VENTURING OUT: TURKEY COUNTRY BRIEFING
By Lale Sariibrahimoglu

Jane’s Intelligence & Insight
90414_1_n.shtml
April 24 2009

The Turkish frigate TCG Gelibolu transits the Mediterranean Sea during
Exercise ‘Phoenix Express’ in April 2008. Turkey is integrating
locally developed command-and-control systems on its eight-strong
fleet of Gaziantep/Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates (US Navy)

The international profile of Turkey – overwhelmingly Muslim but secular
by constitution – is on the rise through peacekeeping engagements in
the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans.

Turkey dispatched the Gaziantep-class (Oliver Hazard Perry) frigate
TCG Giresun off the coast of Somalia in February as part of an
international force to prevent pirates from hijacking commercial
vessels.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) has assumed command of Regional Command
Capital of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in
Afghanistan. Defence Minister Vecdi Gönul stated on 23 March that
Turkey was willing to send additional troops to Afghanistan, but not
for combat missions. The United States has been pressing all of its
NATO allies to send combat troops to Afghanistan.

Further evidence of a growing international profile is Turkey’s
non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council from 2009-10. This
marks a notable achievement for Turkish diplomacy as it last held a
Security Council seat in 1961.

"Turkey remains a shining example of the compatibility between Islam
and democracy, even if the country’s military-led secular establishment
does not like to be referred to as such. Turkey is 99 per cent Muslim
but it is a democratic secular republic," argued one US diplomat.

Located at the strategic junction of the Middle East, the Caucasus
and the Balkans, Turkey seeks to act as a regional stabilising
force. Turkey has acted as an intermediary between the US and Iran,
while assisting with Washington’s efforts to stabilise Iraq. During
his first visit as president to a mainly Muslim state on 6-7 April,
Barack Obama declared that Turkey remained a "critical ally", despite
the deterioration of relations over the war in Iraq.

The Obama administration has also assured Turkey of the continued
supply of real-time intelligence for pinpointing the bases of the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which continues to seek
self-rule for Turkey’s Kurds.

As a further sign of improving bilateral relations – since Turkey
refused the US basing rights during the 2003 invasion of Iraq –
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said recently that his country
is willing to help the US withdraw its troops from Iraq. However,
the US has not yet made such a request to Turkey. Incirlik airbase in
southeastern Turkey serves as a strategic lift conduit for Afghanistan,
as well as a hub for the shipment of non-lethal US cargo into Iraq.

In order to utilise its strategically important location and improve
relations with its neighbours, Turkey, the sole Muslim country in
NATO, has opened dialogue with Middle Eastern countries (Iran, Israel
and Syria), the Caucasus states (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia)
and Afghanistan and Pakistan.