Don’t trust every promise Obama makes

We all watched how the anti-American feelings in Turkey were suddenly diminished after Obama won the election. Bush was so bad, and so severely hurt the image of the United States, that even if Obama does nothing to try and change it, the man himself is enough to change this perception.

Upon his arrival Sunday evening, the Turkish people embraced Obama. Not even his Kenyan origin or his sympathy for Islam is important. His attitude alone was enough to gain our regard.

In only one day, he fixed the U.S. image that Bush destroyed over eight years. Of course, we must not forget that there are things Obama can and cannot do.

The United States is a super power and such nations only pay attention to their own interests. So there is just one thing I would like to draw to your attention: Do not to believe in everything.

Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen was announced secretary-general of NATO during the alliance’s summit only after some promises were made to Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Abdullah Gül stated that they received promises that Roj TV would be shut and Turkey would assume some posts in NATO.

In my article yesterday, I stated that the reaction to Rasmussen was correct, not an over-reaction, but taken only so far and left at that, and that the Turkish attitude was correct. In this article, I would like to warn my readers.

I would like to draw attention to the fact that one should not trust promises too much. Obama might promise as much as he likes, but if conditions change, then promises cannot be kept. Let’s keep that in mind. International relations are like that and no one can do anything about it.

Don’t forget Gen. Rogers agreement

I was on duty in Brussels during the negotiations over Greece’s departure and return to the NATO military wing after the Cyprus movement in 1974. I know each detail very well. The U.S. Gen. Rogers from the NATO forces signed an agreement with President Kenan Evren, the head of state and commander of the military coup on Sept. 12.

According to this agreement, one of the commands of NATO in the Aegean region was to be given to Turkey. But the most delicate part of this matter was that the Greeks did not want to sign such a document. The Americans were in a hurry to return Athens to NATO, so they put pressure on Ankara and said, "No document needed."

It was the era of the Sept. 12 military coup. The matter was resolved on a military basis. NATO military force commander Gen. Rogers promised Evren, "I give you my word as a soldier. The Greeks will accept your wish." And Evren as a soldier accepted his promise. What could be more valuable than a soldier’s promiseÉ?

I’ll never forget, a few weeks after this agreement, I joined another meeting in Brussels. During a meeting with Turkish parliamentarians, the U.S. Secretary of State, Alexander Haig, said, "Trust me. I will have the Rogers-Evren agreement implemented." Do you know what happened later?

The Greeks did not keep their promise. Maybe they never made such a promise and Gen. Rogers thought he would have the Greeks implement his promise to the Turks. It was too late when he noticed that he was mistaken. It was all over when he apologized to Evren later on. Greece went back to the NATO military wing in an inexpensive way. It did not pay anything in return.

In the same manner, Obama might forget his promise made in Strasbourg. To tell the truth, I think he will easily forget it. So has Turkey behaved foolishly by believing Obama and accepting Rasmussen’s candidacy? No.

Even if our exercise of power over Obama is not very strong, we have Rasmussen in our hands. We can put the NATO secretary-general through the wringer.

As far as Obama is concernedÉ I don’t think that after making such a promise the U.S. head of state will turn his back on us and look in a different direction.

Even if he forgets, Turkey will remind him quite often. Ankara is not as it used to be. It is no longer a capital that accepts every word spoken by Washington.