Milliyet, Turkey
Feb 16 2012
Turks Are from Mars, Americans Are from Venus
by Asli Aydintasbas
[translated from Turkish]
Washington – I turned Washington upside down in the aftermath of
Foreign Minister AhmetDavutoglu’s four-day visit to the US capital to
get a sense of reactions on the Turkish and US sides as well as in the
Obama administration and in the US Congress. This is how I came up
with the mischievous title of this article.
One senior US official who attended Davutoglu’s seven-hour marathon
meeting at the beginning of the week told me: “I can say that we are
fully on the same page.” However, that is not how it appeared to me.
Let me explain. In my last article, I wrote – as a person who has
followed Turkish-US relations closely since 1996 – that this trip
featured several “firsts” for me. This is the first time in 15 years
that I am seeing this much cordiality between Washington and Ankara –
a coordination that deserves the description “second honeymoon.”
Ironically, like several other commentators, I had thought that the
breakdown in Turkish-Israeli relations would cost [Turkey] dearly in
Washington and that doors in this city would be slammed shut one by
one in the face of the AKP [Justice and Development Party] government.
The exact opposite has happened. Because of the Arab Spring and the
[NATO] Missile Shield, Ankara has become the “shining star” of the US
capital in the full sense of that term. Of course, this situation may
change abruptly but this is how it is now. In the past, Turkish
officials would rejoice if their 45-minute appointment was extended to
one hour. This time, the US Congress and administration fell only a
step short of laying a red carpet for Davutoglu. The foreign ministers
of the two countries and their aides met for several hours even though
they gotten together again in Munich only last week.
What did they discuss? For the purpose of formalities, the US side
allocated five minutes each to Cyprus, the protocols with Armenia, and
the Heybeliada seminary. For the purpose of formalities, Hillary
Clinton referred to the status of the media and freedom of the press
[in Turkey] in her private meeting with the foreign minister. However,
the two real items on the agenda of the two countries was Iran and
Syria. Indeed, the title of this article was inspired by the
difference between the postures of the two countries with respect to
Syria. Yes, as the US official told me, both countries are “on the
same page.” In other words, both believe that the Bashar al-Asad
regime has lost its legitimacy and that it has to go. However, things
get more complicated beyond that point.
The Americans do not want “to take on any responsibilities” [in Syria]
because this is an election year, because they are exhausted with war,
because matters are spinning out of control in Libya and Iraq, because
they have to cope with a nuclear Iran, and because of a thousand
reasons they explained for several hours. They are not inclined to
support any buffer zones or humanitarian corridors, nor are they
willing to help the Free Syrian Army, which is composed of soldiers
defecting from the Syrian army. Frankly, even I did not expect this
much reluctance. However, the officials I interviewed all explained to
me why certain things “could not be done.”
In contrast, Turkey has no intention of sitting on the sidelines with
its hands tied when scores of people are being killed in a
neighbouring country every day, although it is unambiguously opposed
to any military intervention. Now there is a plan that Turkey has put
on the table for the first time – or let us call it “almost a plan.”
Ankara is proposing to increase diplomatic pressure, to force the
option of creating humanitarian aid corridors to cities such as Hama
and Hims, and, if necessary, to enlist the involvement of the UN, the
Red Cross, and the Red Crescent. Ankara wants to find ways of
providing material and moral assistance to the popular movement inside
Syria working in collaboration with the Arab League and the UN. This
is making the US side to think in terms of “what can we do” rather
than “there is, unfortunately, nothing that can be done.”
As I said, this visit was a first for me. It was the exact opposite of
the picture I hadseen for many years.I am seeing for the first time a
Turkey that is “pressing” its regional activism against a United
States that wishes to remain “passive” with many “buts” and excuses of
“realism.” It is hard to say where this may lead. The people in Syria
will insist on not retreating from their revolution. I think that the
Martians will eventually convince the Venusians in diplomacy also. Is
this not always the case in real life?
[translated from Turkish]
From: A. Papazian