Obsessed with mediation

In an unprecedented policy initiative it added its geographical and historical kin to Turkey’s two-century-old Western inclination. The initiative is necessary and important. However, its timing and implementation are much too premature and utilitarian. Moreover, it disables Turkey by isolating these regional issues from its own deep internal and external problems.

The policy initiative is the brainchild of Ahmet Davudoğlu, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s chief foreign policy adviser and the "Kissinger of Turkey" as a former U.S. ambassador puts it! "Turkey’s increasing weight in the Middle East is taking the country closer to the EUÉ Our influence spreading more in the Middle East or in the Caucasus will make Turkey more important in Brussels as well as in Washington," Davudoğlu told reporters following his latest mediation efforts for Hamas. When one compares this statement with the reality one gets the feeling of even losing what is in hand.

Turkey has always failed whenever tried to play mediator, to bring peace. The Israeli-Pakistani meeting ended in void so did the Afghanistan-Pakistan talks. The Israeli-Syrian talks are over for good. Mediation between the United States and Iran didn’t even start, neither the Karabagh mediation. The Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Pact remains a pleasant music to ear. Because obtaining results in the those issues is simply unworkable under the present circumstances.

Let’s take the Hamas-Israel (not the Israeli-Palestinian) war. The only self-declared "success" in hand is Hamas declaring cease-fire thanks to the shuttle diplomacy of Davudoğlu. Strangely enough, this has not been announced by any other newswires but those in Turkey.

The Prime Minister may enjoy being a popular leader of the Arab street and Turkey may be close to Hamas. And Hamas should take its place in the Middle East equation from now on, that is clear. But all these do not mean that Turkey is surely impressing Hamas rather it is being used by Hamas. Actually, Turkish mediation zeal and anti-Israeli fury shown during the war negatively affected the high interests of the country.

Over-egging the pudding
Israel, Turkey’s strategic partner in the region has been pushed away. It is not difficult to foresee the results. It may be nothing but just a simple detail that we won’t see any Israeli tourist in the country any time soon. The Palestinian Authority Leader Mahmoud Abbas’ undersecretary Abu Rdeineh disavowed our "Kissinger" who was preparing to mediate between al Fatah and Hamas. Abu Rdeineh bluntly said this is Egypt’s responsibility. Besides it is not difficult to guess how Egypt approached to have Turkish controllers at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, nor it is difficult to see how Hamas would smirk at this eventuality. Moreover, thanks to Erdoğan’s harsh rhetoric in Brussels on Jan. 19, Europeans and United States noted how Turkey has now turned into an advocate of Hamas and how it has been trying to open a space for Iran via Hamas in the Middle East.

Beginning with public opinions no one in Europe is looking at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a black-and-white perspective of the AKP and Turkish public opinion. Neither are Al-Fatah members and supporters. As for anti-Israeli feelings in the Arab public opinions, it is difficult to detect more than rhetoric in them. Could there be any other indicator to clearly show how we have turned a spare prick at the wedding?

Plus, while tackling with such complex issues all together we couldn’t have time to resolve our own problems with neighbors. Apparently other volunteers are expected to mediate for our disputes with Armenia, Cyprus, Greece and Kurdistan Regional Administration in northern Iraq!

Government’s ardor to mediate is just an immature move in the eyes of Europe and the West in general. It is just giving some Europeans eager to kill our EU membership perspective an opportunity to laud Turkey with free-of-charge compliments and say "Excellency you are so very important."

As we all know, so does Europe know Turkey’s potential importance in the region. But Europe also knows that to put this into work can only be achievable by bringing in a durable political and economic stability together with social peace.

Turkey is a country having an institutional and social amnesia on these regions in consequence of distancing itself from the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Middle East for over a century. Therefore, Turkey is destined to remain an apprentice beside the regional and global actors. Despite these drawbacks, the government’s paying attention to such issues is a positive sign. But only if the feasible is aimed at, if internationally recognized principles are respected and if we are humble enough; if we take due advantage from real assets primarily our economy; if we rapidly are involved in building up a long-term institutional and human capacity about these regions; if we fully concentrate on the EU bid which gives an opportunity to frame all these efforts into a permanent strategic ground. And not if we presumptuously go forward from where we left a century ago. Otherwise, if the government, the prime minister and his chief adviser keep getting involved in issues way beyond Turkey’s capacity and power, this will continue to harm us like after the Gaza war.