Turkey Defines New Role in Middle East Diplomacy | Voice of America - English
Turkish foreign minister Ali Babacan is in Tehran to help find a solution to the ongoing tensions over Iran's nuclear aspirations. Turkey is increasingly playing an active role in working to resolve tensions across the Middle East. Earlier this year it was revealed Ankara had mediated the Syrian-Israeli peace talks.
On the eve of crucial talks between Iran and theinternational community in Geneva earlier this month, Iranian foreignminister Manouchehr Mottaki visited Ankara, for talks with his Turkishcounterpart Ali Babacan. The meeting centered on Iran's nuclearprogram, and international fears Tehran is seeking to build a nuclearbomb, a charge Iran denies. As the crisis continues, Turkeyhas stepped up its role in helping to resolve the tensions. Speakingafter meeting with his counterpart, Mottaki thanked Turkey. Hesaid we are in continuous discussions and Turkey has always followedIran's nuclear activities. He thanked Turkey for its constructiveattitude to Iran's nuclear activities. Babacan in the pastmonth has been talking with officials in Iran and the United States aswell as representatives from the six countries negotiating with Iranover its nuclear program. For Babacan, trust and clarity are key toresolving the crisis. What is important is that parties shouldunderstand each other clearly, he said, adding he had the opportunityto learn the views and approach of both Iran and the group of the sixcountries. He said, this issue must be solved through dialogue. While Turkey has been active in mediating crises around the Middle East, Babacan described his country's role as un-named. GokhanCetinsaya of Istanbul Technical University, an expert onTurkish-Iranian relations and unofficial adviser to the foreignministry, says it's key that Ankara is seen as a credible negotiator. "I think in that sense Turkey is in a very unique position. Iran knowsTurkey is also going to lose if there is going to be a war between Iranand United States. So Turkey is sincere in that sense. It's a uniquerole at this particular moment in the regional politics -- both Iranand Israel. Can you imagine? Maybe five years ago it was different," hesaid. Five years ago was when the present Islamic-rooted Justiceand development party, or AK party, came to power. The AK leadership,which has strong ties with many Middle Eastern rulers has, unlike itsrecent predecessors, chosen to be actively engaged in the region,according to Soli Ozel an international relations expert at BilgiUniversity. "There is no question this government in particularpays serious attention to the Middle East wishes to make Turkey animportant player in developments whether it be the Israeli-Syrianfront, whether it be Iraq or Israeli-Palestine front," he said. InIraq Turkey played a pivotal role in persuading Sunni Iraqi leaders toparticipate in the 2005 general election, after a secret meeting inIstanbul. Turkish diplomatic sources also say Ankara recently helpedto end an impasse in Lebanon between rival political parties over thepresidential election. But it's Ankara's role in brokering thestart of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel, which furtherdefined their role in the region. For the last few months,secret talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv have been held in Istanbul.The most recent was this week, and further talks are reported to bescheduled for mid-August. Soli Ozel explains Ankara's role. "It's morethan a messenger , and less than a mediator, I think the appropriateterm to use is a facilitator. Obviously this shows all concernedparties, trust Turkey." he said. Near and Middle Eastern countries havebeen deeply suspicious of the Turks, who once ruled them as part of theOttoman Empire. But history appears to be giving way to growingconcerns over Iran's nuclear program. Experts say Turkey, fornow at least, appears to be in the unique position as the region's onlyhonest broker. Ankara's success has been built on the foundation offive years of political and economic stability at home. But IstanbulTechnical University's Cetinsaya warns that those diplomatic gains canbe easily lost. "It is vulnerable, let's say, to economiccrisis, political crisis, or change of actors," he said. "The actors are importantin pursuing such a foreign policy . In that sense it's reversible inforthcoming months. The ruling AK party this week narrowlyescaped closure by the country's constitutional court after beingconvicted of undermining the secular state. With Ankara playing anincreasingly active diplomatic role in the region, at a time of highpolitical tension, experts say the repercussions of Turkey's internalstrife could affect areas far beyond its borders.