Yuvakuran below urges us to think about what might happen after April 24:
And he announced the most likely response:
New Turkish foreign policy seemed to have decided not to rely on the Jewish lobby in US that had helped prevent the becoming of this scenario before.
One likely idea might be that Turkish leaders believe Turkey has now self-confidence, that she is indispensable in Middle East. So that nothing changes.
But more likely idea is that Mr. Obama may try to bypass Turkey. His special envoy did not even visit Turkey… I do not think US or EU countries give much credit to Turkey at the moment and I am not sure if this is right or wrong but this seems to be the case. Turkey is risking her chances, she might win or not. Mr. Obama may have revolutionary ideas for domestic politics but in foreign policy he might have relied on the overall FP structure. Honestly, the best thing he could do would be not to start another war. We will see. But in the mean time, this dark scenario may happen. That is, the closure of İncirlik Base.
That seems inevitable. AKP cannot act against a sweeping nationalist reaction.
In the mean time, in these tense and but exciting times, your Erkan will be serving his military duty. Yes, it is time. I will write about it soon. I might miss some but experience some other things. We will see…
The Day After April 24th 2009
On 24th April 2009 Friday morning, it is most likely that the new US President will make an unavoidable and regrettable speech on so-called genocide, to put fuel on an 100-years old sad historical story in order to please his Armenian voters and to repay his election debt.
The day after, we may read that Incirlik Air Base is closed to all foreign access.
After every US presidential elections, Turkish Ministry of foreign affairs, Turkish armed forces, Turkish media, and Turkish intellectuals have an important task. When the winner is a democrat candidate, we should start to educate the newcomer, and his/her staff/ advisers, what they can expect, what to say, what not to say. ……………
Erdoğan in weekly satire magazine covers:
Harris Poll: Professional Football Continues Dominance over Baseball as America’s Favorite Sport
American void, lonely president , Simon Critchley
There is something desperately lonely about Barack Obama’s universe. One gets the overwhelming sense of someone yearning for connection, for something that binds human beings together, for community and commonality, for what he repeatedly calls "the common good". This is hardly news. We’ve known since his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic national convention that "there’s not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America – there’s the United States of America."
‘Obama Should Restore What Bush Damaged in Turkish-American Relations’
* Interview with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner, head of the USAK
By Muzaffer VATANSEVER, JTW
The director of the Ankara-based Turkish think tank USAK Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner evaluates the future of the Turkish-American Relations under the Obama administration.
Making Europe’s Relationship With Obama More Than a Flirt
Jordan Michael Smith: The unprecedented enthusiasm with which the election of President Obama has been received in Europe is deemed to sink when European and American interests will conflict. Measures can however be applied on both sides of the Atlantic to secure the positive development of the Euro-American relation.
Tank-riding prime ministers
Was the Davos incident an accident in the history of Turkish-Israeli relations, or was it the last blow to accidentally good relations?
Strong Turkish-Israeli ties will create a better Middle East
Turkey and Israel, which traditionally have enjoyed good political relations despite the ups and downs in their perceptions of the volatile Middle East, are currently going through one of their bad periods over the question of Palestine.
Rebuilding the Muslim-Jewish brotherhood after Davos
Will the Davos crisis be a turning point in the relations between Turkey and Israel, or Turks and Jews or Muslims and Jews? If so, how can the Muslim-Jewish brotherhood be rebuilt after the Davos crisis?
Is Mideast peace closer after Erdoğan’s Davos walkout?
One of the arguments brought up by critics of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Davos walkout, which followed a public confrontation with Israeli President Shimon Peres last week, was that it damaged Turkey’s role as a mediator in the settlement of conflicts in the Middle East by calling its impartiality into question.
UN chief backs Turkish PM over Davos row, expresses sadness
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon told Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan Monday that the unfair conduct of the moderator prevented the Turkish leader from expressing his views in the Gaza session in Davos.
Turkey’s Jews ask for equal democratic rights
ISTANBUL – The biggest problem of Jews in Turkey is that most people perceive them as foreigners and not citizens of this country, according to the leader of the Jewish community in Turkey.
Tension felt in military ties
ISTANBUL – The repercussions of Turkish-Israeli tension that has gradually escalated since Israel’s invasion of Gaza continue to emanate in both diplomatic and military relations.
NYTimes.com: Never Mind the Ban, Turkish Leader Stars on YouTube
Never Mind the Ban, Turkish Leader Stars on YouTube – The Lede Blog – NYTimes.com
By Robert Mackey
And he may ask himself, Well, how did I get here? Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister of Turkey, a country that bans YouTube, stares into a Webcam for YouTube.
