Turkey seeks a new role with an old ally
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Mine Tafolar
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 13, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Turkey could play a pivotal role in calming the chaos in Pakistan by providing political, logistical and humanitarian assistance, experts said, but they oppose direct involvement in Afghan combat as fierce fighting rages in both countries.
"The worrisome developments in Pakistan, traditional friend and ally of Turkey, are of utmost importance for Turkey," İnal Batu, former Turkish ambassador to Islamabad, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
U.S. President Barack Obama designated a key role to Turkey in stabilizing the troubled region, said Sinan Oğan, head of Turkish Center for International Relations and Strategic Analysis, or TÜRKSAM, adding that Obama’s visit to Turkey needs to be taken into account in this vision. Deepak Tripathy, former BBC journalist and a researcher, shared Oğan’s views: "Obama has clearly said he wants Turkey to play an active role."
"The United States is trying to use Turkey’s potential in a certain geographic region, and it is no more the Middle East," Oğan said. "From now on, Washington wants Turkey to play an active role in South Asia, the area which encompasses the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan."
According to Syed Saleem Shahzad, Asia Times Online’s Pakistan bureau chief, Turkey is now the only country in the region that can play the most important role. "Historically, Afghanistan and the Muslims of South Asia have very deep, religious, cultural and friendly ties with Turkey," Shahzad said via e-mail.
Hilmi Özev, from Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies, or TASAM, agreed, saying that Turkey had been successful in bringing the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan together in Ankara. Özev also highlighted the key role Turkey has played in educating Pakistan’s military.
In a similar tone, Hasan Özertem, from Ankara-based think tank International Strategic Research Organization, or USAK, said Pakistan and Afghanistan are able to and willing to express their problems and concerns to Turkey.
"In this respect, Turkey might be given a role which will inform European countries about their former miscalculations, and it might directly guide Western powers’ upcoming policy initiatives and policy prescriptions for the region," he said.
Experts also emphasized that Turkey should use instruments such as helping the region’s economic development, providing logistics to the region or helping the region to overcome its humanitarian crisis after hundreds of thousands of people fled, rather than engaging in a direct conflict with the Taliban in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
Humanitarian assistance
Turkey must provide political, logistical and humanitarian assistance to Pakistan, according to Oğan. Umer Chaudhry, a lawyer and political activist based in Lahore, agreed: "Turkey must offer help in the fallout that the Pakistani government is facing as a result of the military operation against the Taliban in Swat. Turkey must send substantial aid for the displaced people, so that the people of Pakistan can trust their concern."
But, Oğan said, "Turkey’s military forces should never accept to act as combatant forces in the region. The international community will pressure Turkey to provide combatant forces in Afghanistan and will seek to persuade Turkey in this direction. Yet, Turkey should stand adamant and should not give in to these demands."
Chaudhry also opposed Turkey’s engagement in direct combat in Afghanistan. "It will do Turkey good to disengage itself from direct combat in Afghanistan with NATO, which only helps in reinforcing religious extremism," Chaudhry said, adding that Turkey "needs to bring more stakeholders, particularly from India and Iran, on the table as well" in its role as a mediator.
U.S. President Barack Obama designated a key role to Turkey in stabilizing the troubled region, said Sinan Oğan, head of Turkish Center for International Relations and Strategic Analysis, or TÜRKSAM, adding that Obama’s visit to Turkey needs to be taken into account in this vision. Deepak Tripathy, former BBC journalist and a researcher, shared Oğan’s views: "Obama has clearly said he wants Turkey to play an active role."
"The United States is trying to use Turkey’s potential in a certain geographic region, and it is no more the Middle East," Oğan said. "From now on, Washington wants Turkey to play an active role in South Asia, the area which encompasses the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan."
According to Syed Saleem Shahzad, Asia Times Online’s Pakistan bureau chief, Turkey is now the only country in the region that can play the most important role. "Historically, Afghanistan and the Muslims of South Asia have very deep, religious, cultural and friendly ties with Turkey," Shahzad said via e-mail.
Hilmi Özev, from Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies, or TASAM, agreed, saying that Turkey had been successful in bringing the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan together in Ankara. Özev also highlighted the key role Turkey has played in educating Pakistan’s military.
In a similar tone, Hasan Özertem, from Ankara-based think tank International Strategic Research Organization, or USAK, said Pakistan and Afghanistan are able to and willing to express their problems and concerns to Turkey.
"In this respect, Turkey might be given a role which will inform European countries about their former miscalculations, and it might directly guide Western powers’ upcoming policy initiatives and policy prescriptions for the region," he said.
Experts also emphasized that Turkey should use instruments such as helping the region’s economic development, providing logistics to the region or helping the region to overcome its humanitarian crisis after hundreds of thousands of people fled, rather than engaging in a direct conflict with the Taliban in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
Humanitarian assistance
Turkey must provide political, logistical and humanitarian assistance to Pakistan, according to Oğan. Umer Chaudhry, a lawyer and political activist based in Lahore, agreed: "Turkey must offer help in the fallout that the Pakistani government is facing as a result of the military operation against the Taliban in Swat. Turkey must send substantial aid for the displaced people, so that the people of Pakistan can trust their concern."
But, Oğan said, "Turkey’s military forces should never accept to act as combatant forces in the region. The international community will pressure Turkey to provide combatant forces in Afghanistan and will seek to persuade Turkey in this direction. Yet, Turkey should stand adamant and should not give in to these demands."
Chaudhry also opposed Turkey’s engagement in direct combat in Afghanistan. "It will do Turkey good to disengage itself from direct combat in Afghanistan with NATO, which only helps in reinforcing religious extremism," Chaudhry said, adding that Turkey "needs to bring more stakeholders, particularly from India and Iran, on the table as well" in its role as a mediator.