Monday, November 18, 2013
Davutoglu addresses the instability in the Middle East and Turkey's constructive role in transnational organizations in a recent Foreign Policy magazine article.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu noted in a recent article
for Foreign Policy magazine ahead of his visit to US capital Washington
on Monday that the US and Turkey have long been, and will continue to
be, close allies.
“In today's ever more complex and fluid international environment --
with Syria in crisis and much of the Middle East in flux -- the
U.S.-Turkish relationship remains vital for a sustainable regional and
global order,” he wrote.
He disputed analyses of increased distance between the regions by
asserting, “As I prepare to visit Washington, I disagree with the
perception that United States and its Middle Eastern allies are growing
apart.”
He continued to explain: “The partnership between the United States
and Turkey is value-based, founded upon universal principles of
fundamental rights and democratic norms. Turkey promotes these values in
its neighborhood and encourages its Western partners to uphold them as
well. Alignment with the West during times of crisis, such as the Arab
Spring, is testament to how deeply such shared values are embedded in
the genesis of our foreign policy. On that ground, the United States and
Turkey do not have the luxury of remaining aloof or apart from each
other; our joint work has proven indispensable to regional security and
stability. As a result, we have diversified our cooperation with the
United States in areas ranging from counter-terrorism and
non-proliferation to defense cooperation, energy security, know-how
transfer, and more.”
NATO the cornerstone of Turkish security policy
Stressing that Turkey's leading role in transatlantic institutions is
a primary pillar of its foreign policy, he expressed his belief that
the country would play a more constructive role in shaping the future of
Europe at a time when the region is recovering and becoming stronger.
In addition to the opening of a new chapter in Turkey's EU accession
negotiations, there are also signs of progress towards the
liberalization of EU visa regimes for Turkish citizens traveling to EU
countries, Davutoglu added.
“NATO, meanwhile, stands as the cornerstone of Turkish security
policy and our security cooperation -- from the Balkans to Central Asia
-- continues to form a bulwark against instability in the broader
region,” he wrote.
Addressing the negotiations between the US and EU on the
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP) process,
he stressed the initiative would gain great richness through the
inclusion of Turkey.
Noting that Turkey and the US are coming face-to-face with an
increasingly chaotic geopolitical environment in the Middle East and
North Africa, Davutoglu said:
“The tensions we are witnessing in this region -- which is
overwhelmingly identified with human suffering, political and sectarian
conflicts, and threats to global order -- initially grew out of popular
uprisings for dignity, legitimacy, and prosperity. As a result, they
should also be viewed as the birth pangs of an inescapable
normalization. The people on the streets have set in motion a powerful
transformative process. Any return to the old regional order is now
inconceivable, and those who have tried to resist change will find
themselves on the wrong side of history.”
He underlined that the region's future would not be determined by
“strongmen with dictatorial illusions,” but by legitimate and visionary
leaders. Davutoglu conveyed that Ankara and Washington share the same
goals regarding the Middle East.
"We will not become casualties of the ongoing psychological war"
Regarding the civil war in Syria, Davutoglu wrote, “In Syria,
progress toward the elimination of Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons is
a step in the right direction, but there is still more to be done.
Turkey will continue to extend its full support to the Syrian people
until a political transition is achieved and the rule of cruel despotism
comes to an end. We will not become casualties of the ongoing
psychological war that in vain tries to identify the Syrian people's
legitimate resistance with the dark forces of terrorism.”
Touching on the issue of the radicalization of the Syrian opposition,
he said that despite Turkey's early and numerous warnings, the
international community had failed in finding an adequate solution.
Indicating that political transformations were taking place in
neighboring countries, he concluded the real challenge in coming years
would be the establishment of a stable regional order.
“In the years following the end of the Cold War, we both contributed
to the stabilization of regional hotspots, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon. Today, we share the new
collective consciousness urging good governance and democratic
accountability in our part of the world. This awareness should form the
basis of a strong U.S.-Turkish partnership as we work to deal with the
urgent challenges in this era of global transformation.”