RELATIONS BETWEEN ANKARA AND TEHRAN ARE BECOMING RED-HOT
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.08.2008 GMT+04:00
Not once Iran has tried to put the Turkish Islamists under her
protection, and at least twice Iranian diplomats have been accused
in Turkey of being personas non grata, after they took part in the
religious-political rallies.
The verdict of "not guilty" of Turkey’s Constitutional Court against
the claim to ban the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) brought
no peace to Turkey’s home policy. The party of Gul and Erdogan survived
by a miracle, but there is no guarantee that quiet times will set in
Turkey. Just on the contrary, appointment of General Ä°lker BaÅ~_bug
on the post of Chief of the General Staff can only precipitate the
onset of crisis in the country.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ BaÅ~_bug is a staunch supporter of cooperation with
NATO and Israel. Besides, as many observers claim, like his predecessor
he will conduct a brutal policy towards the moderate Islamists of
the AKP. Two years ago the General declared political Islam to be a
threat to the secular Turkish Republic. BaÅ~_bug himself has not once
been attacked by Turkish Islamists. The "Vakit" newspaper published
BaÅ~_bug’s photos in Jerusalem at the Wailing Wall, noting that
he might be Â"a bit too close to the JewsÂ". Besides, some sources
declare that Ä°lker BaÅ~_bug tried to influence the verdict of the
Constitutional Court.
Turkey faces problems in its foreign policy too. Not so long ago
there were hopes of Turkey’s mediation in the settlement of the
Iranian nuclear problem and restoration of relations between Israel
and Syria. However, judging by lots of indications, relations between
Ankara and Tehran are becoming red-hot, on the initiative of Iran
though. Even theoretically Turkey could not overlook the situation,
when the Iranian side declared that in case of attack Iran would
strike a blow Â"on the 32 U.S. air bases in the region and on the
heart of IsraelÂ". Among these 32 bases is the Turkish-American Air
Base "Incirlik", located not far from the Baku-Jeihan pipeline.
A particular role in the Iranian-Turkish relations, to be more exact
in their tenseness, may play Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s
visit to Turkey, due on August 14. Ahmadinejad did not wish to visit
the Mausoleum of Ataturk in Ankara, so the Turkish Government found
a way-out: format of the visit was changed, so that the Iranian
President would arrive in Istanbul, bypassing Ankara. However,
this move may cost dear to President Gul and Prime-Minister Erdogan,
after all often has Iran tried to put the Turkish Islamists under her
protection, and at least twice Iranian diplomats have been accused
in Turkey of being personas non grata, after they took part in the
religious-political rallies.
As for mediation between Israel and Syria, negotiations were broken off
as soon as they started. Naturally, Israel is reluctant to leave the
Golan Heights, which means failure of any kind of negotiations with
any Arab country, except for Egypt. But there is also the Achilles’
heel of Turkey – the Armenian-Turkish relations. Some analysts consider
that in response to the support of the AKP the European Council will
demand opening of the Armenian-Turkish border and re-establishment
of relations between the two countries. All this makes one believe
that the period of stagnation in the Armenian-Turkish relations is
a past story.
Another proof of development in the Armenian-Turkish relations is
the fact of opening an Armenian Language and Literature Department
in one of the Universities of NevÅ~_ehir Province, Trend Azeri
news agency reports. After getting official permission from the
Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Education of Turkey opened in
the University of NevÅ~_ehir a Faculty of the Armenian Language and
Literature. According to professor of the University Mehmet Metin
Hulagu the Faculty will serve as a bridge in the relations between
the two countries. Taking into consideration the lack of Armenian
specialists in Turkey, the possibility of inviting teachers from
Armenia is not excluded. However, on the whole Turkey’s attitude
towards Armenia has not changed. As Turkish Daily News reports, Â"The
main demand of Turkey is omission of the term "Western Armenia" from
the Declaration of Independence of Armenia, adopted on August 23, 1990
and recognition of the current Turkish borders. The second demand is
withdrawal of the Armenian troops from Nagorno-Karabakh, and, finally,
the third claim is refusal of international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in the years of the World War IÂ",
declared Kasim, Associate Professor and Writer at the International
Strategic Research Center (USAK). He also noted that the Â"football
diplomacyÂ" cannot be compared with what the U.S.A. undertook in 1971
by organizing a Â"diplomaticÂ" match of table tennis with China. Â"It
became a turning-point in the Â"cold warÂ" and led to a compromise
between the two powerful states, a fact which cannot be observed in
the relations between Ankara and YerevanÂ", the Turkish expert said.
–Boundary_(ID_YbvjlfAsU/5H4MmiDarwQg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
