IS TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY FOR SALE?
by Ibrahim Karagul
Yeni Safak
Feb 1 2012
Turkey
[translated from Turkish]
Maj Gen Yahya Rahim Safevi, the military advisor to Iran’s religious
leader Ayatollah Ali Hamaney, asserted that Turkey received billions
of dollars from the Qatari administration in order to create a problem
for Syria. This is a shocking allegation, an extremely disturbing,
crass and inappropriate remark. Naturally, this is going to be
refuted, but will that be enough? Has the Syria issue reduced the
way two countries regard one another to this level? If the problem
is Syria we should take a look at what is going on before discussing
the Iranian general’s comments.
It would appear that the end is in sight in Syria. There is still
intense fighting in some town and cities in Syria, certain areas have
fallen into opposition hands, in Russia the formula to get all sides
to the table was rejected by opponents and there is speculation in
the press that Beshar al-Asad’s family is trying to flee. And so
the overall opinion is that the end is in sight for the Damascus
administration.
Syria is a knot for everybody. It is very difficult to unravel. Even
if it were to be fixed, what comes next might be even tougher.
Everything is in some way connected to Syria from the Middle East’s
new power structure to the Kurdish issue, from the future of Iran’s
position in the region to what Qatar is banking on, from Arab League
initiatives to Turkey’s future in the region and from Russia’s presence
in the Mediterranean to Israel’s perceptions of the threat…
Naturally, we are watching every development regarding this country,
all the effects spilling out of the country and all the very lethal
scenarios. But mostly, we are watching them from the standpoint of
Syria-Iran and Syria-Turkey relations. According to Iran, the Syrian
administration has to stay on but according to Turkey it absolutely
has to go.
Just how these two tough and resolved attitudes pan out will perhaps
produce the most dramatic consequences for the region. It must
be because so many are looking at the matter in this way that it
suddenly became a sectarian issue. Everybody knows that dividing the
region into ethnic and sectarian camps spells suicide and everybody
is issuing warnings against this. It might not take on this dimension
but many countries are seriously taking advantage of these divisions
in their own politics.
When Iran added Iraq to its long-existing line of solidarity with
Syria and established a line that was strong enough to sever all of
Turkey’s ties with the south, this perhaps caused the Syria issue
to become more intense. From its own perspective Turkey is thinking
this: This line of solidarity extending from Iran to the shores of the
Mediterranean is largely being shaped on sectarian identities. This
future might well be powerful enough to sever Turkey’s ties with the
Middle East entirely. Just like with Turkey’s ties to Central Asia.
Ankara’s ties with Central Asia are limited to Nahchivan and this
is one of the serious outcomes of Iran’s proximity to Armenia and in
particular centuries of solidarity with Russia.
Turkey’s relations with Iran have developed significantly in recent
years. Serious partnerships have been forged in economic and security
terms. But the Syria issue could threaten these relations. There
is silence in the way Tehran views the internal conflict in Syria,
but tacit support could well sabotage relations.
The general’s statement shows that Iran’s position on the developments
in Syria and the way it regards Turkey could well become a problem.
Maj Gen Yahya Rahim Safevi can openly say that Turkey received billions
of dollars from the Qatari administration to create a problem for
Syria. According to him, “The United States gave Turkey, Qatar and
Saudi Arabia roles to play so that developments in the region would
play out to the detriment of Iran but in favor of US interests.
According to some reports, the Qatari administration gave Ankara
billions of dollars in aid to create problems for Syria.”
Immediately afterwards, the Farsi News Agency attempted a correction
in its English language section and made no mention of Safevi’s
allegations of “money” for Turkey. I think that Tehran is going to
refute this conversation. That is what usually happens. A statement
is made then it is immediately refuted saying things like, “a personal
opinion not binding on the Iranian administration.”
The problem here is not the allegation that the United States gave
roles to Turkey and a few other countries to play. These kinds of
allegations can and do occur, and are debated. Ultimately, the Syria
question is being discussed in many forms from the Greater Middle
East Initiative to the Nusayri minority regime.
However, to allege that one country took millions of dollars to create
a civil war in Turkey is extremely faulty, malicious, prejudicial
and unseemly.
We can slam every one of Turkey’s policies, question them and pour
scorn on them. A good many people do that anyway. However, it is a
very ugly situation to look at this country as one that sold itself
for a few billion dollars.
Even if that comment is refuted it is clear that Tehran has an axe
to grind with Turkey over Syria. It needs to address this problem
rather than issue a denial.
[translated from Turkish]