OBAMA – TURKEY, NATO AND THE EU
By Gene Rossides
Hellenic News of America
newsid=10167&lang=US
May 19 2009
The traditional 100 days honeymoon for a new president was reached
in late April. Most public opinion polls give President Obama solid
marks for his first 100 days, primarily for domestic affairs.
The European reaction to Obama’s first overseas trip to Europe
and Turkey, April 1 – 8 varied from favorable for his emphasis on
partnership at the G-20 economic summit in London, to mixed regarding
NATO and the EU.
NATO
The reaction to Obama at the NATO meeting in Strasburg, France was
mixed. Turkey’s Prime Minister Erodogan’s attacked the nomination
of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next NATO
secretary-general because Rasmussen strongly supported freedom of
speech for the Danish cartoonist who drew unflattering images in 2005
of the Muslim prophet Mohammed.
The fact that Obama decided to help broker a deal with Erdogan to
support the Danish Prime Minister in return for two NATO jobs and a
promise to unblock two chapters of its EU accession requirements,
instead of opposing Erdongan’s anti-freedom of speech position,
can be characterized as appeasement of Turkey.
The failure of the U.S. and other members of NATO to stand up to
Turkey’s blackmail tactics has harmed the cohesiveness of NATO. They
could have told Turkey to support Rasmussen or face suspension from
NATO because of Turkey’s aggression in Cyprus, a continuing violation
of the NATO treaty.
European Union
At the EU summit on April 5, in Prague, President Obama stressed
U.S. support for Turkey’s accession to the EU. Obama’s comments
were attacked by French President Nicholas Sarkozy who said, "I
have been working hard with President Obama, but when it comes to
the European Union it’s up to member states of the European Union
to decide on membership…I have always been opposed to this entry,
and I remain opposed."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Sarkozy on May 10, 2009 at a
meeting in Berlin objected to the inclusion of Turkey in the EU’s
enlargement. They argued that any misguided expansion might endanger
its operational effectiveness, and it should stop making empty
promises to Turkey. Merkel and Sarkozy reiterated their support for
"privileged partnership" as an alternative framework to regulate
Turkish -EU relations (Deutsche Presse Agentur, May 10, 2009).
Obama and U.S. Policy towards Turkey
Obama needs to rethink U.S. policy towards Turkey. His reiteration of
State Department policy without a critical review damaged his image
in Europe.
First, he should understand it is up to the EU members to decide on
its membership.
Secondly, he should ask: "Is full membership or a privileged
partnership for Turkey better for U.S. interests?" In my view,
a privileged partnership on security and economic matters is far
preferable for U.S. interests. Full membership with voting rights and
free movement of people would seriously damage the cohesiveness and
effectiveness of the EU. In a few decades the most populous nation
in the EU would be 99% Muslim Turkey and would alter the demographics
of Europe to the detriment of its heritage.
Third, he should support the rule of law and oppose aggression by
calling for the immediate removal of all illegal Turkish military
forces and illegal Turkish settlers from Cyprus.
I assume that the privileged partnership would still require Turkey
to meet the full conditions for accession, the acqui communautaire,
democratic norms, all Turkish military forces and illegal settlers
out of Cyprus, and recognition of the Republic of Cyprus including
the opening of Turkish ports and airports to Cypriot planes and ships
and other conditions.
Turkey-anti-Christian and anti-Semitic
Turkey was the leading anti-Christian nation in the 20th century
killing over 2,500,000 Christians and expelling another 1,500,000
Christians under a forced exchange of populations. And it was and is
a major anti-Semitic nation.
Modern Turkey emerged from the Ottoman Empire on the ashes of genocide
and to this day is in a continuing state of denial of its genocides
against Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian Christians.
Until Turkey recognizes and acknowledges its genocides and crimes
against humanity and compensates its victims, as Germany has done,
it will not become a full-fledged member of the community of civilized
nations.
Turkey has a history of unreliability as an ally during and after
the Cold War.
President Obama should read the comments on Turkey by distinguished
foreign policy analysts such as Ted Galen Carpenter, Vice President
for Foreign Policy and Defense Studies, CATO Institute, Doug Bandow,
Fellow, American Conservative Defense Alliance, Greg Copley, strategic
analyst and others.
The State Department’s appeasement of Turkey and failure to apply
the rule of law to Turkey’s aggression and occupation in Cyprus has
damaged and continue to damage U.S. interests.
Community Action Needed
Write and call President Obama and urge him to critically review
and reverse State’s harmful policy towards Turkey, and to follow
the Eisenhower doctrine of applying the rule of law to friends and
foes alike.
Contact the President as follows:
President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, DC 20500 Tel. 202-456-1111 (Comments) 202-456-1414
(Main Switchboard) Fax: 202-456-2461 E-mail: [email protected]
Send copies to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates, National Security Adviser General James Jones,
(Ret.) and Congress.
Gene Rossides, founder of the American Hellenic Institute and former
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
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