversary of last summer’s fraudulent elections.

Prime Minister Erdogan has many qualities that will help him gain the confidence of the Arab masses. He is not only a devout Sunni, but also the democratically elected leader of a dynamic and modern Muslim country with membership in the G-20 and NATO. His nation is already a major tourist and investment destination for Arabs, and the Middle East has long been flooded with Turkish products, from agriculture to TV programming.

With Turkey capturing the hearts, minds and wallets of Arabs, Iran will increasingly find it harder to carry out its agenda of destabilizing the region and the globe. For Americans, it may be hard to see the blessings in a rift with a longtime ally. But even if Turkey’s interests no longer fully align with ours, there is much to be gained from a Westernized, prosperous and democratic nation becoming the standard-bearer of the Islamic world.

Elliot Hen-Tov is a doctoral candidate and Bernard Haykel a professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton.

http://www.nytimes.com

Read more...

Literature:Elif Şafak, Turkey’s most-read woman novelist

Literature:Elif Şafak, Turkey’s most-read woman novelist

Elif Safak @ Yahoo! Video

Elif Şafak is Turkey’s most popular female writer. She has also gained fame abroad, not only for her literary accomplishments but also because of the lawsuit brought against her in Turkey because, in one of her novels she refers to the mass killings of Armenians in 1915; that is in The Bastard of Istanbul. The suit was dropped. Euronews met up with Şafak in Lyon, France, where she was attending a book festival. We asked her about her impressions of Europe, her writing and culture.

euronews: Elif Şafak, welcome to euronews.

Elif Şafak: Thank you.

euronews: Why are you so in favour of European Union membership for Turkey?

Elif Şafak: Europe needs Turkey, too. We all face the same dilemma. What kind of world, what kind of future do we all want? Europe has to ask itself this question too. Do we want to live in a world where everybody looks like each other, thinks in the same way and dresses in the same way? Or do we believe in the energy and synergy that people from different backgrounds and cultures may create in coming together around common values, while also accepting the differences? In this regard I believe Turkey may contribute a great deal to Europe, with its very dynamic and young population and its very rich culture.

euronews: What will both sides gain from such a coming together?

Elif Şafak: If you talked to a politician, you would probably get different answers. The language of politics is different. ‘We’ and ‘they’, ‘I’ and ‘other’ are the main players in politics. Politicians always create and need an ‘other’. But writers and artists can not. There is no ‘other’ for me. As a writer, I must be able to build bridges between myself and others. No culture can prosper by isolating itself from others. Different entities must be able to come together and create something beautiful together for cultures to increase their prosperity.

euronews: Do you think Turkey is culturally ready for that sort of coming together with the West?

Elif Şafak: Certainly. Turkey is a European country. But of course this doesn’t mean it’s like Norway, for instance. Turkey is a country of great synthesis. It has colours from its Ottoman, İslamic and eastern past. But at the same time it’s a country which western culture has enriched. This is a great synthesis in itself. I believe that the polarization which took place after 9/11 did not do the world any good. There has been so much talk about the so-called differences between us and others, İslam and western democracy. There are people who believe in ‘the clash of civilizations’. But there is no such thing. The meeting of cultures is a far bigger reality. The spirit of our time tells us so.

euronews: What do you think of those who see Europe as a Christian club?

Elif Şafak: There are various tendencies in Europe itself. Europe does not have only one voice. And besides that it has a very large Muslim population within it. It keeps taking in immigrants, which shows it is cosmopolitan. That is why I believe Europe has the power to digest all these differences. We should not disregard this point. I don’t think that a Europe of only one colour and one voice will do any good to Europeans.

euronews: We have been witnessing a political transformation in Turkey. As a writer, do you also see a transformation of outlook?

Elif Şafak: There is an incredible dynamism in Turkey. Writing and reading novels is the writer’s job. Most readers of novels in Turkey are women. They are the ones who keep the literature world in Turkey alive. Europe is not all that aware of this dynamism, and I find it very ironic that we do not
know each other well enough, even though we are so close geographically, and so interrelated. How well do the Germans know the Turks or the French? How well do we know them? We should be able to move beyond cliches.

euronews: What’s the role of literature in this?

Elif Şafak: I believe that literature should take no sides. It should not alienate masses but make them meet. That’s why I say the mission of a writer is not to push people aside but to build bridges. This is especially so in story telling. Stories are so universal and human that they require no visa or passport; they travel constantly around the world. Because empathy is the essence of story telling.

euronews: Your latest novel, ‘The Forty Rules of Love’, which tells a love story in the light of Sufism, has been a big success both in Turkey and abroad. Why? Do you think people are hungry for this kind of love that goes hand in hand with spirituality?

Elif Şafak: We try to understand what comes next, after this life. We try to make sense of life, death and love, and the coming together of lovers. They are universal issues. Sufism is well-known but not as well as it should be. I tried to approach the concept of love from different angles. I looked at it a bit from the East and a bit from the West. I looked at it in today’s world and I went back to the thirteenth century. I tried to look at love in both its material and spiritual dimensions. I tried to make them all meet in the novel.

euronews: You once said ‘East and West are illusional concepts we created in our minds’. Meaning what, exactly?

Elif Şafak: If you perceive the world just as a political map, you can draw boundaries very easily. But if we perceive the world from a humanistic and
cultural viewpoint, how can we draw boundaries?Everything is so connected! We should see this. everybody’s stories are interrelated, especially after 9/11. Our fates became interrelated. Unhappiness in Pakistan affects happiness in Canada. A financial crisis in America depresses people in Russia or China. We are living in world where everything lives in everything else’s embrace. This has
always been so, but we have just realized it.

euronews: You write your novels both in Turkish and English. Are you the same Elif Safak in both languages or do you change when you change language?

