Western front following NATO, Obama

Instead of lobbying with the assumption that Rasmussen’s track record would harm the fight against al-Qaeda, it emphasized the insult against Islam deriving from the cartoons crisis. By giving a religious character to its opposition it produced the impression that Turkey is the spokesperson of the Islamic world in the western organizations. And by challenging the principle of freedom of speech it gave the impression of exporting to Europe its concept of restricted freedoms. Moreover, the controversy was left to the last minute, contrary to NATO customs. These are severe mistakes.

Turkish posture in NATO satisfied nationalist circles. But the NATO crisis was interpreted as a victory only in Turkey. Foreign press reflected the issue as a back step on Turkey’s account. Although we feel proud, Turkey couldn’t get what it targeted: to prevent Rasmussen’s being NATO’s secretary-general. The so-called concessions made to convince Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan to stop opposing Rasmussen are not relevant to what Turkey wanted. But if you raise the stakes so high this is an unavoidable outcome!Â

Rasmussen’s sending a special message to the Islamic world (as soon as he arrived in Istanbul, he stressed "censorship is the enemy of dialogue" in order to emphasize the freedom of speech), having a Turkish deputy secretary among five in NATO and a Turkish official among NATO bureaucrats for disarmament (aren’t we specialists of armament rather!), and a NATO representative in Afghanistan being a Turkish official, do not change Rasmussen’s character, which was objected to by Turkey. (The promise to shut down pro-Kurdish Roj TV broadcasting in Copenhagen is not even worth a single remark.)

Diplomats may be satisfied by such formulas but not politicians nor radical Islamic militants. Will Muslim countries expressing sensitivity about Rasmussen (according to Erdoğan) now have to approve him just because Turkey, as their "representative" got guarantees for itself? Actually the opposition in Afghanistan and Pakistan is not about Rasmussen or anybody else but about NATO itself. Reminding the world of the unfortunate cartoons episode has already triggered the demand for those cartoons in Denmark. Certainly the radical Islamists would have reactions too. So, while sponsoring the Alliance of Civilizations Turkey has actually ended up by fueling the feud. Another question is if Turkey, which is eager to have a say in NATO, is fully aware of balances and enmities in the region. Let’s also not forget that someday NATO’s Turkish forces may stand against their Muslim brothers in the region. And finally, if Turkey needs so much argument to reach decision-making positions in an organization where it’s been a member since 1952 and which it served dutifully, then there must be deep problems elsewhere.

The EU side of the "NATO victory"
As for the EU side of the issue, following the "victory," we heard rumors that Turkey was able to get what it wanted from the EU as well. Rumors said that France, Germany and Denmark will no longer resist Turkey’s membership, the decision to freeze eight chapters, which was taken in late 2006 will be reviewed at the end of 2010 instead of 2009, Turkey will not be pressured to open sea and air ports to Republic of Cyprus ships and planes and it will get a seat in the European Defense Agency as well as the European Gendarmerie Force. There was also a rather curious concession pertaining to the opening of two more negotiation chapters. If chapters are to be opened through a series of battle, we are in a pathetic situation.

None of these verbal compromises are valid. They prove former French President Jacques Chirac’s remarks, "promises only bind parties who are given such promises," because their realization requires EU Council decisions. Plus, these so-called EU concessions obtained through NATO would make President Abdullah Gül, who answered EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn that "We are in NATO not in the EU," to hear the next day from German Chancellor Angela Merkel or French President Nicolas Sarkozy, "We are in the EU not in NATO."Â

Prime Minister Erdoğan’s resoluteness against Rasmussen made the Turkish public opinion happy but drove the European public opinion crazy. His remarks put Turkey on an impossible track of progress in the EU bid. NATO secretary-generals have been selected among Europeans since 1949. But Erdoğan’s way created an impression that Turkey is more and more a part of the problem rather than the solution in Europe as until recently there was harmony in selecting the organization’s secretary-generals. Through his way he imposed on Europeans yet another crisis to deal with in addition to huge economic worries. Let’s not forget that governments in France and Germany, both against Turkey’s accession to the EU, are delighted to see the tension Erdoğan created. His manners even drove crazy the staunch Turkish friend, Finnish EU Commissioner Rehn, who had to remind of the awkwardness of the argument used against Rasmussen and who is now subjected to insults. If this continues, Turkey’s EU membership calculations will turn null and void.

Turkey shouldn’t be railed off due to anti-Turkey approach of a few EU member states either, as two wrongs never make one right. Distancing ourselves from the EU and getting closer to the United States is no remedy either, and those who believe so, shouldn’t forget that the United States expects and supports normalization in Turkey by way of EU accession.

In fact, following the NATO incident, Obama’s message to the EU’s 27 member states in the Czech capital Prague about the importance of Turkey’s accession to the EU just turned empty. The incident also gave the France-Germany duo that was offended by Erdoğan’s attitude, to restate the opposite of Obama’s message. Sarkozy who has not been talking against Turkey for months appeared on television and said expectedly "Turkey’s EU membership is not the U.S.’s business but the EU’s." Then French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner dropped from participating in the Alliance of Civilizations meeting in Istanbul. The latter, of socialist background and the unique supporter of Turkey’s EU bid in the conservative French government went on the radio on Tuesday to announce that because of Rasmussen episode he doesn’t support anymore Turkey. All these casualties are products of prime minister’s advisers. "In order for Turkey to convince the EU for accession it should show its might, is strategic importance and its leadership as the representative of Islam in Europe". This policy line appears to be counterproductive. While President Obama keep stressing that Turkey is a European country and repeating the importance of EU membership for us, for Europe, for U.S. and for the world, the government is chasing after a victory against the EU.

Turkey especially following the Rasmussen episode and the Obama visit appears to be at crossroads with EU.