OPINION
Tuesday 06th of January 2009 01:24:55 PM  GMT+2 
 

 

Strong position in Mideast enhances Turkey in the EU

The strength of Turkey as an active and influential player in the Middle East will definitely enhance its standing as a candidate member in the European Union. We should view the Abbas, Peres visit within the framework of this reality.


Ilnur Cevik
12 November 2007

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ilnurcevik@yahoo.com

The strength of Turkey as an active and influential player in the Middle East will definitely enhance its standing as a candidate member in the European Union.

Turkey has neglected the Middle East for long years, Turkey has neglected the Arab world for long years.

That has changed gradually with the Erdogan government coming to power. Turkey had started building inroads into the Arab world and enhanciong its position when Abdullah Gul was foreign minister between 2002 and 2007.

Turkey started building strong relations with key players in the region from Iran to Saudi Arabia and has started to see the benefits in recent months.

Turkey was very much criticized for trying to contact Hamas leaders and make them see reason. But this was part of this policy of involvement that is being praised today.

Now with Abdullah Gul as president and Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the prime minister Turkey has a dynamic duo that will surely harvest many more benefits for Turkey in the near future.

Some people saw these policies as a reflex by former Islamic Gul and Erdogan to build better relations with the Islamic world and claimed this would be at the expense of the west.

They were dead wrong.

When you build strong ties with the Arab world and Iran this does not mean you are turning your back to the West.

On the contrary you only enhance your position in the Western system in NATO, in EU and in your bilateral ties with the U.S.

Turkey has been doing this very effectively.

It is thanks to this policy that Turkey hosted the meeting between Iran and the European Union in Ankara to defuse the nuclear crisis. This has only enhanced Turkey's standing in the EU.
Turkey is building strong ties with Saudi Arabia as well as Egypt. It is hosting summits between Israel and the Palestinians as well as launching special industrial projects to enhance their reconciliation efforts.

All these added shows that Turkey is on the right path. Such policies will only enhance Turkey's image in the West and help it to wipe out some of the barriers for our EU membership.

All Artices of Ilnur Cevik



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