Elif Şafak: I write in English because I like travelling between languages, cultures and cities. When I write in English, my mindset is mathematical. But I have an emotional connection with my writing in Turkish. When changing languages we enter the labyrinths of other languages. We start talking with the rules, with the melody of the new language. I mean that we are not master of the language; it is the language that shapes US, our imagination and our mindset. So, yes, one does change when the language one is using changes. Thinking, daydreaming and even dreaming in more than one language contribute to who we are. We live in an age of constant mobility, of nomadism. That is the reality of our time.

euronews: Elif Şafak, thank you.
Elif Şafak: I thank you,too. 09.25

Copyright © 2010 euronews

Read more...

Are regional issues splitting US and Turkey ?

By Kim Ghattas
BBC News, Washington The US refusal to condemn the Israeli raid on the Gaza ships angered Turks

It's been a difficult few weeks for US-Turkish relations.

First there was the nuclear deal with Iran mediated by Turkey and Brazil last month. It was meant to build confidence but irked Washington.

Then the Obama administration stopped short of condemning Israel's raid against a Turkish ship heading to Gaza, upsetting Ankara.

After that came Turkey's vote at the UN Security Council on sanctions against Iran - a "No" vote on an issue of key strategic interest to the US.

Newspapers in Turkey described it as a turning point in ties between countries that have been allies for decades.

Washington 'disappointed'

In an interview with the BBC, US State Department official Phil Gordon said Washington was "disappointed that (Turkey) didn't stand with the United States as a longstanding Nato ally".

The assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia said he did not doubt that Turkey was sincere in wanting to work with the international community to prevent Iran from pursuing a nuclear programme.

Turkey voted against a US-backed resolution on tougher sanctions on Iran

But he added Turkey clearly had different views about the sanctions resolution.

Despite the disappointment, US officials have tried to sound sanguine about the disagreements with Turkey.

"Turkey and the United States have never been without their differences, and we have some important differences now, but we also have a lot in common that we're working together on," said Mr Gordon.

Foreign policy evolving

However, the tension raised questions in Washington about whether the US is losing Turkey as an ally.

While the relationship may be changing, so far no one either here or in Turkey is worried about a breakdown. But everybody is closely watching Turkey's evolving foreign policy.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates made comments in London that suggested Turkey was turning away from the West.

While he did not quite state it as an established fact, he did make clear why he thought Ankara could be going in that direction.

"I personally think that if there is anything to the notion that Turkey is, if you will, moving eastward," said Mr Gates, "it is, in my view, in no small part because it was pushed, and pushed by some in Europe refusing to give Turkey the kind of organic link to the West that Turkey sought."

If this is the view in Washington, then it is likely the Obama administration will be careful not to act in a way that could further push Turkey towards the Arab and Islamic world.

The US also needs Turkey in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Turkey extending ties

Turkey has also rejected the notion that it is looking more East with such a vehemence it seems to suggest it is worried about sending the wrong signals to the West.

Continue reading the main story

We had no choice but to vote like this

Nuh Yilmaz Seta (Turkish think-tank)

Turkey is simply trying to "diversify its relations," says Nuh Yilmaz, the Washington DC director of the Turkish political think-tank Seta.

It is pursuing ties with countries with which it had limited or bad contact before, he said. Turkey's vote at the UN was not about embracing Iran even if that was the impression it left.

"We had no choice but to vote like this," said Mr Yilmaz. "Not because Iran is right, but because we had to stand by the deal that we reached with Iran, together with Brazil."

Strategic role

But there is little doubt that Ankara is slowly becoming a more assertive regional player. And that could make it a strategic competitor to the US.

"Turkey is no doubt playing a more active role in the region," said Mr Gordon in the BBC interview.

And that could be helpful, he said, as when Turkey mediated between Israel and Syria in 2008.

"I don't think, though, that this is at the expense of the West...We certainly haven't sensed any lessening of Turkey's desire to have a strong relationship with the United States and a strong relationship with Europe."

'Headache for the West'

Others see it differently, arguing that Ankara sees not only a leadership void in the Middle East but also weakened US influence.

Continue reading the main story

Turkey has seen the leadership of the region up for grabs - and is going for it

Josef Joffe Editor, Die Zeit newspaper

"Next to Iran, Nato member Turkey is now the biggest headache for the West," wrote Josef Joffe, editor of the German weekly Die Zeit, in an opinion piece published in the Financial Times.

"With Egypt sinking into torpor and Riyadh firmly ensconced on the fence between Washington and Tehran, Turkey has seen the leadership of the region up for grabs - and is going for it," he added.

Part of that desire to lead has pushed Turkey to ride a wave of anti-Israel sentiment in the Arab world, starting with the Gaza offensive in 2008 and continuing with the Israeli raid against the Turkish vessel, the Mavi Marmara, on 31 May.

Washington has expressed concern about the tensions and said it was working to calm things down. While Turkish language towards Israel has been acerbic and threats have been made to reduce ties with Israel, no concrete moves have been taken yet.

Turkey's expectations

Mr Gordon said the US would work to preserve its relationship with Turkey though he also made clear the US had expectations.

"We hope and expect that Turkey will abide by the resolutions (imposing sanctions on Iran) as all other members of the UN are now required to do."

Turkey, too, has expectations. Turkey wants Washington to back its call for an international investigation into the flotilla incident.

Mr Yilmaz from the Seta think-thank warned that developments on this front would have an impact on Turkey's attitude towards the US in the future.

http://news.bbc.co.uk

Read more...