Common history, common destiny and common future

Just 10 years ago, it was unimaginable for Syria and Turkey, which were on the brink of war, to set sail toward “unlimited” friendship. Iraq, which had become a nest of terrorism, was a country that was far from being a friend. It is for this reason that during the US-led invasion of Iraq, Turkey almost became a partner in crime. But by rejecting the March 1 motion, Parliament duly represented the national will. Now Turkey has reached a point where it is contemplating removing restrictions against Iraq. Signing protocols with Armenia and agreeing to open the border was previously unlikely to happen. But it has happened. The process began not with the language of cold diplomacy but with a warm conversation over sports. The establishment of a free trade zone with Iran is another item that is on the agenda. Bridges have already been built with Nakhchivan and Georgia, and relations have improved to the highest level. However, my same friend said, “There is more distance to be traveled en route to building friendships with neighbors.”

The AK Party executive, who linked the success of these initiatives to the escape from “deep” structures left over from the Cold War, asked, “Could these steps have been taken if a structure that generated chaos to create an atmosphere fit for a coup continued its activities?”  The executive noted that Turkish officials would return a visit paid by George Papandreou, who traveled to Turkey on his fifth day in office after being elected prime minister of Greece. The Greek leader had shared a peace-building award with İsmail Cem during his tenure as foreign minister. The senior AK Party official also said that with the closure of the crisis chapter with Bulgaria, relations between the two countries will be significantly improved. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutuoğlu's emphasis on “a common history, a common fate and a common future” includes the message that Turkey will grow with its neighbors.

A friend of mine who is a foreign policy expert said the slogan “A common history, a common fate and a common future” was crafted deliberately. “For example, it's no coincidence that there is no reference to a common culture. We share a common culture with neighbors with which we have a common history, but that kind of expression would have been limiting. As for the reference to a common fate, it encompasses everyone in the region. The emphasis on a common future expresses that it would be easier to build a high-quality future if it is done together. We can extend this partnership to our neighbors that have a coast on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. We are evaluating every opportunity for peace and friendship, including soccer and provocations,” he added.

Asked what he meant by provocations, my friend went on to explain: “In the first week of September 2007, Israeli jets used Turkish airspace to attack a military building in Syria. This attempt, which could have ruined relations with Turkey, had the complete opposite effect. The two countries did not fall into that trap.” Speaking of Israel, I asked, “Why was the problem with Israel deepened when ‘zero problems with neighbors' initiatives were being launched one after the other?”

He said the exclusion of Israel from the Anatolian Eagle military drill was a step toward solving the problem. Noting that they wanted to help Israel face the Gaza massacre it carried out at the start of the year, my friend said: “You are going to kill innocent people and then act like nothing happened. Is there a more diplomatic way that could have been used to explain that that era has now passed?”

“Ayrılık,” a television drama from Turkish state-owned station TRT, which narrates the tragedy in Gaza, has increased tension between Israel and Turkey, with Israel summoning Turkey's acting ambassador to protest the series. Israel shot itself in the foot by making Ayrılık popular Many people heard the name of the TV series “Ayrılık,” aired by the state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), after a diplomatic row erupted over it. If Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, had not said the series was harming Turkish-Israeli ties, many people would not have paid any attention to it. Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, who is also responsible for TRT, tried to defuse the tension. “The Turkish government has no intention of severing ties with Israel,” he said, adding that the show does not contain any anti-Semitic material. He stated that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity, which Turkey rejects. On the other hand, he could not help but be pleased that the recent discussions about the series have increased its popularity and TRT's ratings. Well, maybe Israel tried to make gains over the series, but it has shot itself in the foot by making the series popular.