[Rue 89, France]
Zaman, Turkey
Turks Agree: Obama's
Nobel Reflects Hope, Not Action
"He offers
no hope at all and he has done nothing. Those who pin hopes on him will be
sorely disappointed."
-- Hüsnü Mahalli,
columnist for Turkey's Akşam Daily
October 10, 2009
Turkey - Zaman - Original Article (English)
According to Turkish analysts,
President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize not because of what he's done,
but for what he will hopefully do to promote global peace,.
When he made his first visit
to Turkey in April, Obama managed to reverse, though only to a certain extent, widespread
anti-American feeling among the Turkish public. It was a charm offensive that involved
top-level talks on the Middle East and an address to Parliament, as well as a
visit to Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque and long meeting with Turkish young
people. The visit convinced Turks that Obama was nothing like his predecessor George
W. Bush, who had record-low popularity rates in Turkey. But most people
remained skeptical about whether he would live up to his promise of change.
Onur Oymen, deputy chairman
of the opposition Republican People's Party, said, “This award isn't for what
Obama has done. It is what he's expected to do. It's for hope and for the expectation
of change. The world has huge expectations of him.”
Asked what he has actually done
to have made him worthy of the Nobel, Oymen cited Obama's attempts to close
down the Guantanamo prison and his positive message of dialogue with the Muslim
world.
The Nobel committee's
decision is likely to please the Turkish government, which is working with the Obama
Administration to normalize
relations with neighboring Armenia. The White House has also taken a
positive stance on Turkish initiatives to improve the dialogue with Syria, Iran
and Palestinian groups, including the radical group Hamas - actions that were
criticized by the previous administration.
“We certainly welcome that
the leader of a country that we view as an ally was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize, particularly given the fact that he paid one of his overseas visits to
Turkey,” said one Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Obama's Nobel Peace Prize may
indirectly bolster Turkey's leverage in talks with Armenia and efforts to resolve
the dispute over Cyprus. According to Özdem Sanberk, a former foreign
minister and an esteemed analyst, these are objectives supported by the Obama Administration.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Rue 89, France:
Nobel 2009: Obama a (Premature) Icon of Peace
Der Spiegel, Germany:
For Barack Obama, Nobel Prize
More of a Burden than an Honor
The Times, U.K.:
'Absurd Decision'
on Obama Makes Mockery
of Nobel Peace Prize
The Times, U.K.:
'Pointless' Nobel Reveals How Obama is Lost in His own Mystique
India Today, India:
[Indian] People's Verdict:
Obama Not 'Nobel' Enough
NTV Kenya Video:
'Yes He Can and Yes
He Did' Win the Nobel Prize
Russia Today Video:
Nobel Peace Prize
for Obama a 'Big Mistake'
France 24 Video:
Does Barack Obama
Deserve Nobel Peace Prize?
BBC News Audio:
IAEA Chief
ElBaradei Says 'No One
More Worthy' than Obama
BBC News Video:
After Mandela and
Tutu, South Africans Applaud
Obama Nobel Victory
BBC News Video:
Israeli President
Peres Praises Nobel Prize for Obama
“It's obvious that it's Armenia
and Greek Cypriots who are less enthusiastic about resolving these disputes. The
Nobel for Obama indirectly supports efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue and
achieve Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, since Obama so clearly supports both
goals,” Sanberk said. He noted that the Nobel committee's decision will raise
the pressure on Greek Cyprus and Armenia if they reject a settlement. “Those who
oppose a solution will now know that they do so at the expense of confronting a
U.S. president whose commitment to peace has been honored by the Nobel
committee,” he added.
This award is itself a
message that the international community wants peace and supports the new U.S.
administration in its effort to reverse Bush-era policies that hardly promoted
peace, according to Sanberk. “This award is an encouragement for U.S. diplomats
working for a peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear dispute or for a settlement
in the Middle East,” he said.
Nevertheless, the criticism most
widely expressed in the Middle East over the choice of Obama was echoed in
Turkey.
President
Obama addresses Turkish Parliament, April 6. WATCH 
“I don't think it was unusual
to choose Obama, since it sends a message of support for what Obama has promised
to do. But I can't say that criticism citing the fact that he hasn't actually
done anything is completely wrong,” said Mehmet Altan, chief columnist for the Star
Daily.
“What has he done? Has he
brought peace to Afghanistan or Palestine? Has he resolved the Cyprus problem
or ended the threat from the PKK (the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party)?”
asked Hüsnü Mahalli, a columnist with a Syrian background from the Akşam
Daily. “He offers no hope at all and he has done nothing. Those who pin
hopes on him will be sorely disappointed,” he said.
[Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US October 9, 8:10pm]
