Mansur Boydaş TURKEY And ITS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
Mansur Boyda TURKEY And ITS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
By Mansur Boyda, Mensur Boydas,
Abstract
Strategic importance plays a big role in the politics of countries. After the September 11 terror attacks in New York, the strategic importance of Turkey is increased. The importance of Turkey is also known from the geographical location between Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Turkey is also a modern Muslim country and culturally stands as a bridge between Western and Islamic world. Turkey is also playing big role in the distribution of energy from Middle East to Europe. Turkey is playing a very affective role in the region as a leader, mediator and in the betterment of the foreign policies of Islamic and Western world. This report is about the strategic role for Turkey in the new era. In the region Turkey has strong relationships among all neighbors, including Israel, Russia and Arabic nations. Turkey is a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1952 and a strategic partner of United States. It is possible to consider the strategic importance of Turkey under three subsections: geopolitical dimension, economic dimension and political/cultural dimension.
Geopolitical Dimension
Turkey is in the middle of the four regions which are seen as predicament; Balkans, Caucasus, middle East and Gulf. This position puts Turkey as indispensable for the ones who have expedience in these regions. Turkey is located on the Anatolian peninsula, has three seas around: Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Sea. According to Aribogan "Anatolia has a central location in the World Island at the meeting point of three continents - Asia, Europe and Africa via the Mediterranean and over centuries was used as an express passage for invaders both going from West to East and from East to West". Especially, in the period of globalization the endurance of United States as military actions in these regions, and the distance to these regions, establishes the strategic importance of Turkey in the world. In other words, in the light of this battle Turkey has been carrying on the role of a regional power. From the strategic aspect is another power Russia, after the separation of Soviet Union, from the aspect of the arisen independent countries and autonomous governments, the potentialities of Turkey in economical, cultural and political binders. In the case of intelligent usage of these potentialities, these will add to the credibility of Turkey as a regional power. The political, economical, and military chaos in these four regions is likely to continue in the future. For this reason, the regional power characteristic of Turkey is likely to continue for many years from now. "The region has become a center of energy supplies in the 20th century. Since the regional countries are the biggest energy suppliers of the World, the region continues to play the most important role in the global political economy" (Aribogan, p.17).
The Middle Eastern countries consider using Turkey as a significant transit country to the Western world. Turkey is already has role of natural energy bridge between the Middle East and Europe. The Middle East is a major energy producer and if Turkey becomes a major energy transit corridor into the EU, the Union could increase diversification of its energy suppliers and transit countries to a rather significant extent, that there are projects that will enable Turkey to be energy transmitter to Westerns. In terms of energy Turkey is a major geopolitical importance to the Europe Union. Turkey is also important to the producer site as for them Turkey is the safest and easiest way to export route. As for these reasons Turkey is a great importance to Europe Union and to the energy producers, thus in the near future after the projects completed Turkey will be a transit route between East and West.
Economic Dimension
Turkey is a country that is rapid developing, urbanizing, carrying on economical and cultural integration with the world and has a continuously growing 70 million market. Besides, the developing technology and entrepreneurship opening to the world, not only makes Turkey a market at the same time an economical power that is producing. The economical relationship between Europe and Turkey is increasing. According to Rehn "Turkey is also becoming more and more important partner for the EU in energy. It can provide new routes for oil and gas imports to the EU from the Caspian region, Central Asia and the Wider Middle East one day also Iran. It is estimated that in 10 years time, approximately 1015 per cent of the gas needed in Europe could come through Turkey".
Turkey is also having an economical potential from the aspects of the countries and autonomous governments which are separated from Soviet Union. In addition to these if the Iraqi petrol and the Caucasian petrol marketed over Turkey for a very long time, Turkey will ensure a significant advantage. The economical importance of Turkey with the defragment of the geopolitical importance will gain a lot deeper dimension and meaning.
Political/Cultural Dimension
Upon all these factors, the most important of them is that Turkey being an Islamic country. The most significant cause is that Turkey is the only secular and democratic Islamic country. With this characteristic Turkey, in the light of both transition and developing potential, as an economical, military and political power building on credibility and importance and also more importantly generating a different model for the Islamic world. According to Celik "Writing with specific reference to the BTC, Zeyno Baran describes the geopolitical reasons why Turkey desired the pipeline, noting that, among other things, the pipeline would give Turkey regional leverage and strategic importance internationally". Generation Turkey of as a secular and democratic model for the Islamic world is not just important for the region but also for the whole world and an important issue for the history of mankind. Actually the establishment of Ataturk, Turkey stood up against the whole world as a question mark: Whether there is a universal and only transition model for the world, that is to say the stages of transition and development of nations equalized from the aspect of economy, would the cultural experiences be the same as well, or, the different cultural, religious and belief nations, would they be developed in different forms? In other words, is it possible to develop by rejecting the way of Western world?
There is an only transverse model in front of us that "Soviet Experience" collapsed, after the disappearance in history, "Islam" as a transverse model became a current issue. However Turkey is the best representative of "Islam Model" and its universal transition and development. With the existence Turkey is proving that secularism and democracy could exist in a Muslim nation and the transitions and developments could be established within the axial of these. From the aspect of political/cultural dimension examinations, when combined with the geopolitical and economical dimensions, it is clear to see that, Turkey is not only a regional power but also in the world history, from the aspect of purport to war of civilizations transition and development operations too, holding its place in the international arena.
