In the past, if there was a serious problem in our region, the leaders of Western countries, including Britain and France, would have traveled to Washington for consultations. And some usual partners from the region, i.e., the Mubarak regime of Egypt, would have occupied the front seats of the talks. Turkey, on the other hand, was like a vase on the table. There was no difference between our presence and absence. Now we have a seat, and naturally the US has been turning its attention toward Turkey. What we say and what we do matter. This is the primary reason for the growing attention Davutoğlu (and of course towards the Justice and Development Party [AK Party] government and Turkey) has been receiving from civilian and official platforms during his visit to Washington. Davutoğlu has made three separate presentations at three institutions since Thursday -- the George Washington University, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank and the American-Turkish Council (ATC).
At all these meetings, the halls were packed, with Americans forming the majority of the audiences, not Turks. Davutoğlu made our friends proud, raised respect among those who knew little about Turkey and made enemies take off their hats. As usual, his logical, intellectual and well-versed analyses and suggestions for solutions were impressive. If he were not impressive, could he have held high-level talks and meetings at the Congress? Would the renowned senators, including John McCain and Joe Lieberman who are close to the anti-AK Party camp in Turkey, who had previously talked to him at the Security Conference in Munich have requested subsequent meetings in Washington? In the US capital, it is possible to have one-time meetings with many but it is difficult to schedule a second appointment.
The hosts at the Congress not only held a meeting with the minister, in a rare gesture, they also accompanied him on a tour of the Congress building. It is interesting that a Turkish foreign minister has attracted attention and respect at the US Congress, the stronghold of the Israeli lobby in the US, at a time when bilateral ties between Turkey and Israel are so tense. Naturally, not only the personality of Davutoğlu but also the rising power and influence of the country he represents on the global stage have played a role in attracting this attention. If this is the case at the Congress, whose relations with Turkey have been historically low-key, you can imagine the situation with the executive branch of the US government with which Turkey has closer ties. Davutoğlu is set to have talks and meetings with the three most influential cabinet members after the president and vice president: State Secretary Hillary Clinton, White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. It is no secret that the main topic of discussion will be Syria.
As far as I understand, the Turkish and American administrations are not considering a military operation in the short and mid-term. However, both countries are preparing contingency plans that consider different options. The priority issue at present is to initiate an international campaign for humanitarian relief in Syria and to increase international pressure on the Assad regime by non-military means without requiring the blessing of the UN Security Council. The US has welcomed the international platform initiative proposed by Turkey.
Some have questioned why Turkey is now trying to involve international institutions, the US and other big powers in the Syrian issue despite it previously not wanting international actors to be involved in the regional issue and wanting to take action alone to solve it. This is not a fair criticism to make. Turkey has pursued a consistent policy in which it has tried regional options as well. It has engaged with the leading powers in the region (Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt), with the exception of Israel. The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have been important elements in the equation. Now, in an effort to support the regional attempts at finding a solution, Turkey has taken the issue to an international level, and with this move, it is seeking to overcome the deadlock that has occurred in solving the Syria issue. It has laid the legal and political groundwork for more active intervention, if required in the future.
But despite these intense ties and talks with Washington, why is Turkey not perceived as a puppet of the US in the region? The government has demonstrated that it will oppose Washington and its unfair policies when necessary, and by doing so, Turkey has attracted the attention and admiration of the people in the region. The prime minister’s sincere and bold style has been influential in the emergence of such sentiment. If this remains the case, Turkey will preserve its image as the most prestigious country in the region once the turmoil and problems are settled because Turkish foreign policy, as frequently noted by Davutoğlu, sides with the correct side of history. Without acting along extreme ends of passivity and adventurism, Turkey is trying to reach a solution about Syria by negotiating with all relevant actors. It is not static; its ability to adapt is visibly high.
I think Ankara’s interpretation of the recent developments -- and I believe Davutoğlu has played a visible role in this -- and its decision to drop the Cold War approaches to its foreign affairs have been extremely helpful. With the Obama administration having done the same, America’s approach to foreign policy is getting close to Turkey’s, which will eventually promote cooperation and harmonization between these two states. I have no doubt that cooperation between Turkey and the US will lead to the formulation of a common roadmap in respect to the Syrian issue.
