Hurriyet Daily News: Change in Turkish foreign policy is reflection of change in global system

Hurriyet Daily News

Monday, July 12, 2010

Novroz İlgun

Turkey and Brazil took action when Washington failed to find a solution either alone or through the assistance of the international community to the long-standing conflict with Iran.

For Turkey and Brazil consider the Iranian issue as their own. Washington couldn’t establish a dialogue with Iran for a long time; neither have the efforts of mediators made a difference. An agreement among Turkey, Brazil and Iran happens to offer a new breath to the international community.

In this case, it would make more sense for Washington to support the Turkey-Brazil initiative in order to protect its national interests. Claiming that the nuclear energy agreement signed between Brazil and Iran was for saving Iran from a difficult situation, people couldn’t see the recent international tendency.

An analysis of the last five years of Turkish foreign policy indicates that the new strategy has become a factor contributing to the democratization process in the field of international affairs in the 21st century. Change in Turkish foreign policy is the reflection of a change in the system of international affairs and in Turkey’s own position.

Politicians and experts focusing on international affairs keep saying for some time that a serious change is needed in this particular field. The number of people who raise objections that international law has been transformed into a monopoly, in other words used as a tool by a few states and their national interests, is increasing. The mechanism of international law supposedly to serve all states, couldn’t bring a solution, stability or an atmosphere of trust.

Stability and trust in the world can be achieved if justice becomes the main principle of international affairs. Bringing justice in and maintaining a fair approach at the same time is difficult. For instance, the Unites States and some European countries overlook the fact and try to impose a “normalization” of Turkish-Armenian relations on the regional countries without even having in-depth analysis of the issue that caused trouble. No constructive solution was found in the end. Unfortunately we see similar steps are being taken more and more.

All right, but what could we do to establish a fair international affairs system?

- International law, a key to all states, shouldn’t be transformed into a monopoly.

- All states should make contributions to shaping up international affairs. This is normal and legitimate.

- Democracy as the most important priority and fundamental law in modern development should be accorded attention in this particular field.

In this angle, the initiative Turkey and Brazil has launched to solve the Iranian question is possible only with a call for justice. Strangely though, the West took such a step by Turkey and Brazil as a surprise. Western politicians and commentators fail to keep their cool when it comes to international affairs. They have criticized Turkey and Brazil and questioned the duo’s authorities to start such an initiative. Similar moves on no sensible ground are troublesome and imply different motives.

Why did the step of Turkey, as the most important ally of the West for decades, cause such jealousy? Considering the fact that both Turkey and Brazil have been allies of the U.S. for long, how should we read this reaction? In fact, the move of Turkey and Brazil should’ve been regarded as a good will gesture to help the West, but that was not the case.

Apparently, for a particularly dominant group in the West global values mean acting in the direction of demands and requests of a single center, but this is against rules and logic. One thing the West shouldn’t forget is that the ruling of the world by a single center in the 21st century in particular cannot be said to be democratic and fair. If this is the approach, it could cause problems and a new polar opposite will emerge. It is impossible to maintain justice and security by efforts to bring international organizations such as the United Nations established to create a democratic atmosphere in international system in the service of a single-center administration.

Turkey as a strong and democratic state is trying to solve the problems of the region. This is normal. The West inculcating democracy into other countries should accept Turkey’s move as part of the normal development of democracy and as a goodwill attempt.

* Novroz İlgun is serving at the Department of Foreign Relations, Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

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