Updated | 2:03 p.m. After The Lede’s post last Friday about the Turkish prime minister’s dramatic exit from the panel discussion on Gaza at the World Economc Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a comment posted by a reader using the name Todd S. pointed out that, officially at least, there would be no way for residents of Turkey to legally see the video clip of the event that was burning up YouTube, since access to the site is blocked in Turkey.
A politician is not a diplomat
There are two power centers in Ankara, the ordinary “known” government and the “primary and secret” government. Our struggle for democracy is centered on ending this dual power presence.
Empire of the scared
Following the Erdoğan and [Israeli President Shimon] Peres debate, the next issue we need to look into is whether this country is also “an empire of the scared.”
The prime minister’s hero
The victorious position of the prime minister immediately after his return from Davos was impressive; however, it would be wise to remain moderate about using this glory.
The Dangers Of Rejecting Turkey – Forbes.com
Erdogan’s Outburst and the Future of the Turkish State | Stratfor
Gaza Highlights Turkey’s Unique Role In Middle East : NPR
Erdogan’s Chutzpah -Turkey’s Prime Minister forgets who his friends are. From today’s Wall Street Journal Europe.
Turkey’s Prime Minister threw a metaphorical shoe at Shimon Peres in Davos last week, before stomping off the stage at the yearly gabfest. When Recep Tayyip Erdogan cools off, a little introspection might be in order.
Israeli Media Fabricates Anti-Turkey Stories to Tame PM Erdogan
3 February 2009
Do not discriminate, Gül
ANKARA – President Abdullah Gül warned the public not to turn the criticism of Israeli policy in Gaza into an anti-Semitic campaign and called for respect for Turkey’s Jewish citizens.
Turkey’s turn from the West or yet another smear campaign? by MEHMET KALYONCU
In a recent Washington Post article titled "Turkey’s Turn From the West," Soner Çağaptay argued that the shifts in Turkey’s domestic and foreign policies under the current Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and Turkey’s strained relationship with Israel mark Turkey’s turn away from the West.
This is what living under ‘Israeli peace’ is all about
Israel killed about 1,400 people, 437 of whom were children and two-thirds of whom were civilians. Moreover, it wounded about 6,000 people, most of whom were again women and children.
Davos: an opportunity to think again
Debates on the Davos meeting in which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated have not come to an end despite some time having elapsed.
After Davos: Now it’s Hamas’ turn to be bold
Let us first have a look at what one of the most experienced observers of the United States had to say about where things are at the end of the Gaza incursion.
Showdown at Davos
Enough has been written and spoken about the clash of words between Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s prime minister, and Mr. Shimon Peres, president of Israel. What has been said is said.
A glorious moment in Davos
Last Thursday witnessed a glorious moment when against all the oddness and ignorance of Davos, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stormed out of a debate on the Middle East at the World Economic Forum (WEF), saying he might never return to the annual gathering of the rich and the powerful.
Will Davos storm harm Turkish-Israeli ties?
Soon after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan walked off the stage at Davos last week following an angry exchange with Israeli President Shimon Peres over Israel’s deadly military operation in Gaza last month, which killed more than 1,300 Palestinians, one of the first issues that came up was whether the prime minister’s move would harm strong Turkish-Israeli ties.
Ha’aretz’s Dangerous Mistake
The Ha’aretz newspaper is often referred to as “Israel’s New York Times.” It’s certainly the country’s most highbrow paper, but a recent article raises some serious questions about the paper’s quality control.
On Monday, Feb. 1, the paper [full disclosure – I wrote an op-ed for Ha’aretz last year] ran a piece claiming that a synagogue in the Turkish city of Bursa had been set ablaze by vandals. The piece attributed the information to “sources within the Turkish Jewish community.”
Turkish PM vows to fight anti-Semitism | Jewish News | Jerusalem Post
Jerusalem Post Ankara, J’lem try to repair damaged tiesJerusalem still considers Erdogan persona non grata after outbursts regarding Gaza offensive.
Can Obama Break Turkey’s EU Impasse?Washington Institute for Near East Policy – By Soner Cagaptay
Cold Turkey by David Hazony Funny country, Turkey. The more it democratizes, the more it Islamicizes.
In Shattered Gaza Town, Roots of Seething Split
Canadian Academic Boycott of Israel: Why We Need to Take Action
By Maximilian Forte
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