Turkey: Foreign Minister Davutoglu on Afghanistan and Ankara's Foreign Policy

EA correspondent Fulya Inci writes:

As the London Conference convened on Pakistan and Afghanistan on Thursday, Turkish officials Pakiistani and Afghan counterparts. That was the fourth tripartite meeting for a regional initiative for Afghanistan since Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu took office.

In an interview with the Turkish channel NTV, Davutoglu set out Turkey’s approach toward Afghanistan’s future. He defined explained Afghanistan’s importance for Turkey: stability and political balance in Asia, Turkey’s mission in the country as part of a NATO force, and the historical friendship between Ankara and Kabul. Turkey has pursued a "safety zone" in Afghanistan, providing $200 million in economic aid.

Turkey: “Ankara Ready to Mediate between Syria and Israel”

Asked about an opportunity to the Taliban to play a role in Afghanistan’s future, Davutoglu supported a political arrangement that covers all groups and minorities, even if they are armed militants. He asserteded that such a strategy will engage the Afghan people, who have a say in the defence, stability, and security of their country.


Beyond Afghanistan, Davutoglu offered a series of statements on Turkey's current foreign policy. He criticized the recent intervention of the Armenian Constitutional Court in the October 2009 protocol which sought to normalize the relationship between Armenia and Turkey. He referred to the issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, saying that Turkey is still hopeful for the process of resolution.

Davutoglu rejected the idea that there has been a "shift in the axis" of Turkish foreign policy, claiming that Ankara's main principle was “being constructive in all peaceful efforts, irrespective of whether they are in the West or East”.

Turkey: "Ankara Ready to Mediate between Syria and Israel"

On Friday, speaking at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Ankara is ready to mediate talks between Israel and Syria:

"Is it possible to restart it again? Yes, why not? If the two countries agree to restart it, we can do it. As Turkey, we are ready."

, Davutoglu then put the ball in the court of Israel:

The Syrian side already declared they want to continue from where we left (off). The Israeli side, they have different views. Some coalition members are against, some are in favor. We will see.

If we see a strong political will, both in Israel and Syria, we will continue to support (peace efforts). We will support every attempt, step in the direction of peace.

Davutoglu's mediation offer was complemented by his handling of the aftermath of the Gaza War, which had strained the relationship between Ankara and West Jerusalem: the offensive in Gaza. While Turkey was "concerned with the policies of Israel because of Gaza, criticizing one policy of an Israeli government does not mean the end of Turkish-Israel relations."

Turkey Inside Line: The Evolving Relationship with Russia

EA's Fulya Inci writes:

Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan made a two-day trip to Moscow, with energy, trade and the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute high on the agenda. Erdogan and senior members of his government, in talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitri Medvedev, launched the process for an agreement on visa-free travel for the citizens of both countries and took important steps on the use of the Turkish lira, and the Russian ruble in bilateral trade. Most significantly, the two sides signed a declaration of cooperation to construct Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.

The energy issue is the rucial factor in the economic and trading relations of Turkey and Russia. Turkey is highly dependent on Russian gas but now also wants to become a major energy corridor, transporting that gas to the Middle East. This South Stream rivals the U.S. and EU-backed Nabucco pipeline plan, even though Ankara also backs Nabucco  and says the two projects should complement each other.



A Turkish government commission is examining the environmental concerns and high-cost route of South Stream, but it has also allowed Moscow to carry out preliminary work off the Black Sea coast. It also has a commitment from Russia to join a prospective Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline via Turkey, as Ankara seeks to develop its geostrategic position and create new cooperation opportunities in the region.

Bilateral trade is also important between the two countries. It reached $33 billion in 2008. There has been an unexpected decrease in 2009 due to the global economic crisis, but both countries’ leaders expressed the desire to triple the figure by 2015.

In contrast to the positive steps in energy and trade, the trip did not seem to reward Turkey’s Nagorno-Karabakh policy. Putin told Erdoğan that “Turkey should not link the Nagorno-Karabakh problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan to the normalization of its bilateral relations with Armenia.”

In October, Turkey and Armenia signed agreements to normalize diplomatic relations, after decades of tension over the mass killing of Turkey's Armenian population in the early 20th century. The two sides also discussed reopening borders that Turkey had closed in 1993 because of Armenia's occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, a largely Armenian- populated part of Azerbaijan.

As a close ally of Azerbaijan, Turkey “first wants to see progress toward the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict before opening its border with Armenia”. Putin’s remarks show that Russia does not want Turkey to slow down the normalization process because of Nagorno-Karabakh’s future.

President Medvedev is expected to come to Turkey on May, and the two sides are hopeful for developing cooperation. It is an important negotiation, given that shifting power in regions such as the Middle East is bringing new opportunities and risks for both countries.

Turkey-Israel: A High-Ranking Objection to the "Strategic" Relationship

On Tuesday, speaking at the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Knesset, Israel's military intelligence chief, Maj. General Amos Yadlin, said that Ankara's turn away from secularism and toward more radical Islam had led to a rift between two countries, "They are currently in the midst of a fundamental process of moving further away from the secular Ataturk approach, closer to a radical approach." And, referring to the mutual references of a "strategic relationship" during Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Ankara, Yadlin added, "Turkey no longer needs a close relationship with Israel. There are still joint interests, but not the kind of close relationship today as there was in the past."

Israel-Turkey: Another Visit for the “Strategic” Relationship

Israel-Turkey: Another Visit for the "Strategic" Relationship

Following Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Ankara, Foreign Ministry Director-General Yossi Gal will today hold official meetings with Turkish officials on the biannual Turkish-Israeli strategic dialogue.

According to Israeli officials, the last meeting was held six months ago. The discussion included regional developments such as those in Iran and Iraq as well as relationss with the European Union.

According to the Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, the scheduled visit of Gal --- who is seen as a representative of the "hawkish" wing of Israeli politics --- is a "positive" sign that West Jerusalem wants to ameliorate relations, even though Israeli officials stated that it was scheduled well before last week's diplomatic crisis between Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and Turkish ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol.