EVENTS

Date:	Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Time:	12:00 PM -- 1:30 PM
Location:	Wohlstetter Conference Center, Twelfth Floor, AEI 1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036

March 2005

Can the U.S.-Turkish Relationship Be Repaired?

Over the past two years, relations between Ankara and Washington have cooled. The Iraq war bolstered anti-Americanism in Turkey, while many Americans reassessed their relationship with Ankara after Turkey's parliament voted to prohibit American forces from entering Iraq via Turkey. More recently, Turkish officials say Washington ignores anti-Turkish terrorism and allows the Iraqi Kurds a free hand in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Public debate in Turkey has grown particularly shrill, with one parliamentarian having even accused the United States of genocide in Iraq. At a March 23 AEI conference, experts considered whether it is possible to overcome the distance that has grown between the two nations since the Iraq war began.
 
Murat Mercan
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)

By opening its airspace for the use of U.S. aircraft in Iraq, volunteering to send 10,000 Turkish troops into Iraq, supporting a successful two-state solution in the Middle East peace process, and advising Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, Turkey has proven its commitment to help transform the Middle East into a democratic region.

It is clear that U.S.-Turkish relations on a governmental level are strong. As public perception of the two countries deteriorates, however, it is important to consider U.S.-Turkish relations in a global perspective. By focusing on the big picture instead of the minor issues, we can hope to overcome radicalism, extremism, and anti-Americanism.

Turkey is the only democratic, secular, and modern country in the Middle East. Its bid for EU membership is a natural consequence of its modernization process. The United States and Turkey have enjoyed almost sixty years of a strategic alliance based on shared values, with proven successes in areas such as defense, energy, and education cooperation. Now, the U.S.-Turkish relationship must focus on combating terrorism, weapons proliferation, and organized crime, as well as on resolving regional conflicts. Indeed, this partnership can be an integral force on behalf of peace, stability, and the preservation of democracy and freedom in the Middle East.

Robert Pollock
Wall Street Journal

Since the Wall Street Journal had previously published many articles praising Turkey, the February 16, 2005, article “The Sick Man of Europe--Again” came as a surprise to some who perceived it as anti-Turkish. This change in tone toward Turkey was partly the result of a disappointment with Turkish policy. Though it once stood strongly against terrorism, Turkey has generally refused to join the war on terror. However, because Turkey is a democratic country that determines its own policy, this disappointment alone was not enough to cause the change in tone. More important than differences of opinion over policy is the strong anti-American sentiment that abounds in Turkey. The outright lies designed to perpetuate hatred against the United States are unacceptable.

Michael Rubin
AEI

We can all agree that the U.S.-Turkish relationship is too important to allow it to deteriorate further and that it desperately needs to be repaired. The incident of July 4, when American troops arrested and hooded a Turkish commando unit in Northern Iraq, is a serious issue in terms of long-term relations. However, the Turkish press should be held accountable for impeding proper resolution of the incident in order to fan nationalist flames.

With regard to the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), it is important to remember that as soon as a group commits an act of terrorism, they define themselves as terrorists and render their cause illegitimate. Therefore, the Iraqi authorities and the multinational forces must take a strong stance against the PKK in Northern Iraq. The war on terrorism is not limited to combating terrorists who kill Americans; it must focus on any instance of violence targeting civilians for political gain, regardless of the target’s nationality. The United States has done a great deal to shut down charities associated with Hamas and ban front groups for the Mujahadeen al-Khalq. Now it is time to shut down PKK front groups in the United States.

Turkish officials should work to stay consistent in their focus on the issues which are most important to U.S.-Turkish relations. Conspiracy theories (on both sides) are a problem and are often damaging to any potential resolution of disputes. The Turkish and the American media must pay attention to their sources. Transparency should be commended in every country.

Turkey and the United States can achieve much in terms of internal security, the war on terrorism, and regional security by working together and coordinating activities. Despite our differences, the relationship should improve.

Richard Perle
AEI

The U.S.-Turkish relationship is deeply rooted in American admiration for Turkey’s history, its commitment to secular democracy, and the numerous common enterprises through which the two countries have improved the lives and ensured the safety of their citizens. For this reason and despite the mistakes of the past, the first instinct must be to try to resolve difficulties and repair the relationship.

The central focus of the Bush administration is to give those who have been denied the opportunities that individual freedom affords a chance to participate in a democratic process. The world is now seeing that the desire for freedom is universal and will assert itself against all odds. The only threat all of this poses to Turkey is that it may lose its monopoly as the only predominantly Muslim democratic country in the Middle East.

AEI researcher Rachel Hoff prepared this summary.