As well, the latest initiative follows murder of Hrant Dink. Not just the murder, but also the scandalous treatment of the murderer by the security forces - these certainly increase the likelihood of its approval by the US congress. It is crystal clear that if the genocide resolution passes it will have tremendous implications, both on the conduct of Turkish-American relations and Turks’ perception of the US. Afterwards it will be extremely difficult to make anyone believe in an alliance with the US, let alone strategic partnership, a trend that had started long ago. However a new strategic concept still justifying a partnership can be devised by officials from both sides in an attempt to repair the alliance. But the damage inflicted on the public perception of the US within Turkey would not be restored for a long time. It will give a strong push to the already heated nationalism, with strong implications for Turkish domestic politics, and force the Turkish government to go along with a more aggressive foreign policy, the first sign of which would be a unilateral intervention in Northern Iraq
We should therefore expect a peak in the resentment, disappointment and distrust among Turkish people directed towards the USA, an attitude labeled as anti-Americanism. There are already some hard data pointing to the phenomena of a widespread anti-Americanism. According to a public opinion poll conducted in 2006 by Pollmark, a public opinion research company, 82 percent of Turks have a negative view of President Bush, 80 percent oppose US policies in the world and 84 percent oppose the occupation of Iraq by the American troops. Moreover, 73 percent do not want the Turkish government to co-operate with the US in Iraq, while 44 percent regard the US as the greatest obstacle to a permanent peace in the Middle East followed by 34 percent believing the same about Israel. Maybe the most alarming figure is that 31 percent of Turkish people consider a direct military intervention in Turkey by US troops as a distinct possibility in the near future, a shocking result after decades of alliance between the two countries.
No doubt prevalence of such a public image of the US and US policies complicates the management of a co-operative relationship with the US, which will certainly be much worse if the bill is endorsed by the congress. It will be a perfect ground on which a xenophobic notion of nationalism will infiltrate further into the minds and the hearts of the Turkish people, overlapping and vindicating the nationalist worldview that the world comes together to destroy Turkey, that it does not have any friends in the world, and that to fight against the enemies surrounding the country requires a uniform society and authoritarian politics.
If the members of US American congress think that they will be better off when xenophobic nationalists rule this country then they should go ahead and approve the resolution, which will certainly bring those xenophobic forces even closer to power. But not only this country, but also the US will also be the losers.
Democrats in the US congress should think twice before losing the sympathy of the Turks. Anti-Americanism was before explained by many as a reaction of Turkish people to the policies of the Bush administration, and as such less of a persisting anti-American trend as much as a temporary anti-Bush and anti-administration resentment. Therefore some, remembering the Clinton era, believe that the relationship will return to its normal course after an expected Democrat victory in the next presidential elections. It is important to keep this door open for a new start when a democrat is elected into the White House. Democrats have the chance to maintain the hope alive for a working strategic partnership between the two countries by rejecting the proposed resolution.
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