, Turkey
Sept 6 2009

The shadow of history on problem-free relationship

Sunday, 06 September 2009 11:41

Almost all of Turkey’s problems in foreign affairs that are a "pain in
the neck" are extensions from the period when the Ottoman Empire was
being purged. The continuation of these problems, in a sense, shows
that the purge of the Ottomans is still going on.

Established upon the purge of an empire, the Republic had no choice
but to take over these problems. The problem here is that while taking
on the burden of the inheritance left by the elimination of the
Ottoman Empire, until now we have kept our distance from the
advantages left by that heritage. It is a fact that while purging the
Ottomans, the world system "suggested" that republican groups keep
their distance from every kind of initiative, cooperation and
communication that would transform that inheritance into
wealth. Permission was not given to Turkey to renew relations with the
elements of the Ottoman heritage and its hinterlands, and the new
regime also preferred this line as a foreign policy strategy until the
end of the Cold War. It can not be said that the Turkish elite were
very uncomfortable with this new foreign policy cut out for
Turkey. This period was considered an opportunity for Western groups
for a voluntary change of civilization
axis.

If such a purge of an empire is still continuing, then it is
inevitable for there to be problems around us and different
"inheritance disputes" with our neighbors. Turkey has not even been
able to face up to its Ottoman heritage itself. Aren’t the problems
experienced closely related to rejecting this heritage and not
constructing anything in its place?

Moreover, imagining that we can be problem-free with our neighbors who
were once a part of the same state means playing with the
impossible. Or it can mean to accept a rejection of inheritance. It is
obvious that escaping from shouldering the weight of the past does not
mean escaping from the problems. History confronts you in some form.

The problems encountered in concrete examples of this like in
relations with Armenia, Syria and Serbia are a process from which many
lessons should be learned. The relationship carried on with Armenia is
the most vivid example of carrying all the problems of the Ottoman
purge to the present. Even if you completely dismiss history, in fact,
even if you erase your one-sided memory, it is impossible for Turkey
to establish a "problem-free" relationship with Armenia.

A similar experience occurred with Syria. Our borders with the Middle
East were perceived more as a wall separating us from one another than
as common borders. The reason for this should be sought as much in
"rejection of the past" policies that were imposed on both sides as in
problematical borders.

Both sides have grasped the unsustainability of this form of
relationship that has continued for eighty years. It is better
understood how artificial and unsustainable the balances are that were
imposed in the Middle East and that it was a relationship of
self-interest which was turned over to the Cold War imperialist powers
by the victors of World War I. Even if the point we have come to shows
that these deviant relations can not continue as before, it is a
mistake to perceive this as a return to this geography’s own spirit.

In a sense, history has been returned to.

The problem with Turkey’s developing relations with its neighbors is a
matter of vision and perspective more than technique. Actually, it is
how it sees itself, how it sees the universe it belongs to.

When history’s shadow falls on today, one of the most striking
examples appears in the relation we have established with
Serbia. While forced to stand up for the Bosnians because of what
happened in Bosnia, Turkey could not follow up events with a broader
vision. Regardless of what happened, in the end we are a NATO member
country that has established relations with Serbia via America.

If you enter the region from a field opened by the USA sitting in the
Balkans or any other power, this means you have denied yourself. If
you do not even feel the trust of sharing the same history with
Serbia, then there is no meaning in your being a regional power. You
will only play the "regional role" you have been given.

It is possible to increase the number of these three countries. A
Turkey that enters the Middle East via Israel and enters the Balkans
and Circassia via the USA, while resolving problems today, will have
laid mines that will produce tomorrow’s problems.

The purge of history was never problem-free.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress