Turkey’s public diplomacy efforts start with former foe Greece

Some prominent Turkish scholars and journalists met with their Greek counterparts in Athens and discussed bilateral relations and regional cooperation as well as their perceptions of each other in the two-day meeting.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Chairman of Foreign Affairs Ömer Çelik in his opening remarks at the meeting underlined that although the AK Party is a conservative party, at the same time it is attempting a transformation for the sake of stability.

He underlined that Turkish modernization is established on the basis of an elitist model that has led to a conflict between periphery and center, but since the AK Party came to power this situation has been transformed and democracy has been strengthened. According to Çelik, this transformation is also reflected in the foreign policy of Turkey; he stated, “Our [guiding] principles in foreign policy are zero problems with neighbors, a win-win approach and a desire to act on the basis of moral values.”

He stressed that in the Balkans, Middle East and Caucasus individual countries have thought for a long time that their own stability and prosperity can only be established at the expense of the others, but their party is trying to change this understanding. “We think that only regional prosperity can assure the prosperity of the individual countries, only regional security can ensure the individual countries’ security. We don’t want neighbors that are concerned about their stability, security and prosperity. This is against our interests. This is why I can tell you that Turkey’s most important export is stability,” he said.

Çelik reminded the participants that in the past Turkey and Greece had followed policies at each other’s expense but that the political vision of the AK Party is based on the idea of not only trying to solve the bilateral problems but also improving a joint vision of regional and global issues.

“We have to transform our relations from two separate monologues into a meaningful dialogue. This is the only way to create a joint vision. Bilateral problems will be easily solved when we turn into countries that are elevating each other instead of trying to bring each other down. We think that solving the bilateral problems between Greece and Turkey is not enough; we should concentrate on acting with a common vision for addressing problems in the region,” he said.

Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister İbrahim Kalın underlined that Turkish foreign policy has started to be based on self-confidence, especially in recent years, and that the source of this self-confidence is an improvement in Turkish society’s self-esteem, which derives from the success in the struggle for democracy. According to him, the Turkish economy has also improved very quickly and the Turkish business community has become a new actor in foreign policy.

Kalın also stressed the zero problems with neighbors and win-win principles of Turkish foreign policy and said the political will to solve bilateral problems between Greece and Turkey is very strong, adding: “If you consider our rather troubled relations of the last 60 years, this is a new beginning. The political will has to be followed by public opinion. We should prepare our societies for further engagements to address all these problems. Once we do that we can imagine a new eastern Mediterranean, based on mutual understandings,” Kalın told the audience.

Professor Loukas Tsouskalis reminded the participants that Greece is going through a serious economic crisis but that this crisis is leading towards a major transformation in politics as well. He underlined that the majority of Greeks realize that the country has to pass through structural reforms and that the only alternative is experiencing some pain in order to succeed in the long run.

“The country is going through a difficult period, but the most likely scenario is that the country will end up with a much more dynamic and competitive economy and more self-confidence, and this positive change in our domestic situation will be reflected in our foreign policy,” he explained.

Dr. Thanos Dokus, general director of ELIAMEP, underlined that the top priority of the Greek government is to restore its image and to conduct its foreign policy with limited economic means. After summarizing Greek relations with Balkan countries and the EU, he recalled that Greek-Israeli ties had recently started to improve -- a move that has been welcomed by Greek business circles.

However, he added that Greece has a privileged relationship with Palestine and that although its relations with Israel have drawn criticism from some circles in the country saying that Greece has sacrificed its ethics this was not the situation, and Greek-Israeli relations should be evaluated in accordance with pragmatism.

When it comes to Turkish-Greek relations Dokus underlined that due to Turkey’s zero problems with neighbors foreign policy there are high expectations in Greek society for an improvement of bilateral relations but that some segments of society think nothing has changed and that nothing will change. He also referred to the results of the referendum for constitutional amendments held in Turkey in September, saying, “We hope the referendum results will strengthen the Turkish government and that they will reflect bilateral relations.”

Tarık Oğuzlu from Bilkent University underlined that a culture of crisis management in Turkish-Greek relations has developed but that an approach which values conflict resolution has not yet been attempted. He also mentioned that in the past Greece was considered a troublemaker in Turkey’s EU process but that this perception has changed.

“For Turkey, more than EU membership, the process of accession is important, and such a perception is easing Turkish-Greek relations,” he pointed out.

Oğuzlu added that there are still challenges awaiting bilateral relations, including the perceptions among the public in both countries, the need to be under the common EU identity umbrella and, most importantly, the Cyprus issue.

Professor Panagiotis Tskonas from Aegean University also spoke about the EU-Greece-Turkey triangle and said in the past Greece referred its disagreements with Turkey to the EU, but now this situation has changed. He added: “The EU asked Turkey to be careful about its relations with Greece, but withdrew from bilateral problems. This is an important change because it brings a new dynamism to bilateral relations.”

During the meeting several participants raised certain concerns; for example, Fuat Aksu from Yıldız Technical University underlined that despite the good will, the atmosphere based on mutual trust is not truly sustainable. Aksu also underlined that several problems stem from the foundation of both countries and that major problems such as drawing maritime borders have not been solved.

Aksu also underlined that trade relations have not reached a point that can create pressure on the political level for the solution of certain problems.

Elçin Macar, also from Yıldız Technical University, underlined in his speech the importance of discrimination against minorities in both countries and added that both Turkey and Greece must take steps forward in this field.

Writer Hercules Millas emphasized the existence of prejudice stemming from nationalistic perceptions of identity and that sitting down at the table before having addressed these prejudices does not usually yield beneficial results.