[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)

Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Thorbjoen Jagland, shocks the world and apparently the U.S. president himself, by announcing that Barack Obama is the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

 

BBC NEWS VIDEO: Nobel Peace Prize awarded to President Obama for 'his extraordinary efforts to strengthen global diplomacy and co-operation between peoples,' Oct. 9, 00:01:30 RealVideo

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  

 

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“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]

 







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