It has been over a year since the President Obama made one of his first visits to Turkey and gave strong peace messages to the Islamic world. He praised that moderate Turkish model and its peaceful policies in the Middle East torn by endless conflicts. He received a warm welcome as one singer composed a song after Obama, reflecting the popular sympathy toward him. The Muslim world hoped that the new America would be different from the aggressive Bush period. Not much changed in the Middle East over a year. No peace prospect in the Middle East as the Palestine is squeezed under Israeli occupation; conflict and violence of various kinds persist in Iraq; Obama is shifting from diplomacy toward war against Iran. Let’s not forget the rising violence in Afghanistan, Pakistan or other places like Kirgizstan. While the Obama administration had very good prospects to work with Turkey to deal with the world’s major problems, we are losing these opportunities.

 

As a member of the NATO, Turkey has been helping the US to keep peace in Kosovo, Afghanistan and other places. It helps the unity of Iraq as a major policy concerns for the US. It even opened a close dialogue with Iraq’s Kurdish authority. It is helping to bring Syria closer to the western world. Turkey’s peaceful relations with its neighbors are good for everyone. Moreover, Turkey is providing Iraq basic goods without which conflicts might increase there. The shortage of electricity, for example, caused serious unrest in Iraq’s oil rich Basra province last week.

 

President Obama initially shared similar views with Turkey on the region’s major problems, namely, the Palestine problem, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Even before Obama came to power Turkey was mediating between Syria and Israel, between Hamas and Israel until the Israeli government led by Ehud Olmert launched an unjustified attack on Gaza in 2008. Turkey was offended by Israel’s insincere peace-talks and by its excessive use of violence during the attack on Gaza. It was reported that Turkey was even mediating indirect talks between the US and Hamas to accept a Middle East peace deal. It is no surprise that the Turkish government could not maintain a descent communication with the current Netanyahu government more radical than Olmert’s.

 

Israel’s attack on aid flotilla organized by Turkish activists and killing several of civilians last month received a world-wide condemnation and proved that Israel had no intention for peace. Even the American government knows it. However, it failed to condemn Israeli violation of international law by attacking Turkish ships in international waters and by holding Israel responsible for killing civilians. Instead, many American politicians and journalists began to campaign against Turkey and its government despite few objective commentaries.

 

The Turkish-Brazilian deal with Iran on Uranium enrichment and their no vote in the UN sanctions are used as a major excuse to blame Turkey. The Turkish stance remained the same as it says no to any nuclear weapon in the region and adopted a good neighborhood policy. While he promised dialogue with Iran during the elections and earlier sanctions did not work against Iran and Saddam. Obama began to adopt the Bush policies toward Iran because of pressure by the friends of Israel in Washington. The success chance of these sanctions look very slim.

 

The Israeli lobby and the Neo-cons launched a negative campaign in the US against the AK Party government. They are claiming Turkey became an ally to Iran while Brazil is not. They are calling for the fall of the Erdogan government in the next elections by supporting an alternative government in Ankara. The sole candidate for an alternative government would be between a secular CHP and nationalist MHP. Both have strong nationalistic and anti-western policy-orientation. They claim the Erdogan government is giving in to the US more than necessary. There are no signs that they would adopt more favorable actions toward Israel or America. In fact, their coalition government can aggravate the relation with the Kurds and have a destabilizing effect in Iraq. Both CHP and MHP reject EU membership and alliance with the European Union and the USA. They shoe no sympathy for the AK Party’s rapprochement with Armenia and talks on Cyprus problem.

 

Turkey’s moderate government supports the EU membership and even brought many Islamists in the Arab world close to the West as some even support the EU membership, replacing Iran and radical groups that categorically reject the West and its ideals. With its working democracy and human rights, Turkey can inspire the Muslim world for a peaceful dialogue instead of the Iranian radical model. The American media’s daily attack on moderate Turkish model will weaken the hands of the moderates in the Muslim world and alienate them from the West. As the Turks do not like threats or bullying, any outside imposition easily backfires as happened many times before.

 

Turkey is the victim here with the loss of its civilian activists and the attack on its ships in international wars. It is not fair to blame the victim and to encourage the aggressor. Everyone talks about what Turkey must do for the US not the other way around. We do not expect the US to prefer Turkey over Israel but at least Obama can remind Israel that its unlawful actions are harmful to both Israeli and American interests around the world. This is not much if American wants to claim a moral leadership in the era of communication as the whole world is watching. By Ahmet Uysal

 

In brief, the opportunities of working for world peace by Obama and Erdogan are slipping away due to Israel’s uncontrolled actions in the region and its grip on American politics. While Turkey is helping the US to fight its terrorists from Afghanistan to Iraq, the US government must help Turkey to fight the Communist PKK terrorists from the north of Iraq. The rising ethnic tension will destabilize the Middle East, damaging the USA interests by actually forcing Turkey to align with Iran to fight the PKK together.