Battle against Terrorism
The September 11 attack put forward the importance of Turkey in the region and Turkey itself had long struggled against terrorism domestically and spreading to Northern Iraq. Turkey has been fighting against terrorism domestically and internationally since 1970s. The terrorist attacks were encountered from the two sources that are Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) which attacked the Turkish Diplomats abroad and the Kurdish issue domestically. The Kurdish threat has become an international concern after two decades and with the seek of cooperation of Turkey from the Western world. Lately, this issue has become an international concern with the entrance of Turkish Soldiers to the Northern Iraq to destroy the main camps of terrorists. Turkey and United States declared that the PKK the Kurdish terror organization as the common enemy. The rising act of the Kurdish rebellions killed many innocent people in the region and the Turkish military played a harsh rule against to stop it. In the combat, there have been many incursions of Turkish Soldiers in the Northern Iraq where the headquarters of the terrorist organization locates. The relationship with Syria is stressed as the support of Syria to PKK existed. The leader of the terrorist organization was given a sanctuary by the Syrian government and the militants were easily entered the country and supported financially. This of course composed crisis between Turkey and Syria and during the 1998 Turkey used a compelling diplomacy and realistic threat of force against Syria and its support to PKK, consequently Syria gave up providing shelter to the leader of the terrorist organization. In the meantime Turkey was strengthening military ties with Israel to utilize pressure from the south. They let Ocalan the leader free and in the later year he was captured in Kenya. Turkey has been dealing with terrorism and political Islam, trying to raise the issue that terrorism and its consequences in the international platforms and establishing the need for international cooperation in struggling against terrorism. Western world was not quite interested in the proposals of Turkey. The Sep 11 attacks have approved that how the Turkish proposals' importance on this issue. After the latest strives of Turkey the Kurdish terrorism organization is included in the terrorist organization list in Europe. Despite these facts, what the terrorist organization wants from Turkey?
The Kurds who are spread in the area of Turkey, Iran and Iraq are trying to create problems in these countries. What the Kurds really want is to separate the Turkish soil and to form a country which they are willing to call "Kurdistan". According to Park "In Ankara's view, the Iraqi Kurdish self-governing arrangements pose a serious challenge to Turkey's hold over its own, equally sensitive Kurdish provinces". The Kurds in Iraq somewhat established an autonomic government in the Northern Iraq, this led the Kurds in Turkey to and gave strength on the determination of Kurdistan nation. Another reason is that the terrorism organization is leaded by the Kurds living in the Turkish soil. After the latest incursion of Turkish soldiers to the Northern Iraq region the terrorist organization have almost defeated and the ways of heroin trafficking are elaborated.
Turkey a model for Islamic World
Another determinative factor of Turkey's strategic importance is the increasing reference as a model for the Islamic world. America is always declaring the incursion to Afghanistan and Iraq as not a war against Islam rather to terrorism. This policy emerged the inclusion of Muslim countries in the international coalition in using force against Afghanistan. Turkey was chosen as the ally forces in the region as she is a member of NATO. Turkey used all its capabilities for international coalition in allowing the use of its territory and airspace for logistical support and/or its contribution to the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. This was more than a military contribution against the terrorism. In spite of Turkey being the only Muslim country with a secular system of governance and a member of NATO, was repetitively expressed not only by Turkish rule makers and also by the international observers and United States bureaucrats. The argument around the world is that Turkey would be a perfect model for the Islamic world. In the context of a model country Turkey as established as a Muslim country that reconciles Islam with liberal democracy. In his address at the conference, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Marc Grossman was also underlying that one of the few things that had not altered after September 11 was: "Turkey is once again highlighted as a model for those countries with an Islamic heritage who choose to be -and work to be- modern, secular, democratic, and true to their faith simultaneously. Those of us who have admired Turkey for this vision for years now find we are not so alone in wishing that your great endeavor succeeds". Turkey struggled a lot to be able to commit the current stage in the world. The problem with the argument that Turkey is a model country for the Islamic world is that whether it is possible to convert a society from outside. It is not easy to influence a country from outside that international actors must have strong linkages that would facilitate them to bring to bear demands on a change in the domestic factors. As an example to this relationship between Turkey and Europe Union, although the existence of strong linkages, the alteration process has not been completed in the way to be a member of Europe Union. According to Fuller "Turkey's quest for EU membership has provided the vital incentive to undertake domestic political and economic reforms, and EU membership will probably come, despite much of the pessimism in some quarters of Turkey as well as misgivings within certain circles of the EU itself". Turkey has aspirations about the European Union and because of that since 2000 there have been many reforms accomplished in human rights and law. Both Turkey and Europe Union need each other in the region as politically and economically. Eventually the membership will be undertaken although there are many concerns about Turkey.
For the world peace Turkey is the key country since 700 years three religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) lived side by side in the territories of Ottoman Empire and today of Turkey.
Mensur Boydas
Vahdi Boydas
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