Will Turkey miss its third opportunity?

Turkey may be in an unfortunate position in some ways, yet it is one of the world’s most fortunate countries in other respects. Many of us always complain and say, "Our neighbor is not Switzerland or Austria, so we cannot be relaxed." But Turkey’s fortune is based exactly on this position.

We feel discomfort because of the countries surrounding us, but thanks to them, our international and strategic importance increases, bringing with it great advantages. This is the U.S. perspective on us: Turkey has Iran on one side and Iraq on the otherÉ

It is a country that is involved in the Armenia-Azerbaijan dispute, and in Eurasia. It has one foot in the Mediterranean and the other in the Aegean. It is a country that should be listened in each regional crisis.

It is an indispensable power for Afghanistan and an important player that contributes much to the Palestine and Lebanon issues. This is how Washington perceives Turkey. But some administrations consider Turkey as a bird in the hand, while others treat it as a strategic ally.

The first opportunity came with Bush Sr.

Two administrations that glorified Turkey and carried U.S.-Turkey relations to an incredible point have passed through Washington in recent years. One of these was the administration of Bush Sr. (former U.S. President George W. Bush's father), which cooperated with President Turgut Özal during the first Gulf War in 1991.

The Özal-Bush talks and the mutual confidence between two countries led Turkish-American relations to experience a golden age. Bush formally visited Ankara in July 1991 to thank Turkey for its extremely valuable support. Özal, not missing out on the chance, received U.S. support to solve the Cyprus issue and made an attempt with Papandreu Sr. But "hawks" in the Foreign Ministries of Turkey and Greece joined forces and prevented the attempt.

Then, Clinton passed through Ankara

This was Turkey’s most valuable opportunity, which it lost in Cyprus.

President Bill Clinton came to Turkey in November 1999. Before his visit, he had put Turkey on top of the "Ascending Countries List" during a speech at Georgetown University. A breathtaking greeting for Clinton took place here. While talking about the new dimensions of Turkish-American relations during his speech at the Parliament, Clinton said Turkey was a bridge of stabilization through which the energy lines of the region passed.

When Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, was captured in Kenya in 1998, Clinton himself made the decision to deliver Öcalan to Turkey, saying, "I am doing you this favor and you should take some steps to solve the Kurdish issue." As a result, the first plan to liquidate the PKK was launched, but the plan could not be finalized. So Turkey could not benefit from this opportunity, either.

The U.S. is a superpower. On whichever issue the U.S. exerts its authority, particularly the European Union, Cyprus, Armenia and the Kurdish dispute, it facilitates Turkey’s work. Now, we face a third opportunity. The attitude of the Obama administration is ahead of the others.

Of course, he has expectations. But he also has something to offer in return. This time, Turkey is different. It is perceived differently by Europe. If we look at Hillary Clinton’s attitude during her Ankara visit, it looks like Turkey’s star will rise on the horizon of Washington.

I wonder whether we will be able to benefit from this situation. Or will we once again get into small internal disputes and miss out on an opportunity because of fruitless political fights? International relations are like bargaining. If you calculate and play well, you can win more easily.