"Obama
may promise as much as he likes, but if conditions change, those promises very
well may not be kept. Let's just keep that in mind. This is the way international
relations work, and there is nothing any of us can do about it."
Barack Obama has become the
first American president to concretely and openly show the importance he places
on Turkey. The details of his speeches or talks that he holds aren't important.
What's important is the visit itself.
We all watched how anti-American
feeling in Turkey suddenly diminished after Obama won the election. Bush was so
bad and so severely damaged the image of the United States, that even if Obama
does nothing, the man himself is enough to change this perception.
Upon his arrival on Sunday
evening, the Turkish people embraced Barack Obama. Not even his Kenyan origins
or his sympathy for Islam matter. His attitude alone was enough to gain our
regard.
In just a single day, he repaired
the U.S. image that Bush spent eight years destroying. Of course, we mustn't
forget that there are things Obama cannot do. The United States is a superpower.
Such nations pay attention only to their own interests. So there is one item
that I would like to draw to your attention to: Don't believe everything Obama
says.
For example, after certain
promises were made to Turkey, former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh
Rasmussen was named NATO's secretary general during the Alliance's summit in
Strasbourg. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Abdullah Gül
said they had received promises that Roj TV would be shut down and that
Turkey would assume a number of posts in NATO.
[Editor's Note: Denmark-based
Roj TV is a Kurdish broadcaster perceived by Turkish authorities as favoring
Kurdish rebels that attack Turkey from Iraqi territory].
President
Barack Obama addresses the Turkey National Assembly
In my article yesterday, I said
that the Turkey's response to Rasmussen's appointment was not an over-reaction,
that Ankara's attitude was correct - and I left it at that. But today I'd like
to warn readers.
I would like to draw your
attention to the fact that one mustn't put too much stock in promises. Obama may
promise as much as he likes, but if conditions change, those promises very well
may not be kept. Let's just keep that in mind. This is the way international
relations work, and there is nothing any of us can do about it.
After the Cyprus movement of 1974
[aka/the Turkish
invasion of Cyprus] during talks on Greece's withdrawal and Turkey's return
to the NATO command, I was on duty in Brussels. I recall every detail. U.S. General
Rogers of NATO signed an agreement with President Kenan Evren, Turkey's
head of state and [years later], commander of the Sept. 12,
1980 military coup.
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According to this agreement, one
of the NATO commands in the Aegean region was to be given to Turkey. The most
delicate part of the matter was that the Greeks didn't want to sign such a
document. The Americans were in a hurry to bring Athens back into NATO, so they
pressured Ankara and told us, "No document is needed."
This was the era of the September
12 military coup, so the issue was resolved on a military basis. General Rogers,
supreme allied commander
of NATO, promised Evren, "I give you my word as a soldier.
The Greeks will accept your demand." And as a soldier, Evren accepted his
promise. What could be more dependable than a soldier's promise?
I'll never forget attending another
meeting in Brussels just a few weeks later. During a get-together with Turkish legislators,
U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig said, "Trust me. I will have the
Rogers-Evren agreement implemented." Can you guess what happened next?
The Greeks didn't keep their
promise. Perhaps they never made such a promise and General Rogers thought he
would persuade the Greeks to implement his promise. When he realized his error it
was too late. When he apologized to Evren later it was all over. Greece very inexpensively
returned to the NATO command. It paid nothing in return.
In the same manner, Obama
might forget the promise he made in Strasbourg. To be honest, I think he'll
easily forget it. So in believing Obama and accepting Rasmussen's candidacy, has
Turkey behaved foolishly? No.
Even if our influence over
Obama is meager, we have Rasmussen in our hands. We can put NATO's new secretary
general through the wringer. And as far as Obama is concerned, I don't think U.S.
president will turn his back on us and look elsewhere after making such a
promise.
And if he does forget, Turkey
will remind him often. Ankara isn't like it used to be. This is no longer a
capital that accepts every word spoken by Washington.
