In New York, Turkey’s foreign minister sees expanded role for his country

by Florence Avakian

Published: Saturday September 27, 2008

Ali Babacan. Wikipedia.

New York - Invited by the prestigious Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), Ali Babacan, the foreign minister of Turkey, spoke to approximately 50 members and mainly Turkish media on Monday evening, September 22. In an effort to portray Turkey as a partner and friend of the United States, he stated, on "the top foreign policy issues of Turkey and the top foreign policy issues of the United States, you would find that out of 10, at least seven or eight are identical issues."

Without delineating the similarities or differences, he said, "We see a broad consensus between Turkey and the United States on the ideas and objectives related to both regional and global issues. We also see a common resolve to move forward on the critical issues we are all faced with." He went on to cite a "commonality of vision and resolve."

In New York on the occasion of the opening of the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Babacan, speaking in English, addressed several issues in general terms, without going into detail.

A trilateral meeting

Mr. Babacan announced that the foreign ministers of Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly session, on Friday, September 26. This will be, he said, "our very first trilateral meeting," so that "we can discuss the issues of our regions altogether among each other."

[The Armenian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it had not yet decided whether to accept Turkey's invitation. Trilateral meetings have taken place as recently as June 2004. See Tatul Hakobyan's story elsewhere in this newspaper.]

Mr. Babacan had accompanied President Abdullah Gül in his historic visit to Yerevan on September 6 at the invitation of President Serge Sargsian of Armenia to watch a soccer match between the two countries. "Before the game, actually, our diplomats were already in touch base with the Armenian diplomats for quite some time. So there was already a communication going on, I would say, between our diplomats. But then after the game, then the discussion has been raised to political levels, so that was probably an important event to put the relations or talks, I would say, into a new phase," Mr. Babacan said.

He added that Armenia "seemed to be quite sincere that they want a solution." He said, "we have been openly discussing the bilateral issues, including the 1915 events." He noted, "It will be difficult to overcome some of the historical baggage that continues to haunt us all in the region," and that Turkey wants to set up "a joint commission of historians, scientists, different people from different disciplines of science who could look into the archives and find out what happened and what did not happen. And we already convinced ourselves that whatever the outcome of that study is, we are ready to face the results."

On the Karabakh issue, the Turkish foreign minister said Turkey is hoping for a resolution. Referring to Armenian forces entering Kelbajar, outside the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh, in 1993 - and implicitly acknowledging that Nagorno-Karabakh is not Azerbaijani territory - Mr. Babacan said, "Turkey actually closed the border with Armenia after Armenians started to invade the Azeri territory. That's how it happened actually."

He said that after the elections in Azerbaijan in October, he expects a "faster process."
Mr. Babacan noted also that Turkey is seeking election as a non­permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term.

On Russian-Georgian hostility, Mr. Babacan said Turkey engaged in "shuttle diplomacy" to "get the parties to start talking to each other in a meaningful manner and not through megaphone diplomacy." He echoed Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan's call for a Caucasian Stability and Partnership Platform that would involve Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, and expressed support for the "territorial integrity of Georgia."

Praising the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, he said that Turkey does not want the West dependent on Russian energy. However, he acknowledged that Russia is Turkey's number one trading partner.

On the Palestinian question he called for a "final solution," which, he said, would be "based on two states living side by side with recognized and secure borders." He noted with pride Turkish relations with Israel, which he characterized as flourishing. Concerning Syrian-Israeli relations, he said both countries trust Turkey, and pointed out that four rounds of indirect talks have already taken place. "What are necessary are direct talks," he said. He also declared that stability in the Middle East cannot be achieved without stability in Iraq.

On the Iranian nuclear issue, Mr. Babacan emphasized that Iran has the right to make peaceful energy, and called for a "diplomatic process" toward its solution. And relating to the Lebanese situation, he said he looked forward to negotiations between Lebanon and Syria, and added that Turkey had contributed to UNIFIL in Lebanon.

On the Cyprus question, Mr. Babacan called for two states on the island. He also announced that Turkey wants to open fifteen embassies in Africa.

Critical of the European Union

Concerning Turkey's stalled bid to join the European Union, Mr. Babacan said the EU "is not always showing the determination that it did in the last round of enlargements." It must "must include Turkey among its strengths," he declared. "The European Union is certainly not doing itself any long-term strategic favors by keeping Turkey at arm's length"

During the question-and-answer session, only five questions were permitted, three from Council of Foreign Relations members, and two from Turkish reporters. Former member of Congress Dr. John Brademus, currently the president emeritus of New York University, a CFR member, stated strongly that Turkey, which militarily occupies Cyprus, cannot join the European Union. "Why don't Turkey's troops get out of Cyprus?" he asked. Mr. Babacan replied that there are also Greek troops on Cyprus, and that Turkey wants a reduction in both Turkish and Greek troops.