Prime Minister’s foreign trips

Speaking abroad, Erdoğan says Turkey proceeds on its way to become a European Union member and will not deviate from it. I think the audience cannot help themselves but to laugh. There are other subjects that are voiced as well.

This time, Erdoğan made an inapt remark that Iran should have nuclear military power. It seems that he is not briefed by the Foreign Ministry and is consulting with his close circles only. The essence of his statement was not wrong but how he put that into word was important. Former French President Jacques Chirac had adopted a similar attitude too but no one showed him the reaction Erdoğan was shown.

For in the end, what is most rational is to acknowledge that Iran could possess nuclear power and yet to normalize the country by dragging it into the international arena from which it has been excluded since 1979.

I think while the prime minister was supporting Iranian nuclear power his close aides said, "Let’s mediate between Iran and the U.S." As a matter of fact, news stories like "Turkey is a mediator between the U.S. and Iran" have suddenly started to spread around. It is beyond ridiculous that Turkey, incapable of bringing peace to itself, now becomes eager to settle every dispute around. The founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, hadn’t said, "Peace at home, peace in the world"?

Let’s take the Nagorno Karabakh issue as we speak of Turkey’s assertiveness for being a mediator. The only trump card Turkey has in hand here is positive dialogue to be developed with Armenia after establishing diplomatic ties and opening the border. The issue is a long-term pedagogical process. Perhaps in the future Karabakh will have its turn.

But for today, is there a will for a common solution voiced by Azerbaijan and Armenia except the insignificant declaration they signed earlier this month in the Russian capital Moscow? No! During his lifetime late Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev’s had a total of 22 meetings with different Armenian presidents. Delegations of the sides met more than 60 times since 1995. And the Karabakh issue was certainly not the only agenda item in these meetings.

Turkey’s tough relation with the global economic crisis

The main objective of Erdoğan’s visit to the U.S. was the G-20 meeting. The prime minister must have been listening to the remarks that the crisis is serious this time, as he read something close to reality from a sheet in front of him at the press briefing he held upon his return.

Erdoğan, who despite all warnings for months has insisted that the crisis wouldn’t strike Turkey, finally announced that Turkey will face the crisis for the next six month beginning from Jan.1, 2009. As though the crisis is paying a visit to Turkey. It was in fact enough for him to go in the Turkish Main Street to see how real it is.

The government is not in a hurry for crisis management, nor for taking preventive measures. The unwillingness to accept the crisis and the concerns about it that have turned into a phobia, are of course something to do with the March 2009 local elections. The 48 percent election victory in July 22, 2007 polls was based on economic interests rather than ideological preferences of the people. This is very well known by Erdoğan. This time in fact, the governing party may not have the expected results.

This is the reason why Mr. Prime Minister and his party are adopting a nationalist hawkish attitude rather than taking economic measures. Obviously, we are being pushed into an environment where fuel is added to the fire.

The crisis this time is quite different than the one we went through in 2001. We desperately need foreign capital and export. In economic dire straits full of uncertainties it is extremely dangerous to create tension because a huge group of idle and unemployed is about to come out to lend an ear to nationalist remarks of the government.