TIME FOR TURKEY TO TRY QUIET DIPLOMACY

FT
April 12 2009 18:57

President Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey last week – towards the end
of his first big international trip – paid a handsome compliment to
the country’s growing influence in international affairs. Under the
administration of George W. Bush, relations between Washington and
Ankara slipped badly, not least because Turkey refused to support
the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. But Mr Obama’s state visit may
have marked a turning point. The US president underlined Turkey’s
importance as a bridge between the Islamic world and the west. He
made clear that Turkey had a role as a negotiator between Israel and
the Arab world. He voiced, too, the hope that Turkey would one day
join the European Union.

This last aspiration, of course, prompted another display of anguish
from some European leaders. No sooner had Mr Obama spoken than Nicolas
Sarkozy, French president, argued that "the immense majority" of EU
states opposed Turkey’s accession. Angela Merkel, German chancellor,
acknowledged there were huge "differences of opinion" inside her
country on Turkey’s EU hopes.

Even so, the Turkish government must be aware of one thing. It
does itself no favours when adopting a needlessly brash tone on the
world stage. Turkey may be playing a constructive role in attempts
to stabilise Iraq and Afghani stan. But Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
prime minister, nearly wrecked the recent Nato summit with his lone
opposition to Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s nomination as the organisation’s
secretary-general. The summit was too important a stage for such
petty grandstanding, which damaged Turkey’s international image.

Instead, this is a time for Turkey to display quiet and responsible
diplomacy. The next few months bring two great challenges. The first
is to normalise relations with Armenia and reopen the border closed
by Turkey in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan. The second is to reach
a settlement with Greece over Cyprus, a dispute which poisons
decision-making inside the EU and Nato. If Turkey can display
statesmanship on both these fronts, it will significantly bolster
its claims to EU accession.